Director Corporate Services

Capstone Recruitment; Scone; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Upper Hunter Shire Council is seeking an accomplished executive to lead Corporate Services, including finance, governance, people and culture, information services and risk. You will drive financial sustainability, advise the General Manager and Council, and oversee commercial operations of saleyards, airport and property assets.

The role requires governance rigour, strong commercial acumen, and a proven ability to build high‑performing teams in a public sector context.

Qualifications

• Experienced executive or senior manager with a track record of leading diverse professional and technical teams.
• Comprehensive knowledge of accounting standards and local government legislation as it applies to financial management and governance.
• Experience across finance, people and culture, information services and business enterprise.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight of the Corporate Services group across finance, governance, people and culture, information services and risk.
• Advise the General Manager, Mayor and Council on policy, procedure and financial matters; contribute to strategic planning and delivery programs.
• Lead, develop and coach four leaders; ensure the group delivers value within timeframes and budgets while upholding integrity and public accountability.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Governance

Financial management

Stakeholder engagement

Public sector experience

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field

Postgraduate qualifications in management or local government

Unrestricted driver licence

Job description

The Upper Hunter Shire covers around 8,100 square kilometers of the Hunter Valley and is home to approximately 14,500 people across the towns of Scone, Aberdeen, Merriwa and Murrurundi and the villages between them. It is a big place with a hardworking spirit, a rugged and scenic landscape and a strong sense of one community connected to the land and to each other. Council is committed to delivering high quality, responsive services to that community while maintaining a safe, fair and open workplace where achievement is recognised and people are encouraged to grow.

The Director Corporate Services leads the corporate engine of that organisation. This is an appointment for an accomplished and contemporary leader who is equally credible leading Council’s finances and shaping its governance, its people, its technology and its commercial enterprises.

The Role

Reporting to the General Manager as a member of the Senior Management Group, the Director Corporate Services provides strategic leadership and operational oversight of the Corporate Services group. The portfolio brings together the functions that keep Council running well: finance, governance, people and culture, information services and risk, together with Council’s commercial operations, including the saleyards, airport and property portfolio. You will hold overall responsibility for Council’s financial management and be its principal advisor on long‑term financial sustainability. You will lead four capable people leaders, each responsible for their own area, and your focus will be on setting direction, building capability and ensuring the group delivers for the organisation and the community.

Beyond the portfolio, the role carries organisation‑wide responsibilities: advising the General Manager, Mayor and Council on policy, procedure and financial matters; contributing to the development and review of the Community Strategic Plan, Delivery Program and Operational Plan; performing the statutory duties of Public Officer; and acting as General Manager when required. It is a role that asks for governance rigour and commercial acumen in equal measure.

About You

You are an experienced executive or senior manager with a record of leading diverse professional and technical teams, ideally within local government or a comparable public sector environment. You bring comprehensive knowledge of accounting standards and local government legislation as they apply to financial management, corporate governance and compliance, together with extensive experience across the corporate services disciplines: finance, people and culture, information services and business enterprise. Degree qualifications in a relevant field and a current unrestricted driver licence are essential. Postgraduate qualifications in management or local government, experience with commercial operations such as saleyards, airports and property, and previous local government experience are desirable.

Just as important is how you lead. Council is seeking a visible, values‑based leader who promotes excellence, creates a collaborative culture and builds high‑performing teams. You communicate, influence and negotiate effectively at every level of an organisation, you bring sound business acumen and high‑level judgement to complex decisions, and you deliver outcomes within agreed timeframes and budgets while balancing the competing needs of stakeholders. You act with integrity and in the public interest, and you are prepared to take ownership of difficult decisions.

Why This Role

Upper Hunter Shire offers a rare combination: a portfolio that spans finance, governance, people, technology and commercial enterprise; a council of a scale where a Director’s influence is direct and visible; and a community that values honest, open and accountable public administration. For a corporate services leader ready to take on, or continue, an executive career in regional NSW, this is a defining appointment. An attractive executive remuneration package will be negotiated with the successful candidate.

Recruitment Timeline

Closing Date: Midnight, Sunday 4 October 2026.