Director, Commissions and Inquiries

WorkSafe Victoria; Geelong; Hybrid; AUD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

WorkSafe Victoria is seeking an executive leader to head the External Affairs response to a major Royal Commission in Victoria. Based in Wadawurrung/Geelong, the role is hybrid, three days in the office, overseeing strategic direction and high-stakes stakeholder engagement.

You will provide authoritative advice to the CEO and Board, manage reputational risk, and coordinate multi-agency submissions while leading a team of experts to deliver high-quality outputs.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated senior leadership in a complex, highly regulated environment.
• Ability to advise executives with robust, transparent guidance.
• Strong stakeholder management and risk awareness in media contexts.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight of the Royal Commission response.
• Lead coordination of documents, witness statements and hearings.
• Direct a team of experts across business areas with clear strategy.
• Coordinate cross-agency stakeholder collaboration and Cabinet submissions.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Stakeholder management

Verbal communication

Written communication

Regulated environment experience

Job description

• Senior Leadership role with the External Affairs Business Unit
• Full time, fixed term to April 2027
• Wadawurrung / Geelong based role (hybrid – 3 days a week in office)

About the opportunity

This executive leadership role will lead WorkSafe Victoria's comprehensive response to the Royal Commission into the Integrity of Major Public and Civil Infrastructure Construction Projects in Victoria. Reporting to the Executive Director, External Affairs, you will provide strategic leadership, expert advice and oversight of complex, high-profile activities while working closely with senior government stakeholders, legal representatives and WorkSafe executives.

Key responsibilities include:

• Provide authoritative, strategic and timely advice to the Chief Executive Officer, Board and the Executive Leadership Team on end-to-end response to the Royal Commission into the Integrity of Major Public and Civil Infrastructure Construction Projects in Victoria.
• The Director will be responsible for providing high-level advice regarding issues, risk management (including reputational risk) and potential policy or operational impacts.
• Lead the coordination of production of documents, witness statements and attendance at hearings requested via the Commission’s coercive legal powers.
• Lead a team of experts from relevant business areas providing clear direction on strategy and outputs, while ensuring high attention to detail and quality.
• Lead effective stakeholder collaboration and communication with government departments on multi-agency workflows such as preparation of Cabinet or Cabinet Committee submissions.

Please ensure you review the Position Description for additional information on accountabilities for this role.

About you

You are a proactive leader with exceptional judgement and stakeholder management capability. You thrive in complex, high-profile and highly regulated environments, bringing a strategic mindset and outstanding communication skills.

Additionally, you will possess the following skills and experience:

• Demonstrated experience in a similar leadership role at a senior level within a complex, highly regulated environment managing stakeholder engagement and reputational issues at a state or national level.
• Strong ability to engage with senior leaders and executives and provide robust, transparent and sound advice in relation to specific subject matter.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills and ability to identify and address risks associated with stakeholder sentiment and media coverage.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with high-level conceptual and analytical capability and business acumen.

Working with us

At WorkSafe, our goal is for every employee to feel connected, safe, and valued within their team, for teams to feel appreciated in the workplace, and for WorkSafe to be respected in the community.

We believe that a diverse workforce is essential for delivering the best outcomes for the Victorian community. We strongly encourage applications from all individuals, including First Nations people, people with disabilities, those from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and individuals of all sexualities and genders.

What's next?

Applications close 11pm Friday 13th November 2026.

Preferred candidates will be required to satisfactorily complete a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check and/or other checks as required for the position as part of the recruitment process.

Eligibility for ongoing employment with WorkSafe Victoria requires Australian or New Zealand citizenship or permanent residency.

Due to the volume of applications received, individualised feedback will only be provided to candidates who progress to interview stage.

For further enquiries please contact Abbey Bernard via email *************@worksafe.vic.gov.au