Senior Policy Officer

Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman; Sydney; On-site; AUD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman in Sydney is seeking a strategic Policy professional to lead engagement on government policy, law reform, Budget and federal parliamentary processes. You will contribute to a cohesive Office view and support decision-making through rigorous research, analysis and policy advice.

The role emphasizes strong written and verbal communication, stakeholder engagement, and collaboration across teams, with eligibility including Australian citizenship and security

Qualifications

• Strong research, analytical and critical thinking skills, supported by sound strategic judgement and the ability to translate complex information into practical, evidence-based advice.
• Ability to critically review draft legislation, and policy proposals from external agencies, to identify risks and opportunities related to the Ombudsman’s functions.
• Engage with stakeholders on complex problems, reflecting the interests of the Office.
• Strong communications skills, including the ability to write persuasively and clearly articulate solutions to identified problems.
• Ability to work collaboratively, valuing diverse perspectives and building positive working relationships.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research and analysis to inform the development of the Commonwealth Ombudsman’s position on government policy and law reform proposals.
• Review and analyse draft legislation, including identifying risks and challenges in implementation that require Executive briefing.
• Prepare executive and whole-of Office briefings, strategies and plans.
• Navigate complex challenges and demonstrate excellent judgement.
• Collaborate across the Office and contribute to whole of Office leadership, strategy and initiatives, including through the provision of specialist advice.

Skills

Strong research

Analytical thinking

Strategic judgement

Stakeholder engagement

Written & verbal communication

Collaborative work

Education

Law degree desirable

Job description

Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman – Sydney NSW

The Policy Team leads the Office’s engagement on Australian Government policy, law reform, Budget and federal parliamentary processes. We help to ensure the Office’s input to these processes is accurate, persuasive and represents a ‘one Office’ view.

The Policy Team’s key functions include:

• leading whole-of-Office consideration of Australian Government policy matters and legislative reforms
• managing engagement with Parliamentary Committees, including invitations to provide submissions to inquiries or appear before Committees
• preparing costings justifications for New Policy Proposals with input from Office line areas
• coordinating Office comments on Australian Government Cabinet submissions, including managing CabNet.

Our opportunity

The successful candidate would be a strategic thinker with an analytical and curious mind who communicates clearly verbally and in writing. Broad experience in government policy, legislative or other relevant processes would be advantageous.

Duties are to be performed under direction of your supervisor and in accordance with the APS Code of Conduct, upholding the APS Values and upholding the office values of independence, impartiality, integrity, accessibility, and professionalism. Responsibilities and duties will be performed in line with APS Work Level standards for the classification and function of each position.

The Policy Team leads the Office’s engagement on Australian Government policy, law reform, Budget and federal parliamentary processes. We help to ensure the Office’s input to these processes is accurate, persuasive and represents a ‘one Office’ view.

The Policy Team’s key functions include:

• leading whole-of-Office consideration of Australian Government policy matters and legislative reforms
• managing engagement with Parliamentary Committees, including invitations to provide submissions to inquiries or appear before Committees
• preparing costings justifications for New Policy Proposals with input from Office line areas
• coordinating Office comments on Australian Government Cabinet submissions, including managing CabNet.

Our opportunity

The successful candidate would be a strategic thinker with an analytical and curious mind who communicates clearly verbally and in writing. Broad experience in government policy, legislative or other relevant processes would be advantageous.

Duties are to be performed under direction of your supervisor and in accordance with the APS Code of Conduct, upholding the APS Values and upholding the office values of independence, impartiality, integrity, accessibility, and professionalism. Responsibilities and duties will be performed in line with APS Work Level standards for the classification and function of each position.

The key duties of the position include:

Duties are to be performed under direction of your supervisor and in accordance with the APS Code of Conduct, upholding the APS Values and upholding the office values of independence, impartiality, integrity, accessibility, and professionalism. Responsibilities and duties will be performed in line with APS Work Level standards for the classification and function of each position.

The duties of the role include but are not limited to:

• conduct research and analysis to inform the development of the Commonwealth Ombudsman’s position/s on government policy and law reform proposals
• review and analyse draft legislation, including identifying risks and challenges in implementation that require Executive briefing
• preparing executive and whole of Office briefings, strategies and plans
• navigating complex challenges and demonstrating excellent judgement
• contributing to a positive and collaborative team culture committed to continuous improvement and the strategic goals of the Office
• collaborating across the Office and contributing to whole of Office leadership, strategy and initiatives, including through the provision of specialist advice

This process will also be used to establish a merit pool for future vacancies across the Office arising from the date of advertisement.

Our ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• Strong research, analytical and critical thinking skills, supported by sound strategic judgement and the ability to translate complex information into practical, evidence-based advice.
• An ability to critically review draft legislation, and policy proposals from external agencies, to identify risks and opportunities related to the Ombudsman’s functions.
• An ability to engage with stakeholders on complex problems, in a manner that reflects the interests of the Office.
• Strong communications skills, including the ability to write persuasively and clearly articulate solutions to identified problems.
• An ability to work collaboratively, valuing diverse perspectives and building positive working relationships.

The role also requires an ability to research and apply legislation. Applicants possessing a law degree are desirable (not mandatory).

Eligibility

The successful candidate must:

• be an Australian citizen
• be willing to undergo a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC)
• be able to obtain and maintain a Baseline security clearance.

Getting to know the Commonwealth Ombudsman

About the Office The purpose of the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman (the Office) is to:

• provide assurance that the Australia Government entities and prescribed private sector organisations that the Office oversights, act with integrity and treat people fairly, and
• influence enduring systematic improvement in public administration in Australia and the Pacific region.

The Office does this through handling complaints, conducting investigations, performing audits and inspections and encouraging good administration. The Office also influences improvement in public administration in the Pacific region through collaboration with partner entities. The Office is statutorily independent within the Attorney-General’s portfolio with the following separate titles that describe some of our specific powers and functions:

• Defence Force Ombudsman
• Postal Industry Ombudsman
• Overseas Students Ombudsman
• Private Health Insurance Ombudsman
• Immigration Ombudsman
• Law Enforcement Ombudsman
• VET Students Loans Ombudsman.

The Commonwealth Ombudsman is also the ACT Ombudsman. Further information about the Office is available at the Commonwealth Ombudsman website.