Senior Policy Officer (Aboriginal Identified)

Department/Agency: NESA; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 133,000 - 147,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

CBD location

Flexible working arrangements

Discounted health memberships

Fitness Passport

Salary packaging options

Leave entitlements

Job summary

NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) seeks a Senior Policy Officer (Aboriginal Identified) to drive policy integration and coordinate policy work across the organisation, with a focus on advancing Aboriginal Education commitments.

You will partner with Aboriginal staff, senior leaders and stakeholders to shape policy, drive engagement and improve outcomes for Aboriginal students and communities across NSW.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience delivering complex policy initiatives and projects in environments with competing priorities and tight timeframes.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret complex information and provide sound policy advice.
• Proven ability to build trusted relationships, influence outcomes and engage effectively with Aboriginal communities, stakeholders and senior decision-makers.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare high-quality briefs, reports and correspondence.
• Experience monitoring and evaluating policies and programs to support continuous improvement and achievement of strategic outcomes.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in engaging with Aboriginal people and communities.
• Aboriginality is a genuine qualification for this role.

Responsibilities

• Providing expert policy advice and information to support interpretation and implementation of policy initiatives, particularly NESA's Commitment to Aboriginal Education.
• Supporting the Aboriginal Education Forum of the NESA Board through secretariat and coordination services.
• Building and maintaining relationships with Aboriginal communities, education stakeholders, government agencies and internal partners to inform policy development and decision-making.
• Researching, analysing and reviewing complex policy issues, identifying trends, risks and opportunities, and developing evidence-based recommendations.
• Monitoring, evaluating and reporting on policy and project implementation to ensure desired outcomes.
• Preparing briefs, reports, correspondence and publications for senior executives, the NESA Board and government stakeholders.
• Providing guidance and mentoring to policy officers and support staff to deliver policy priorities and initiatives.
• Contributing to organisation-wide projects and initiatives that support NESA's strategic objectives.

Skills

Policy development

Stakeholder engagement

Analytical thinking

Communication

Aboriginal engagement

Policy monitoring

Time management

Education

Tertiary qualification in a relevant discipline

Job description

Senior Policy Officer (Aboriginal Identified)

Department/Agency: NESA – Sydney NSW

$133,348 - $146,945 a year

Hybrid

11d ago , from Department of Communities and Justice NSW

This is an identified position in accordance with Section 14 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977. Applicants must be of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent.

• Full-time, Salary: $133,348 to $146,945 p.a. plus employer’s contribution to superannuation and leave loading
• Ongoing role
• Close to Wynyard station & hybrid work arrangements available

About us

At the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA), we are dedicated to carrying out meaningful work that drives improvements and elevates student achievement across NSW, now and into the future.

We accomplish this by supporting all school sectors with high-quality syllabuses, assessment (including managing the HSC and NAPLAN), teaching standards (e.g., accrediting teachers) and school environments (including setting and monitoring school standards).

NESA is a unique organisation in NSW (of around 740FTE staff) with significant state-wide impact, visit ourwebsiteto learn more about the important work we do.

About the role

The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) is seeking a Senior Policy Officer (Aboriginal Identified) to support the strategic integration and coordination of policy across the organisation, with a particular focus on advancing NESA's Commitment to Aboriginal Education. In partnership with Aboriginal staff, senior leaders and key stakeholders, you will help shape policy, drive meaningful engagement, and contribute to initiatives that improve educational outcomes for Aboriginal students and communities across NSW.

This is an exciting opportunity to apply your policy expertise and Cultural knowledge in a role that has a genuine impact on education outcomes. You will work on complex and high-profile policy issues, collaborate with influential stakeholders, support the Aboriginal Education Forum of the NESA Board, contribute to organisation-wide projects and help inform strategic decision-making across the organisation.

On a day-to-day basis you will be responsible for:

• Providing expert policy advice and information to support the interpretation and implementation of policy initiatives, particularly NESA's Commitment to Aboriginal Education.
• Supporting the Aboriginal Education Forum of the NESA Board through the provision of secretariat and coordination services.
• Building and maintaining effective relationships with Aboriginal communities, education stakeholders, government agencies and internal partners to inform policy development and decision-making.
• Researching, analysing and reviewing complex policy issues, identifying emerging trends, risks and opportunities, and developing evidence-based recommendations.
• Monitoring, evaluating and reporting on policy and project implementation to ensure desired outcomes are achieved.
• Preparing high-quality briefs, reports, correspondence and publications for senior executives, the NESA Board and government stakeholders.
• Providing guidance and mentoring to policy officers and support staff to successfully deliver policy priorities and initiatives.
• Contributing to organisation-wide projects and initiatives that support NESA's strategic objectives.

Our ideal candidate will bring:

• Demonstrated experience delivering complex policy initiatives and projects in environments with competing priorities, evolving stakeholder expectations and tight timeframes.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret complex information, develop evidence-based solutions and provide sound policy advice.
• Proven ability to build trusted relationships, influence outcomes and engage effectively with Aboriginal communities, stakeholders and senior decision-makers.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare high-quality briefs, reports and correspondence and explain complex issues clearly to diverse audiences.
• Experience monitoring and evaluating policies and programs to support continuous improvement and achievement of strategic outcomes.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in engaging with Aboriginal people and communities.
• Tertiary qualifications in a relevant discipline or demonstrated equivalent relevant professional experience.
• Aboriginality. This is a genuine qualification and authorised in terms of Section 14 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977. Applicants must confirm their Aboriginality through written documentation in addition to addressing the capabilities and pre-screening questions in their application.

We invite you to download therole description for additional information on the position.

At NESA you will benefit from:

• An organisation where your contribution has a big impact.
• An enviable CBD location (all modes of transport nearby, and excellent coffee and eateries) with refurbished offices.
• Flexible working arrangements and generous leave entitlements.
• Access to discounted health and fitness memberships via Fitness Passport, an employee assistance program and annual flu vaccinations.
• Salary packaging options.
• Working in a purpose driven and ethical organisation with committed colleagues.

Ready to join us?

If you need reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process and/or workplace, please reach out to

Close date: Friday, 25 September 2026 at 11.59pm AEST

Thank you for your interest, we look forward to receiving your application.

#S/DNI

NESA’s Statement of Commitment to Child Safety

All children and young people have the right to be respected, feel safe, be safe, and protected from harm. NESA is committed to child safety and child safe practices underpinning our purpose of helping children and young people leave school, ready to take advantage of life’s opportunities and rise to its inevitable challenges.

We particularly welcome applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability, people of all ages, genders, cultural and linguistic backgrounds and the LGBTQIA+ community.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. For ongoing roles, you must be an Australian or New Zealand citizen or an Australian Permanent Resident. Australian Temporary Residents may be considered for a fixed term contract for the length of their visa, depending on the requirements of the hiring area and the position.

A Talent Pool (valid for 18 months) may be created for future ongoing and temporary roles