Job Description

Guiding the future of NSW education

Position details

• Clerk Grade 11/12
• Full-time, Salary: $154,231 to $178,369 p.a. plus employer’s contribution to superannuation and leave loading
• Ongoing role
• Close to Wynyard station & hybrid work arrangements available
• Contact for enquiries: Kate Collins on kate.collins@nesa.nsw.edu.au

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 our website to learn more about the important work we do.

About the role

The Lead, Board Governance provides expert governance leadership and advice to support the effective operation of the NESA Board and its committees. Leading a small team, you will oversee Board and committee governance cycles, provide trusted advice to senior executives and Board members, and ensure all governance activities meet legislative, compliance and probity requirements.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced governance professional to work closely with NSW Government senior leaders and high-profile Board members, influence strategic decision-making, drive governance best practice, and lead continuous improvement initiatives across the organisation.

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

• Leading end-to-end governance and secretariat support for the NESA Board and its committees.
• Coordinating Board and committee meeting cycles, agendas, papers, minutes and forward work programs.
• Providing expert advice on governance frameworks, delegations, conflicts of interest and compliance requirements.
• Preparing and quality assuring Board papers, correspondence, briefings, reports, instruments of delegation and Cabinet submissions for Board appointments.
• Building strong relationships with Board members, executives, the Minister’s Office and key stakeholders.
• Driving continuous improvement of governance frameworks and processes.
• Conducting evaluations of the Board and its committees, analysing findings, identifying opportunities for improvements and reporting to the Chair.
• Coordinating enterprise risk reporting within the governance function.
• Leading, coaching and developing a small governance team.

Our ideal candidate will have

• Demonstrated experience delivering governance and secretariat services in a complex Board, government or public sector environment.
• Strong knowledge of NSW Government governance frameworks, legislation, delegations and Board processes.
• Experience providing authoritative governance advice to senior executives and/or Board members.
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement, communication and influencing skills, with the ability to manage sensitive and confidential matters.
• Proven ability to manage competing priorities, meet tight deadlines and deliver high-quality outcomes.
• Experience leading governance reviews, evaluations and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Strong understanding of governance frameworks, accountability requirements, and public sector compliance obligations, with the ability to interpret and apply these in practice.
• Proven capacity to manage sensitive and confidential information in accordance with legislative and policy requirements.
• Experience providing authoritative advice to executives and/or board members on governance risks, processes, and best practice.
• Tertiary qualification in a relevant discipline or demonstrated equivalent relevant professional experience is essential.

We invite you to download the 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?

Key information: If you are a current NESA employee or from another NSW government agency who use SuccessFactors for recruitment, it’s important to apply through SuccessFactors to ensure your application reaches our system in the right place. If you need advice on that process follow this guide

For all other candidates:

Select “Apply now” and attach an up-to-date résumé (maximum 5 pages) and a cover letter (maximum 2 pages).

All candidates must Also address the 2 targeted questions below in your online application (maximum of 500 words per response - approximately):

• Describe a time when you had to manage differing views or competing priorities among senior stakeholders to achieve a governance outcome. What approach did you take and what was the result?
• Provide an example of a governance process, framework or Board/committee practice that you reviewed and improved. What issues did you identify, what actions did you take, and what benefits were achieved?

Advice on applying for NSW Public Sector roles

If you need reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process and workplace, please reach out to recruitment@nesa.nsw.edu.au

Close date: Monday 13 July 2026 at 11.59pm AEST

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

Important information

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 positionFor 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