Director, Engagement – 12 x months maximum term contract

• Great leadership opportunity where you can apply your government engagement and reporting skills for success
• Be part of an organisation with mission to increase housing supply to all Australians
• Hybrid working and great team culture

About Housing Australia

As the Commonwealth's independent housing authority, we're tackling one of Australia's most pressing challenges. Established in 2018 within the Treasury portfolio, we deliver grants, loans, and innovative support programs that increase housing supply, encourage investment, and create lasting change in communities across the nation. When you join us, you're not just building a career, you're building a better Australia. Home | Housing Australia

About the role

The Director of Engagement manages the Engagement Team, which is responsible for stakeholder engagement, government engagement, intergovernmental relations, reporting and ensuring the organisation meets its Parliamentary and statutory obligations.

Key responsibilities

• Provide leadership of the Engagement team to support achievement of objectives and delivery of outcomes
• Lead, develop and motivate the team, ensuring appropriate levels of capability and capacity
• Establish and oversee stakeholder engagement principles and protocols mandated for Housing Australia that ensure a streamlined, consistent approach to liaison with Commonwealth and State and Territory departments
• Develop and maintain a sector relations strategy, identifying opportunities for advocacy and fostering productive relationships across jurisdictions
• Triage information requests from the Minister's Office, State/Territory Housing Authorities, Commonwealth Departments, and act as liaison for all outgoing communications
• Act as the gateway for government engagement, including Ministers, Members of Parliament and their offices, departmental staff, and peak bodies, ensuring Housing Australia's priorities are well-represented
• Oversee compliance with legislative and regulatory frameworks, ensuring timely and coordination of FOI requests, submissions to Parliamentary inquiries, and other obligations
• Lead and coordinate all Housing Australia reporting requirements, including preparation of statutory reports, submissions, and responses to Ministerial and Parliamentary requests
• Support the Chief Executive Officer by coordinating executive reporting, correspondence and approvals

This is an exciting leadership role that requires an understanding of government engagement, statutory reporting, public sector and stakeholder relations. The successful candidate will demonstrate at least 7 years' experience in a similar function.

The following criteria are essential for success in this role:

• Experience managing statutory and Parliamentary reporting, including preparation of detailed submissions, inquiries, and FOI requests
• Experience in developing and implementing stakeholder engagement strategies
• Strong relationship management skills, with the ability to build and sustain partnerships across government, media, and industry
• An understanding of legislative, regulatory, and compliance frameworks applicable to public-sector organisations
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to tailor messages to government stakeholders, senior executives, and external partners
• Experience monitoring political and economic developments and translating insights into actionable strategies
• Proven track record in issues management and mitigating reputational risks in a government-facing context
• Experience managing a small team to achieve success
• Tertiary qualifications in Public Policy, Communications, Government Relations, or a related discipline
• Experience in team leadership roles within government, corporate, or public-sector organisations, with a strong focus on statutory reporting, intergovernmental and public relations

What We Offer

Meaningful Impact:
Contribute to Australia's housing solutions while building a world-class organisational culture

Flexible Work:
Balanced hybrid arrangement supporting your work-life integration

Growth Opportunities:
Be part of our transformation journey with opportunities to shape our people practices

Collaborative Culture:
Join a mission-driven team committed to excellence and making a difference

We would love to hear from you. Please submit your CV, with a cover letter as one document outlining your interest and suitability.

We value diversity in our team and welcome all applications from all candidates.

This role is based in our Sydney CBD office. We offer flexible working, with the opportunity to work in the office and from home, in a supportive team environment, while making a difference in our purpose-led organisation.

As a commonwealth entity certain roles at Housing Australia require the successful candidate to obtain and maintain a security clearance as a condition of employment.

No recruitment agencies please – we will reach out if we require any agency assistance. Thank you.