Principal Advisor

**Principal Advisor - Strategy and Representation**
**NSW Small Business Commission**

**Grade**: Clerk Grade 11/12
**Salary range**: $134,411 - $155,445 + superannuation and leave loading
**Duration**: Ongoing Employment Opportunity
**Location**: Parramatta, 4 Parramatta Square (12 Darcy Street)

**About the Opportunity**
Opportunity to support the NSW Small Business Commission’s advocacy for small businesses as part of the strategy and representation team within the Commission’s Advocacy directorate. This position is responsible for leading a team of policy professionals that develop and lead strategic policy initiatives and assessments.

**About the Team**
The Strategy & Representation Team is responsible for providing support and advice to the Small Business Commissioner on matters affecting small businesses, as well as representing their interests to other government agencies and external parties. In this role, you will lead a team and drive engagement activities to support small businesses.

**About Us**
The NSW Small Business Commissioner is an independent statutory officer The NSW Small Business Commission provides strategic advice, advocacy and affordable dispute resolution services to small businesses across NSW. Our role includes:

- encouraging government agencies and larger businesses to enter productive working relationships with small businesses
- facilitating and encouraging the fair treatment of small businesses
- promoting a fair operating environment in which small businesses can flourish.

As a key advocate for small businesses across in NSW the Commission aims to ensure small business needs are front-of-mind for NSW Government decisions, support and assistance. The Commission also plays an important role in connecting small businesses, councils and industry groups to vital information and support services.

The Commission sits within the Department of Customer Service as an independent agency.

**About you**
You will have previous experience in policy roles and be familiar with government policymaking processes and be able to demonstrate exceptional research and writing skills. You will have a solid understanding of how policy is shaped, and be able to drive strategic engagement opportunities within government and external stakeholders.

You will be a strategic thinker who is able to identify opportunities and effective approaches to solving problems. You will be a leader who is able to mentor, inspire and work collaboratively with others. You have a foundational understanding of the contribution of small business to the community and some of the challenges they face. You have a focus on delivery and can manage projects with high attention to detail.

**Some of your responsibilities and challenges will include**:

- ** **Manage consultations and negotiations with diverse stakeholders, given the need to balance competing interests and demands which are often changing and unpredictable
- Provide oversight and strategic advice across the branch to ensure strategic and effective responses to emerging issues affecting small businesses and lead activities to align resources to deliver priorities and a positive customer experience
- Lead and undertake research, analysis and review of complex policy and/or legislative reform issues, identifying emerging issues, and prepare detailed submissions and correspondence highlighting the specific needs and potential solutions for small business
- Provide expert and timely advice and information to inform relevant stakeholders including Ministers and/or senior leaders and support policy directions and/or legislative reforms to meet organisational, government and/or industry priorities
- Provide accurate advice and recommendations on a range of complex issues, given the need to understand the problem and formulate responses within short-time frames, often without prior notice
- Manage interdependencies and balancing competing demands to ensure policy initiatives and/or projects are achieved given limited resources, changing priorities and tight deadlines
- Maintain awareness of relevant issues, policy obligations, insights, challenges, industry trends and practice sand opportunities to in order to identify, pursue, evaluate, recommend and deliver innovative solutions that optimise outcomes and contribute to a best practice function in line with organisational and government priorities

**How to Apply**:
Attach an up-to-date resume (max 5 pages) and a brief cover letter outlining how your skills and experience align to the role.

Salary Grade 11/12, with the base salary for this role starting at $139787 base plus superannuation

**Closing Date: Thursday, 10th October 2024 (09:59am)**

**Careers at Department of Customer Service**
A career at the Department of Customer Service (DCS) gives you the opportunity to help improve government services and be part of reform that benefits people across NSW. We are focused on delivering excellent customer service,