Director Public Affairs Policy and Strategy

Accpa; Australia; Hybrid; AUD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

CEFC invites expressions of interest for a Director – Public Affairs, Policy and Strategy to shape government engagement and policy responses as Australia accelerates its energy transition.

You will lead stakeholder relationships with Ministers and Parliament, translate complex policy into actionable guidance, and oversee reporting to government and Board within a lean, high-performing team.

Job description

Director Public Affairs Policy and Strategy

01 September 2026

About the opportunity

As Director – Public Affairs, Policy and Strategy, you will shape how the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) engages with the Australian Government and the Parliament, and how it understands and responds to the policy, parliamentary and political environment in which it operates.

Reporting to the Head of Public Affairs, you will support the CEFC’s relationships with senior government stakeholders, including its Responsible Ministers – the Minister for Climate Change and Energy and the Minister for Finance – together with their offices and departmental teams. You will advise the Head of Public Affairs, the Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, the CEO and the Executive Team on public policy, engagement, parliamentary processes and political context.

Much of your work will be both broad in subject and fine in detail. You will lead the CEFC’s work across discrete policy and engagement workstreams, including the CEFC’s contribution to new policy processes and the associated analysis and cost modelling, and you will routinely translate complex policy, investment and sustainability material into clear advice for stakeholders.

You will also ensure the CEFC meets its obligations to Government and Parliament, managing the information and reporting we provide and taking carriage of sensitive issues as they arise. Working alongside the wider Corporate Affairs team, you will keep the CEFC’s position consistent across government, media and other stakeholder engagement.

This role will suit someone with intellectual curiosity, humility, discretion, drive and a strong sense of personal accountability. It calls for a track record of understanding situations and people accurately, reading between lines where necessary, discerning what drives decisions, and accurately judging when to press forward, pause or

The CEFC is a corporate Commonwealth entity established under the Clean Energy Finance Corporation Act 2012, not a department of state. Staff are not employed under the Public Service Act 1999 and this is not an APS position.

This is a rare and rewarding opportunity to contribute to Australia’s energy transition at a decisive moment, and to influence decisions that will define the decade ahead.

The role you’ll play

As Director – Public Affairs, Policy and Strategy, you will:

• Advise the Head of Public Affairs, the Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, the CEO and the Executive Team on government engagement, public policy, parliamentary process and political context.
• Manage the CEFC’s key stakeholder relationships: the Australian Government and the Parliament of Australia, in particular our Responsible Ministers and their portfolio departments, and other ministers, departments, agencies and related entities; our market and non-government stakeholders, including clients and prospects, NGOs, industry associations and peak bodies; and state, territory and international governments, agencies and related entities.
• Contribute to the CEFC’s government and parliamentary engagement strategy, and lead significant workstreams within it.
• Lead the CEFC’s contribution to new policy processes end to end, including work consistent with the Budget Process Operational Rules, the Cabinet Handbook and other Australian Government frameworks.
• Brief and advise on government matters as they develop, elevate issues early, and prepare material for the Executive Team, Chair and Board.
• Manage the information and reporting the CEFC provides to government stakeholders, and take direct carriage of sensitive issues as directed.
• Identify policy and regulatory developments that create risk or opportunity for the CEFC, and shape our response to them.
• Work with colleagues across marketing, communications, media and stakeholder engagement so that the CEFC speaks with one voice externally.
• Strengthen the strategies, systems and processes on which the function depends.
• Own the detail and deliver the outcome. This is a lean, high-performing team in which the tactics and the implementation sit with the same person, at pace. There is minimal capacity to delegate, so no task is beneath or beyond anyone.

To be successful in this role, you will bring

• Experience within and around the Australian Government: Eight or more years working close to the centre of Australian Government, with a proven track record of achieving outcomes. This might include a senior role in a central department, a federal ministerial office, a government or corporate affairs function in a large company, an influential industry association or a think tank, or a combination of these.
• Insight: Deep working knowledge of the structure of federal government policy and decision-making processes, parliamentary procedure, and the practical application of the Budget Process Operational Rules, Cabinet Handbook and other relevant processes and frameworks. Experience as a Chief of Staff, Principal or Senior Policy Adviser in a senior ministerial office would be highly regarded.
• Judgement: Sound decision-making where information is incomplete or the situation is ambiguous, with the capability to form an evidence-based, risk-adjusted position rather than an impulsive one, and the discretion to know when to reserve a position or elevate.
• Analytical rigour: Cognitive agility and sharp analytical skills, with the ability to get across the detail and nuance of an issue, concept or system quickly and distil what matters most.
• Communication: The ability to translate complex material (such as regarding policy, investment, finance, economic and sustainability matters) for less familiar audiences, in writing and in person.
• Relationships and influence: Excellent relationship-building, collaboration and influencing skills with senior internal and external stakeholders, with a high degree of emotional intelligence.
• Accountability, humility and integrity: A willingness to own significant pieces of work and their outcomes, paired with self-awareness, discretion and a low-ego approach.
• Sector knowledge: Familiarity with financial services, energy or another complex sector is useful, though not essential. What is essential is a detailed understanding of how government works and how outcomes are achieved within government systems.
• Qualifications and clearance: Tertiary and/or postgraduate qualifications in a related discipline such as law, economics, public policy, finance or communications. Australian Citizenship is required, as is the ability to hold an Australian Government security clearance to at least baseline level.

Are you ready to contribute to the achievement of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets?

If you're someone who’s driven to make a positive impact, exploring new frontiers, overcoming challenges and seizing opportunities, then the CEFC could be the place for you.

The successful candidate must have current Australian work rights and will be required to complete background checks, including security clearances if required, prior to commencement.

Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) Hybrid