Complaints Officer, Clerk Grade 5/6, Complaints & Resolution Branch

NSW Ombudsman; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 103,000 - 114,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work options

35-hour work week

Close to Town Hall

Job summary

The NSW Ombudsman is seeking a Complaints Officer in Sydney CBD with hybrid and flexible working options. The role handles complaints about NSW Government agencies, local councils and some community services, including intake via phone and electronic channels.

It requires empathy, strong communication, and sound analytical ability in a high-volume environment. The position offers a competitive salary, opportunities for advancement, and a supportive, inclusive team culture within the Complaints &

Responsibilities

• Manage a mix of matters received electronically and over the phone, determining next steps and providing relevant advice to complainants.
• Interact with complainants empathetically, handling material and situations that can be challenging.
• Apply the NSW Ombudsman’s guidance to assessment and handling of complaints.
• Analyse complex information to identify key issues, determine jurisdiction and prepare concise reasons for decisions.
• Work effectively in a high-volume environment, prioritising tasks and deadlines.
• Collaborate with team members and stakeholders to improve complaint handling processes.

Job description

Complaints Officer, Clerk Grade 5/6, Complaints & Resolution Branch

Vacancy: Complaints Officer, Clerk Grade 5/6, Complaints & Resolution Branch
Location: Sydney CBD with hybrid and flexible working options.
Employment: Temporary or Ongoing. A talent pool will be created from this recruitment to be used across work streams within the NSW Ombudsman.
Salary Range: Up to $128,915. Package includes salary ($102,936 – 113,579), employer's contribution to superannuation and annual leave loading

About the NSW Ombudsman

Government agencies touch and impact the lives of the people of NSW every day, and we are there to make sure those interactions are fair. Government is complex and people need to have confidence that someone is holding government agencies to account if their actions are unreasonable, wrong or unlawful.

We are that someone. We are the organisation that shines a light on serious wrong conduct in the delivery of government services. Our ultimate goal is that everyone receives the right services and fair treatment from the agencies we oversight.

Our scope is broad. We cover services for vulnerable families, including the delivery of community services funded by government; local councils; public housing; education; public health and public transport – to name a few!

We work to help resolve problems at an individual level, as well as looking at the bigger picture to promote system improvements in public administration and in the delivery of community services. We are confident in the knowledge that our work will give voice to the individual and bring fairness and balance to how the government delivers to the public it serves.

We are committed to providing a range of career development opportunities. We aim to guide and help our people with the skills they need to lead our organisation and give the most impact to what they do.

The Role

The Complaints Resolution Branch is comprised of five work streams in addition to a team focused on business improvement and support. Each work stream handles a grouping of complaint types based on sector or agencies on an end-to-end basis.

The Complaints Officer is a role within the Complaints Resolution Branch and deals with complaints and enquiries from members of the public concerned about NSW Government agencies, local councils, and some community services, as well as from people working for public authorities disclosing possible wrongdoing.

The Complaints Officer supports the Ombudsman’s Monday to Friday phone intake service and represents the first point of contact with the public. The Complaints Officer will be responsible for managing a mix of matters received electronically and over the phone, determining next steps and providing relevant advice to complainants.

The Complaints Officer provides the opportunity to combine customer service skills and analytical abilities in resolving and responding to matters. The advertised vacancy sits within the Public Administration stream and the successful candidate will demonstrate an ability to interact with complainants in an empathetic manner in relation to material and situations that can be quite challenging.

The advertised position is for the Public Administration workstream. A recruitment pool may be created to fill future vacancies across other workstreams which may include:

Housing, Health and Tertiary Education

Community Services, Guardianship and School Education

Public Administration

Local Government and Environment

Business Improvement

More information about the work of our streams can be found in our annual reports: NSW Ombudsman | Office Annual Reports

About you

The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate:

Strong customer service and/or complaint handling skills, and the ability to deal with diverse and often vulnerable members of the public.

An understanding of the work of the NSW Ombudsman and an ability to apply this to your assessment and handling of complaints.

Strong communication skills, including having the ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing with our diverse stakeholders.

The ability to maintain impartiality while managing sometimes difficult situations and making quick decisions.

The ability to analyse complex information to identify key issues, determine jurisdiction and prepare accurate and concise reasons for decisions.

Commitment to providing positive customer service.

The ability to work in a high-volume environment, with the ability to prioritise and manage your time and competing demands.

The ability to work in a team and independently.

What can we offer?

Competitive salary and future growth opportunities within NSW Ombudsman

Flexibility and the capacity to work in a hybrid way

Work life balance with a 35-hour work week

Close to public transport - office is adjacent to Town Hall Train Station

Great team environment and culture

Fitness Passport

Employment at the NSW Ombudsman is subject to the satisfactory completion of security and related vetting including, in part, a criminal records check; signed understanding and acceptance of a range of policies; two statutory declarations relating to conflicts of interest, arrests, charges, convictions and a health declaration.

The NSW Ombudsman promotes a diverse workforce that is representative of the communities we serve. We particularly encourage applications from Aboriginal people, people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities, LGBTIQ+ people and people of all genders, and people with disability. We support flexibility and all roles advertised on a full-time basis may be considered for part-time employment.

We provide adjustments including alternative formats to the recruitment process for candidates including individuals with disability. If you require an adjustment to be made during the recruitment process (including alternative formats) or have an enquiry about the support provided, please contact Sheena on 02 9127 7*** or ***********@ombo.nsw.gov.au.

The NSW Ombudsman has achieved Disability Confident Recruiter status, awarded by the Australian Disability Network. We are committed to continuing this journey through inclusive recruitment practices to ensure candidates have a positive experience in every step of the recruitment process.