Executive Director, Communication and Engagement

Company description:

The Department of Education is the largest provider of public education in Australia with responsibility for delivering high-quality public education to two-thirds of the NSW student population. For more information about the Department of Education, please visit

Job description:

• Join a leadership group making a difference to outcomes for all students in NSW
• Ongoing Public Service senior executive band 2 role with a remuneration range of $304,069 - $341,488 per annum
• Based in Parramatta with flexible work options

About us

At the NSW Department of Education, we educate and inspire lifelong learners - from early childhood, through schooling to vocational education and training.

We ensure young children get the best start in life by supporting and regulating the early childhood education and care sector. We unlock excellence and unleash the potential of two-thirds of school children in NSW. We're proudly public and the largest education system in Australia. We nurture opportunities for every learner to develop the skills needed for their chosen career path, helping shape the industries of tomorrow.

We respect and value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as First Peoples of Australia.

About the role

The Executive Director, Communication and Engagement provides high-level strategic leadership and expert advice in the direction and implementation of internal and external communication. This pivotal role drives the delivery of high impact media campaigns, engages and informs our internal audiences and frontline staff and acts as a driver of change through an audience-centric mindset.

For more details about this role, please click here to view the Role Description.

About you

You are a dynamic and energetic leader with strong expertise in delivering effective internal and external communication in a fast paced, complex environment that is consistently in the spotlight.

Your ability to see the bigger picture, anticipate challenges, respond to change and lead through complexity enables you to deliver tangible outcomes across department wide priorities and the NSW Plan for Public Education.

This role would suit an individual with significant media relations experience including hands on experience with - or in - newsrooms.

Key to your success will be your ability to engage, influence and negotiate with senior stakeholders and partners within and outside the department, to drive a culture that embraces change and excellence while maintaining commitment to high levels of efficacy and outcomes.

As an experienced leader you will join an executive team focused on driving improved ways of working to deliver meaningful and long-lasting impact. You will be collaborative, courageous, agile, and disciplined about delivering outcomes for the students of NSW.

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• Appropriate tertiary qualifications in a relevant discipline such as education, business, management, social sciences or communications, and/or equivalent knowledge and experience
• Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to the value of public education
• Demonstrated extensive experience at a senior level in the management in a large complex organisation, preferably within the public sector
• Knowledge of and commitment to implementing the Department's Aboriginal Education Policy and upholding the Department's Partnership Agreement with the NSW AECG and to ensure quality outcomes for Aboriginal people

As a condition of employment, successful candidates who have not previously worked for the department will be required to provide a current Working with Children Check (WWCC) Clearance number. This option would allow the WWCC to naturally expire without further communication needed with the employee. The employer obligations under the WWCC would apply for duration of the WWCC's validity (up to 5 years).

Interested?

To apply for this role, please submit an online application and attach resume (maximum 4 pages) along with a cover letter (maximum 2 pages) which describes how your capabilities, knowledge and experience make you the best person for this role.

Applications Close: 11:59pm on Sunday, 28 September 2025

Contact: For enquiries about the recruitment of this role, please contact Kaz Scott at

Please note:

We welcome applications from all ages and genders, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, culturally and linguistically diverse groups, the LGBTQIA+ community, veterans, refugees, and people with disability. If we can make some adjustments to our recruitment/interview process to better enable you to shine, please contact the Diversity and Inclusion Team ) or visit NSW Department of Education Diversity and Inclusion.

A talent pool may be created for future ongoing and temporary roles and is valid for a period of up to 18 months. Candidates on a talent pool may be chosen and directly offered employment in other or similar roles (ongoing or term) in the near future.