Senior Review Officer

NSW Ombudsman; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 133,000 - 167,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work flexibility

Fitness Passport

Great team environment

Job summary

NSW Ombudsman is seeking a Senior Review Officer (Clerk Grade 9/10) to lead system reviews of complaint handling across NSW public authorities. The role involves preparing statutory notices, benchmarking against standards, and drafting high-level reports for agencies and Parliament.

The SRO will supervise a direct report, apply sound judgement to identify improvements, and foster stakeholder relationships while working in a hybrid arrangement with flexible hours.

Qualifications

• Be an experienced reviewer, investigator, auditor or complaints professional with strong ability to understand, assess and analyse complex systems.
• Use sound judgement and facts to draw evidence-based conclusions and recommend improvements.
• Have high-level written and verbal communication skills to translate complex information into plain English.

Responsibilities

• Lead system reviews of complaint-handling processes across agencies.
• Prepare statutory notices, analyse data, benchmark against best-practice standards.
• Draft high-level reports for agencies and Parliament and propose practical recommendations.
• Supervise/mentor staff and oversee a direct report (clerk grade 7/8).

Skills

Analytical thinking

Written & verbal comms

Stakeholder management

Mentoring staff

Job description

Pursuing fairness for the people of NSW

Vacancy:Senior Review Officer (Clerk Grade 9/10), Complaint Handling System Reviews Unit, Public Interest Disclosure & Complaint Handling Systems Oversight Branch
Location:Sydney CBD with hybrid and flexible working options.
Employment: Ongoing
Salary Range: Up to $166,786. Package includes salary ($133,348 - $146,945), employer's contribution to superannuation and annual leave loading

About the NSW Ombudsman

Government agencies touch and impact the lives of the people of NSW every day, and we are there to make sure those interactions are fair. Government is complex and people need to have confidence that someone is holding government agencies to account if their actions are unreasonable, wrong or unlawful.

We are that someone. We are the organisation that shines a light on serious wrong conduct in the delivery of government services. Our ultimate goal is that everyone receives the right services and fair treatment from the agencies we oversight.

Our scope is broad. We cover services for vulnerable families, including the delivery of community services funded by government; local councils; correctional and youth justice centres; education; environment protection and public transport – to name a few!

We work to help resolve problems at an individual level, as well as looking at the bigger picture to promote system improvements in public administration and in the delivery of community services. We are confident in the knowledge that our work will give voice to the individual and bring fairness and balance to how the government delivers to the public it serves.

We are committed to providing a range of career development opportunities. We aim to guide and help our people with the skills they need to lead our organisation and give the most impact to what they do.

The Role

The Senior Review Officer (SRO) contributes to the Ombudsman’s statutory functions to review the complaint handling systems of NSW public authorities under section 25A of the Ombudsman Act 1974, and NSW community service providers under section 14 of the Community Services (Complaints, Review and Monitoring) Act 1993.

A system review evaluates a range of complaint handling components, including:

• Governance, procedure and guidance documents that establish and support the function of the system.
• Organisational culture towards complaint management, including staff training and continuous improvement.
• The end-to-end complaints process, covering how complaint files progress through the system and the software used to manage this process.
• How accessible the system is to the public, including what information is publicly available about the complaints process.

The SRO researches, proposes, plans and conducts system reviews in line with the overarching framework and 3-year review program. They take a lead role in complex reviews, ensuring all work is consistent with operational and legislative requirements.

During a review, the SRO prepares statutory notices, critically analyses and benchmarks system information against best-practice standards, liaises with the agency under review, and drafts high-level reports for the agency and/or Parliament. They also develop practical, meaningful recommendations for system improvement and monitor their implementation.

Additionally, the SRO will likely be responsible for managing a direct report (Review Officer, clerk grade 7/8), which includes supervising performance, providing guidance on reviews, and quality assuring their output.

About you

• Be an experienced reviewer, investigator, auditor or complaints professional with a strong ability to understand, assess, and critically analyse complex organisational systems and processes.
• Use sound judgement and facts to draw evidence-based conclusions, identify system improvements, and make appropriate recommendations.
• Possess high-level written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate complex information into clear, plain English.
• Have experience building stakeholder relationships, monitoring the implementation of recommendations, and supervising or mentoring staff.
• Enjoy researching and staying up to date with emerging issues in the NSW government and community service sectors.

What can we offer?

Competitive salary and future growth opportunities within NSW Ombudsman

Flexibility and the capacity to work in a hybrid way (an average of 2 days a week in the office is required)

Work life balance with a 35-hour work week

Close to public transport - office is adjacent to Town Hall Train Station

Great team environment and culture

Fitness Passport

Notes

All temporary roles may have the opportunity for ongoing employment.

Employment at the NSW Ombudsman is subject to the satisfactory completion of security and related vetting including, in part, a criminal records check; signed understanding and acceptance of a range of policies; two statutory declarations relating to conflicts of interest, arrests, charges, convictions and a health declaration.

The NSW Ombudsman promotes a diverse workforce that is representative of the communities we serve. We particularly encourage applications from Aboriginal people, people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities, LGBTIQ+ people and people of all genders, and people with disability. We support flexibility and all roles advertised on a full-time basis may be considered for part-time employment.

Inquiries can be directed to

Recruitment team via ***********@ombo.nsw.gov.au

We provide adjustments including alternative formats to the recruitment process for candidates including individuals with disability. If you require an adjustment to be made during the recruitment process (including alternative formats) or have an enquiry about the support provided, please contact Amy on 02 9127 7*** or ***********@ombo.nsw.gov.au.

The NSW Ombudsman has achieved Disability Confident Recruiter status, awarded by the Australian Disability Network. We are committed to continuing this journey through inclusive recruitment practices to ensure candidates have a positive experience in every step of the recruitment process.