Principal Council Officer

Ongoing full-time opportunity in the Office of the Clerk of the Legislative Council
- Salary of $116,211 pa to $128,061 pa (Clerk Grade 9/10) plus employers contribution to superannuation and annual leave loading
- NSW Parliament, Sydney CBD

**About us**

The Legislative Council is the Upper House of the NSW Parliament. The Department of the Legislative Council supports the activities of the Upper House, including its sittings, committee inquiries, and protocol and corporate responsibilities. It also undertakes communication and engagement activities to inform and educate the community, as well as key internal and external stakeholders.

The Department is accountable to the President of the Legislative Council, who is elected by the members of the Upper House. Department staff also work in collaboration with the Department of the Legislative Assembly and the Department of Parliamentary Services to ensure the effective running of the Parliament.

The two principal areas of the Department are the Procedure Office and the Committee Office. However, following a restructure, a third temporary office - the Corporate and Bicentenary Office - is being created for a two-year period.

The successful applicant will be appointed as Executive Officer to the Clerk and the Deputy Clerk of the Legislative Council. The position holder plays a key role in managing relations between the Office of the Clerk and other key stakeholders including the Office of the Governor, the Office of the President, the Department of Premier and Cabinet, the Department of the Legislative Assembly, the Department of Parliamentary Services, and the three principal areas of the Department: the Procedure Office, the Committee Office and the Corporate and Bicentenary Office.

**About the position**

We are seeking an Executive Officer with outstanding organisational, interpersonal and record management skills to work collaboratively as part of the Office of the Clerk in providing high-level administrative and coordination services to the Clerk, Deputy Clerk and other key stakeholders of the Legislative Council.

The key duties of the role are as follows:

- Provide Executive Officer services to the Clerk of the Parliaments and Deputy Clerk, including assessing and balancing the Clerk's commitments, negotiating appointments and priorities with key stakeholders and ensuring the Clerk is appropriately briefed for meetings, including meetings of the Parliamentary Executive Group (which includes the two Presiding Officers) and the Senior Management Group (which consists of the three Department heads).
- Provide support to the Office of the President and maintain relationships with other key stakeholders including the Office of the Governor, the Department of Premier and Cabinet, ministers, and members past and present.
- Collaborate with colleagues in the Legislative Assembly and the Department of Parliamentary Services to ensure effective communication and relationships between the Office of the Clerk of the Parliaments, Office of the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly and Office of the Chief Executive Department of Parliamentary Services.
- Prepare procedural material including the President's Program, which is the script setting out proceedings at the commencement of a sitting day.
- Support the Clerk in execution of statutory obligations such as election processes and the Register of Pecuniary Interests.
- Develop and maintain systems to ensure the effective functioning of the office and flow of information through the department and Parliament, including records management.
- Assist in the organisation of protocol and ceremonial events and programs for visiting delegations.
- Support the work of the Clerk as Honorary Secretary/Treasurer of the NSW Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in the administration of study tours, attendance at conferences and travel itineraries together with the maintenance of CPA records.
- Liaise with and respond to complex enquiries from members and their staff and members of the public.

Note: This position may be sessional and if so classified may be required to work when the House is sitting.

**Proof of Covid-19 Vaccination**
- Position description
- Legislative Council values
- The Legislative Council online
- NSW Parliament pre-employment requirements

**How to apply**
- Your **up-to-date resume** _(maximum three pages)_ which clearly details your skills and experience as relevant to this position, and
- Your **response to the targeted questions** below _(maximum two pages)_.

Your resume and response to the following targeted questions will be the initial assessment method used to determine your suitability for this position compared to other applicants. **Applications that do not include a response to the targeted questions cannot be comparatively assessed and are unlikely to progress to the next stage of assessment.**

**Targeted questions**
- What previous experience do you bring to the role as