Senior Adviser, Governance, Compliance and Policy

Rsl Nsw; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

RSL NSW in Sydney is seeking an experienced Senior Adviser, Governance, Compliance and Policy to strengthen governance, compliance and policy practices across the organisation. Reporting to the General Counsel and Company Secretary, you will lead the policy lifecycle, interpret legislation and monitor compliance.

This hands-on role covers governance reporting, assurance activities, training and Board/Committee support, with a focus on practical risk mitigation and clear guidance for stakeholders

Qualifications

• Qualified in law, governance, compliance, risk, business, or public administration.
• Experience in governance, compliance, policy, assurance or regulatory roles within a complex organisation.
• Experience developing, reviewing and implementing policies, procedures, governance instruments, registers, guidance materials and training.
• Strong understanding of governance, compliance, risk and assurance principles in practice.
• Ability to interpret complex legislative and regulatory requirements and communicate clearly.
• Strong drafting, analytical, presentation and stakeholder management skills.
• High attention to detail, discretion and good judgement with sensitive matters.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and collaborate across teams.

Responsibilities

• Own and continually improve governance, compliance and policy frameworks.
• Manage the end-to-end policy lifecycle, including approvals and retirement.
• Provide practical governance and compliance advice to stakeholders.
• Monitor compliance with legislation, regulations, constitution and policies.
• Develop monitoring, reporting and assurance processes with control testing.
• Support Board and Committee governance, reporting and assurance activities.
• Deliver governance and regulatory compliance training.

Skills

Governance

Compliance

Policy development

Regulatory interpretation

Stakeholder management

Policy drafting

Risk management

Attention to detail

Discretion

Communication

Education

Law degree

Governance qualification

Public administration degree

Job description

Founded in 1916, RSL NSW is a member-based veterans’ charity dedicated to supporting veterans and their families through advocacy and by connecting them with services that improve their wellbeing. We foster connection through camaraderie, recreation and commemoration within local communities.

Working closely with a network of sub-branches across NSW and partner organisations, RSL NSW is focused on delivering meaningful impact for the veteran community. We are a values driven organisation with a collaborative and continuous improvement mindset, and we are committed to creating positive outcomes for veterans and their families.

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced Senior Adviser, Governance, Compliance and Policy to join our Legal and Company Secretariat team and play a key role in strengthening governance, compliance and policy practices across RSL NSW. Reporting to the General Counsel and Company Secretary, you will take the lead on maintaining and continually improving governance and compliance frameworks, policy governance, compliance monitoring, assurance activities, governance reporting and training.

You will provide practical advice that helps the organisation understand its obligations and make informed, consistent and well-governed decisions. This is a broad, hands-on role where you will manage the policy lifecycle, interpret legislation and regulatory obligations, monitor compliance, identify governance risks and undertake reviews and assurance activities. You will also contribute to Board and Committee governance, support complaints and whistleblower frameworks, and develop governance and compliance training for stakeholders across the organisation.

Key Responsibilities

• Owning and continually improving governance, compliance and policy frameworks, including enterprise policies and governance instruments.
• Managing the end-to-end policy lifecycle, including reviews, approvals, version control and retirement of superseded policies.
• Providing practical governance and compliance advice to stakeholders across the organisation.
• Monitoring compliance with relevant legislation, regulatory obligations, the RSL NSW Constitution, policies and governance standards.
• Developing compliance monitoring, reporting and assurance processes, including control testing, issue tracking and remediation.
• Identifying governance and compliance risks and supporting practical mitigation and improvement strategies.
• Planning and undertaking governance and compliance reviews, audits and effectiveness evaluations.
• Supporting Board and Committee governance, reporting and assurance activities.
• Supporting complaints, whistleblower and disciplinary frameworks, including sensitive or high-risk matters.
• Developing and delivering governance and regulatory compliance training and awareness initiatives.
• Working collaboratively with the broader Legal and Company Secretariat team to deliver integrated governance outcomes.

About you

You are an experienced governance, compliance, policy or assurance professional who can balance strong technical capability with a practical and collaborative approach. You are comfortable interpreting legislation, constitutions, policies and regulatory requirements and, importantly, can translate these into clear advice and workable solutions for stakeholders.

You will bring strong judgement, attention to detail and excellent written and verbal communication skills. You are confident working with senior stakeholders and handling confidential or sensitive matters, while being equally comfortable getting into the detail of policies, registers, controls, reporting and assurance activities.

You bring:

• A relevant tertiary qualification in law, governance, compliance, risk, business, public administration or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience in governance, compliance, policy, assurance or regulatory roles within a complex organisation.
• Experience developing, reviewing and implementing policies, procedures, governance instruments, registers, guidance materials and training.
• A strong understanding of governance, compliance, risk and assurance principles and how to apply them in practice.
• The ability to interpret complex legislative, regulatory and governance requirements and communicate them clearly.
• Strong drafting, analytical, presentation and stakeholder management skills.
• High attention to detail, discretion and sound judgement when managing sensitive or high-risk matters.
• The ability to manage competing priorities and work collaboratively across legal, governance, compliance and operational teams.

Experience within a not-for-profit, charity, member-based, federated or regulated organisation will be highly regarded, as will experience supporting Boards or Committees and exposure to complaints, whistleblower, disciplinary, conflicts of interest or governance assurance frameworks.

Why work for us

This is an opportunity to take on a broad and influential governance role within an organisation with a strong community purpose. You will work closely with senior leaders and governance stakeholders, have genuine ownership of key frameworks and processes, and contribute to strengthening governance capability across the organisation.

The role is based at ANZAC House in the Sydney CBD and operates under our hybrid working model, with three days in the office and two days working from home as the standard arrangement.

RSL NSW is a veteran-friendly employer and recognises the value of skills and experience gained through military service. We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace that supports veterans and members of the defence community.