Director Governance & Engagement

Job Details•Orange, CA

13d

About The Position

Local Land Services (LLS), part of the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), is seeking an experienced executive to lead governance and engagement functions at the highest level. As Director Governance and Engagement, you will oversee Board management, provide strategic advice to the Chair and Board, and drive corporate stakeholder engagement and branding. This role is central to ensuring the Board meets its legislative responsibilities, while enhancing the agency’s reputation and relationships across government, industry, and the community. Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, the Director Governance and Engagement leads governance functions for the LLS Board, ensuring effective support for the Chair and Board members. You will be responsible for managing governance processes to ensure the Board meets its legislative responsibilities and executes its functions efficiently, while building trusted relationships with the Chair and Board. A key part of the role is translating business strategies into cohesive engagement approaches that promote programs, priorities, and objectives across the organisation and externally. The Director will provide strategic corporate stakeholder engagement advice, oversee issue management, and coordinate communications functions across LLS to ensure consistency in messaging. You will manage the statewide media team, ensuring responsive and proactive communication with the Board, the Minister’s office, and DPIRD media teams. The role also requires leading the coordination of strategic issue management, proactively identifying emerging issues and opportunities, and formulating targeted communications strategies that strengthen the agency’s performance and external relationships. Operating with a high level of autonomy, the Director will oversee up to five direct reports and manage significant resources. You will be expected to apply diplomacy, confidentiality, and judgment in advising on sensitive and potentially controversial issues, while balancing the expectations of the Board with the capacity of the organisation. This is a role that demands strategic insight, operational excellence, and the ability to foster collaboration across diverse stakeholders. You are a strategic leader with demonstrated experience operating at a senior level, advising and influencing senior management, and building trusted relationships with Boards, Chairs, and executives. Your career reflects a consistent ability to manage sensitive issues with diplomacy and sound judgment, while delivering effective governance and engagement outcomes. You bring established networks across government, industry, and stakeholder groups, and are adept at navigating complex and politically sensitive environments. You will have a proven track record in leading governance functions, stakeholder engagement, and issue management, supported by strong leadership capability to inspire teams and foster collaboration across diverse stakeholders. You are highly skilled in negotiation, influencing, and conflict resolution, with the ability to gain consensus and commitment from others while anticipating and minimising conflict. Your strengths include designing and measuring accountabilities, overseeing quality assurance practices, and embedding risk management principles into business planning. You are also a leader who values integrity, accountability, and the principles of the NSW public sector. You act ethically and professionally, set an example for others to follow, and encourage a culture of integrity across the organisation. You are adept at using technology to maximise efficiencies, managing projects to deliver outcomes, and developing people to build capability and succession. Above all, you are motivated by a commitment to public value, transparency, and strengthening the effectiveness of governance and engagement in a complex organisational environment.

Requirements

Strategic leader with demonstrated experience operating at a senior level
Experience advising and influencing senior management
Experience building trusted relationships with Boards, Chairs, and executives
Ability to manage sensitive issues with diplomacy and sound judgment
Ability to deliver effective governance and engagement outcomes
Established networks across government, industry, and stakeholder groups
Adept at navigating complex and politically sensitive environments
Proven track record in leading governance functions, stakeholder engagement, and issue management
Strong leadership capability to inspire teams and foster collaboration across diverse stakeholders
Highly skilled in negotiation, influencing, and conflict resolution
Ability to gain consensus and commitment from others while anticipating and minimising conflict
Strengths include designing and measuring accountabilities, overseeing quality assurance practices, and embedding risk management principles into business planning
Values integrity, accountability, and the principles of the NSW public sector
Acts ethically and professionally, sets an example for others to follow, and encourages a culture of integrity across the organisation
Adept at using technology to maximise efficiencies, managing projects to deliver outcomes, and developing people to build capability and succession
Motivated by a commitment to public value, transparency, and strengthening the effectiveness of governance and engagement in a complex organisational environment

Responsibilities

Oversee Board management
Provide strategic advice to the Chair and Board
Drive corporate stakeholder engagement and branding
Manage governance processes to ensure the Board meets its legislative responsibilities and executes its functions efficiently
Translate business strategies into cohesive engagement approaches that promote programs, priorities, and objectives across the organisation and externally
Provide strategic corporate stakeholder engagement advice
Oversee issue management
Coordinate communications functions across LLS to ensure consistency in messaging
Manage the statewide media team
Lead the coordination of strategic issue management
Proactively identify emerging issues and opportunities
Formulate targeted communications strategies that strengthen the agency’s performance and external relationships
Oversee up to five direct reports
Manage significant resources
Apply diplomacy, confidentiality, and judgment in advising on sensitive and potentially controversial issues
Balance the expectations of the Board with the capacity of the organisation