Manager, Investigations

Overview

Office of the Children's Guardian

Manager, Investigations (RCD)

• Exciting opportunity to make a real impact in shaping the future of the Office of the Children's Guardian.
• Join our high performing Reportable Conduct Directorate, a dedicated team that plays a key role in keeping children safe in NSW.
• A supportive and collaborative team culture with learning & development opportunities and various health & wellbeing programs.
• Full time ongoing role opportunity with hybrid / flexible working arrangements.
• Clerk Grade 11/12 - $149,739- $173,174 (plus employer's contribution to superannuation and annual leave loading).

About the Office of Children's Guardian

The Office of the Children's Guardian (OCG) upholds NSW children and young people's right to be safe by overseeing, regulating and monitoring organisations and individuals that provide services to children. We are guided by our values of integrity, trust, service, accountability, respect and empathy.

To find out more about the Office of the Children's Guardian, visit our website.

About the directorate

The Reportable Conduct Scheme requires entities from government and non-government sectors to respond to allegations against employees. We may also investigate an allegation, or an entity's handling of an allegation, if we hold significant concerns about a situation.

We provide advice and guidance to entities investigating allegations against their employees, so that children's rights to a safe environment are balanced with employees' rights to a proper investigation.

In addition to overseeing investigations, we also scrutinise the systems that entities have for preventing reportable conduct by employees, and handling and responding to reportable allegations or convictions involving those employees.

About the role

The Manager, Investigations is responsible for managing the oversight of investigations by organisations that come under the Reportable Conduct Scheme and their actions in preventing and responding to reportable allegations under the Children's Guardian Act 2019; provides strategic and technical expertise and leadership across the Reportable Conduct Directorate; and leads, supervises, guides and mentors employees within the Directorate and models best practice.

The Manager, Investigations fosters a performance-driven yet supportive culture where team members enjoy career growth and job satisfaction; and participates in the broad range of activities associated with the reportable conduct function and, where relevant, the broader OCG functions.

The nature of the RCD's work means that the occupant in this role will be exposed to content, hear stories about other people's experiences with, and be involved in work on, potentially distressing and sensitive topics involving children, including sexual offences, sexual misconduct, physical assault, neglect, and behaviour causing serious psychological and emotional harm involving children. While staff have access to support through our Employee Assistance Program, clinical supervision program and other wellbeing initiatives and training, we encourage applicants to carefully consider their comfort level with this aspect of the role before applying.

We are seeking a motivated and resilient person to:

• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with key internal and external stakeholders to facilitate collaboration, information exchange and timely and expert responses to child protection matters.
• Manage highly confidential, complex and sensitive matters to best ensure risks to children are appropriately managed, employees are treated fairly, and investigations are rigorous in a high-volume and high-risk environment where advanced critical thinking, confident decision-making, sound judgement and impeccable time management are critical.
• Lead and support complex, sensitive and otherwise challenging investigations and disciplinary complaints, to optimise outcomes.

Key knowledge and experience

• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in, or an ability to acquire a sound understanding of, the NSW child protection system, the Reportable Conduct Scheme and best investigative practice.
• Excellent verbal and written communication, planning, organisational and negotiation skills.
• Demonstrated experience working at a senior or executive level in a complex organisation delivering specialist and authoritative advice to executive leadership.

Essential Requirements

• Appropriate tertiary qualifications or demonstrated, relevant, equivalent professional experience
• Employment at the Office of the Children's Guardian is subject to the satisfactory completion of security and vetting checks.
• All roles with the Office of the Children's Guardian are required to have a current NSW Working with Children Check clearance.

For further information about the role, please view the role description.

Our commitment to Diversity

We welcome and encourage applications from people across our diverse community, especially from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants. We believe everyone has the right to feel safe, respected, valued and heard regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity or disability.

The OCG encourages applications from people with disability and will provide reasonable adjustments in our recruitment processes and in the workplace.

If you require an adjustment in the recruitment process, please contact the OCG People and Culture team on (02) 8219 3661 or OCG.HR@ocg.nsw.gov.au and advise of your preferred method of communication.

How to apply

When applying you will need to attach a cover letter (maximum 2 pages) outlining why you are interested in the position and what skills you would bring to the role. You also need to address the two target questions below (maximum 1 page total for both) and an up-to-date resume (maximum 4 pages) in either Word or PDF format.

Targeted questions

1. Please outline your experiences and skills that would place you in good stead to both oversee and conduct reportable conduct investigations.
2. What are key activities relevant to child protection in NSW that you would like to be involved in as Manager Investigations in the Reportable Conduct Directorate at the OCG and what would you contribute?

We are looking for you to demonstrate your competence in the focus capabilities as outlined in the role description, so please develop your response with this in mind.

Note: the selection process will include a range of assessment techniques to assist in determining your suitability for the role.

We encourage you to please email our contact Ricky Hennessy, Director Reportable Conduct Systems via Ricky.Hennessy@ocg.nsw.gov.au to discuss the role.

Applications closing date: Monday 15 September 2025 at 10:00am

A talent pool may be created through this recruitment process. A talent pool is a group of applicants who have been assessed and identified as suitable for this role, and who may be considered for a range of similar roles, including temporary, term or ongoing roles, over the next 18 months.

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