Executive Director Corporate Affairs

NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment & Water; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 290,000 - 355,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Maternity leave cover

Parramatta location preferred

Flexible working options

Job summary

NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment & Water is seeking an exceptional senior communications leader to join its executive team as Executive Director, Corporate Affairs. You will provide strategic leadership across communications, media, digital, and stakeholder engagement functions, reporting to the Deputy Secretary and advising the Secretary and ELT.

You will lead an integrated corporate affairs approach, strengthening relationships, protecting the department’s reputation,

Qualifications

• Extensive senior leadership experience in strategic communications and stakeholder engagement.
• Ability to provide strategic advice to senior executives on high-profile issues.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership across communications, media, digital and engagement functions.
• Lead corporate affairs with a focus on reputation and timely, coordinated communications.
• Guide executive-level responses during crises and emerging issues.

Skills

Strategic communications

Media relations

Digital & social media

Stakeholder engagement

Executive advisory

Education

Tertiary qualifications in communications/journalism/public relations/marketing

Job description

Do you want your work to make a difference for NSW?

Working to protect the state’s environment and heritage.

• Key role leading DCCEEW’s communication and engagement strategies
• Approximately six-month maternity leave cover
• Parramatta location preferred | Flexible working options available
• Band 2 Executive Level: TRP commencing from $322,303

The NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water is seeking an exceptional senior communications leader to join its executive team as Executive Director, Corporate Affairs.

The department is responsible for a broad and highly visible portfolio spanning climate change, the transition to net zero, energy, water, the environment, biodiversity, national parks and Aboriginal cultural heritage.

This is an outstanding opportunity to lead the corporate affairs function of a large, complex and purpose-driven organisation, shaping how the department communicates and engages with government, stakeholders, industry, media and communities across NSW.

About the opportunity

As Executive Director, Corporate Affairs, you will provide strategic leadership across the department’s communications, media, digital and social media, marketing and strategic stakeholder engagement functions.

Reporting to the Deputy Secretary, Strategic Policy, Science and Engagement, you will be a trusted adviser to the Secretary, Deputy Secretary and Executive Leadership Team, helping navigate complex and high-profile issues and ensuring communications are timely, coordinated and aligned with government and departmental priorities.

You will lead an integrated approach to corporate affairs that strengthens stakeholder relationships, builds organisational communication capability and protects and enhances the department’s reputation.

A critical part of the role will be providing executive leadership during emerging issues and crises, ensuring the department is prepared to respond with clear, accurate and coordinated communications.

What you’ll bring

We are looking for an accomplished and influential executive who can operate confidently in a complex, fast-moving and highly visible environment.

You will bring:

• Extensive senior leadership experience across strategic communications, media, digital, social media and stakeholder engagement in a large and complex organisation.
• A demonstrated ability to provide authoritative strategic advice to senior executives and lead communications responses to complex, sensitive and high-profile issues.
• Exceptional judgement and the ability to anticipate and manage communications, stakeholder and reputational risks in a dynamic political and policy environment.
• A strong track record of building trusted relationships across government, industry, communities and other stakeholder groups.
• The ability to influence at the highest levels, translating complex government and organisational priorities into compelling, coordinated communications.
• Proven experience leading, developing and inspiring high-performing teams.
• Relevant tertiary qualifications in communications, journalism, public relations, marketing or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience.

Why this role?

Few corporate affairs roles offer this breadth of scope or opportunity for impact.

You will help shape communications and stakeholder engagement across issues that matter deeply to the people and communities of NSW, while leading a function that operates at the centre of departmental decision-making.

The environment is complex and demanding. The successful candidate will need to balance competing priorities and tight timeframes, build trusted relationships with Ministerial Offices and government partners, and navigate matters attracting significant media, industry and community interest.

The position leads up to five direct reports and has responsibility for managing a divisional budget of approximately $20 million.

Key Knowledge and Experience

• Extensive experience in leading strategic communications, media, digital, social media, and stakeholder engagement in a large and complex organisation.
• Demonstrated ability to provide strategic advice to senior executives and leading communications responses to complex, sensitive and high-profile issues.
• Experience leading and developing high-performing teams and building collaborative relationships across government, industry, community and stakeholder groups.

Relevant tertiary qualifications in communications, journalism, public relations, marketing or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.

DCCEEW conserves and protects the state’s natural environment. It manages the NSW national park estate, including its rich and diverse biodiversity and Aboriginal cultural heritage for future generations.

DCCEEW also ensures sustainable management of water resources across the state, to support the environment, communities and industry.

We acknowledge the ongoing custodial responsibilities of the Aboriginal peoples of NSW to care for Country and water and are committed to establishing meaningful partnerships with Aboriginal peoples in the management of the environment.

A recruitment pool may be created for ongoing and temporary opportunities of the same role or role type that may become available over the next 18 months.

Our goal is to build a workforce that not only represents but also understands and serves the diverse communities of New South Wales. We are committed to making our state a vibrant and inclusive place to live, work, and thrive for everyone. Our workforce represents people of all ages and genders, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disabilities, the LGBTQI+ community, and people from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

Please note to be eligible to apply for this position you must be an Australian or New Zealand citizen or permanent resident, or hold a valid Australian working Visa for the duration of the appointment.

Applications close Tuesday 17th of November 2026 at 11:55PM.

What can I earn as an Executive Director