Project Officer

Guiding the future of NSW education

Position details

• Clerk Grade 7/8
• Ongoing, Fulltime
• Close to Wynyard station & hybrid work arrangements available

About us

At the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA), we're dedicated to carrying out meaningful work that drives improvements and elevates student achievement across NSW, now and into the future.

We accomplish this by supporting all school sectors with high-quality syllabuses, assessment (including managing the HSC and NAPLAN), teaching standards (e.g., accrediting teachers) and school environments (including setting and monitoring school standards).

NESA is a unique organisation in NSW (of around 740FTE staff) with significant state-wide impact, visit our website to learn more about the important work we do.

About the role

NESA's Assessment Operations function involves managing the assessment and reporting of student learning, ensuring standards are consistent across New South Wales schools. This includes establishing standards for syllabuses, moderating student results to ensure fairness, and managing the final assessment marks that schools submit.

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) was established in 2008. It is an assessment of students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 in the areas of literacy and numeracy and is administered to eligible students in Term 1 each year.

The Project Officer, Contractor Liaison and Distance Education performs project management and support activities to contribute to the development and delivery of a range of projects in line with established objectives. The role has a particular focus on administering the delivery of the NAPLAN program in NSW, and providing support to schools, parents and school sector representatives.

On a day-to-day basis you will be responsible for:

• Providing project management and support services.
• Liaising with an external contractor and supporting distance education schools to participate in NAPLAN.
• Preparing and maintaining project documentation for reporting, monitoring and evaluation purposes to ensure accessibility of quality information and contribute to the achievement of project outcomes.
• Providing advice to administrative and helpdesk staff to support schools in administering the NAPLAN tests.
• Sourcing, collating and compiling data and information to identify emerging issues and track and report on project progress.

To be successful, you will need:

• A current NSW Working with Children Check (WWCC) clearance for paid employment is required before commencing in this role.
• Experience delivering a range of project management and supporting all phrases of a project's lifecycle.
• Knowledge and experience working to tight deadlines. Limited resources and managing priorities.
• Experience in education and/or government sectors.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.

We invite you to download the role description for additional information on the position.

Note:

• This role is expected to work outside of normal business hours and at other Sydney locations during peak periods.
• A current NSW Working with Children Check (WWCC) clearance for paid employment is required before commencing in this role. It is not required at the application stage. The cost of the WWCC clearance is the responsibility of the successful applicant.

At NESA you'll benefit from:

• An organisation where your contribution has a big impact
• An enviable CBD location (all modes of transport nearby, and excellent coffee and eateries) with refurbished offices
• Flexible working arrangements and generous leave entitlements
• Access to discounted health and fitness memberships via Fitness Passport, an employee assistance program and annual flu vaccinations
• Salary packaging options
• Working in a purpose driven and ethical organisation with committed colleagues.

Ready to join us?

Select apply and attach an up-to-date résumé (maximum 5 pages) and a cover letter (maximum 2 pages). Also address the 2 targeted questions below in your online application (maximum of 500 words per response):

Targeted Question 1: Outline an example of a project that you have managed recently in your workplace. How did you respond to changing priorities and competing deadlines to ensure the success of the project? Is there anything you would do differently next time?

Targeted Question 2: Describe an occasion where you needed to work with colleagues and stakeholders to address an issue or risk that affected a team project. How did you collaborate and communicate to address or resolve the issue or risk?

Advice on applying for NSW Public Sector roles

If you need reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process and workplace, please reach out to

Close date: Sunday, 23rd November 2025 at 11.59pm AEST

Thank you for your interest, we look forward to receiving your application.

Important information

We particularly welcome applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability, people of all ages, genders, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, the LGBTQIA+ community, veterans and refugees.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. For ongoing roles, you must be an Australian or New Zealand citizen or an Australian Permanent Resident. Australian Temporary Residents may be considered for a fixed term contract for the length of their visa, depending on the requirements of the hiring area and the position.

A Talent Pool (valid for 18 months) may be created for future ongoing and temporary roles.