Are you ready to transform your passion for environmental and science initiatives into real impact for New South Wales?
The Senior Project Officer Talent Pool within DCCEEW (Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water) can give you the chance to shape habitat restoration programs and collaborate with stakeholders state-wide. This role offers the chance to thrive in an inclusive, forward-thinking NSW Public Sector agency that celebrates diversity and flexible working arrangements.
These types of recruitments are common in government projects, ensuring a steady pipeline of qualified candidates to support critical initiatives. If you’ve applied for other project officer talent pools without success, this guide will help you strengthen your application and improve your chances.
One of the most exciting aspects of this position is the wide scope of potential projects—ranging from restoring key ecological sites to spearheading cross-departmental efforts that protect our natural heritage. If you’re driven to make a tangible difference and want to stand out in your application, you’ll find practical tips and an example cover letter below.
If you’re new to public sector recruitment, check out this unofficial guide to NSW Public Sector recruitment for more insider tips and context.
Senior Project Officer Talent Pool: Shape NSW’s Environmental Future
Senior Project Officer Overview
| Position Title | Senior Project Officer Talent Pool |
| Organisation/Entity | DCCEEW (Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water) |
| Job Location | Office locations across all of NSW |
| Work Type | Ongoing and Temporary (Talent Pool recruitment) |
| Base Pay | $120,701 to $134,460 + Super (Environment Officer Class 9) |
| Closing Date | 26/02/2025 at 11:55 PM |
Table of Contents
About the Senior Project Officer Talent Pool
The Senior Project Officer Talent Pool offers a chance to lead and support the development of habitat restoration programs under the umbrella of critical environmental and science initiatives. Working at DCCEEW, you will be part of an NSW Public Sector agency dedicated to creating thriving environments, communities, and economies.
This is a talent pool recruitment, where the hiring manager aims to establish a pool of qualified candidates for potential openings over the next 18 months. These larger scale hiring efforts offer a great way to enter a new field or agency, as there are multiple opportunities for selection rather than a single preferred candidate.
You might even be able to use your placement on this talent pool to get a job offer for other roles in other agencies. You can check out this guide on how to turn your talent pool placement into a job offer.
These type of recruitments are often done for government projects to ensure a steady stream of candidates to support the progress of critical candidates. If you’ve applied for other project officer talent pools, and haven’t been successful, make sure you read this guide to improve your application.
In this role, you’ll design strategies, plan project milestones, and coordinate on-ground actions that align with state-level conservation goals.
As a Senior Project Officer, you’ll encounter several key challenges:
- Project Management: Balancing scope, time, and budget constraints while coordinating diverse teams.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Influencing internal and external parties to meet project objectives.
- Biodiversity Offsets Scheme (BOS): Navigating compliance and ensuring projects meet statutory obligations.
- High-Level Coordination: Collaborating with agencies, volunteers, and community groups to achieve consistent, widespread impact.
You’ll need to blend strong leadership, collaboration, and technical knowledge to deliver meaningful results and move the dial on conservation and ecosystem health.
Reasons to Apply for the Senior Project Officer Talent Pool
Talent Pool Opportunities: This talent pool recruitment creates a list of qualified candidates for future openings over the next 18 months, offering multiple chances for selection rather than just one.
Flexible Working Arrangements: DCCEEW actively promotes work-life balance by offering remote work options, part-time schedules, and job-sharing where feasible.
Multiple Locations: Enjoy added flexibility by choosing an office location that suits you best across the state.
Apply Your Project Skills: This is a great opportunity if you have project experience outside of government to bring those skills in an start your public sector career.
Wide-Ranging Impact: From influencing habitat restoration policies to driving on-the-ground environmental and science initiatives, you’ll be at the forefront of protecting and enhancing biodiversity across the state.
Senior Project Officer Talent Pool Application Requirements
Application Process
The how to apply steps are straightforward.
You’ll need a solid cover letter and an up-to-date resume.
Remember to upload your application through the official iworkfor.nsw.gov.au website before the closing date.
There are no explicit target questions provided in this job ad.
Essential Role Requirements
There are three essential role requirements that you need to meet for this role. Your cover letter should demonstrate:
- Demonstrated knowledge or experience in planning, implementing and managing complex projects to achieve priority objectives
- Proven ability to influence stakeholders and coordinate multiple teams under strict timelines.
- Tertiary qualifications in science, planning, or related fields.
To make your application even stronger, make sure to include any of the follow that you can speak to:
- A proven track record of delivering strategic outcomes in environmental projects.
- Strong familiarity with state or federal government processes, especially within an NSW Public Sector agency/department.
In the NSW Public Sector, each role is accompanied by focus capabilities found in the NSW Capability Framework. As you prepare your application, thoroughly examine the focus capabilities relevant to this position.
When addressing these capabilities, be explicit. In your cover letter, connect each capability to real-world examples from your background, showing exactly how you’ve excelled in similar areas. Customising your responses to these points is a proven way to stand out in public sector recruitment.
Declaring a conflict with the NSW Biodiversity Offsets Scheme (BOS)
When applying for roles with the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, you need to manage any potential conflicts of interest that you may have.
A key program that specifically needs to be declared is the NSW Biodiversity Offsets Scheme (BOS). The BOS is a market-based conservation mechanism through which the biodiversity impacts of development and land-use change are offset with gains in biodiversity at Biodiversity Stewardship Sites.
Specifically, the Department will ask you to declare if have any of the following interests:
- purchasing land with the intent of applying to enter into a Biodiversity Stewardship Agreement* (BSA)
- owning land that is the subject of a BSA
- owning biodiversity offset credits
- being a director or shareholder of a company or the trustee or beneficiary of a trust that is a party to a BSA or owns biodiversity offset credits
- providing advice or management services to a scheme participant (for payment or voluntarily).
Application Checklist
| Checklist Item | Action |
| Review the Role Description | Ensure you meet essential requirements and understand key responsibilities. |
| Update Your Resume | Highlight your project management successes and stakeholder engagement experience. |
| Write a Strong Cover Letter | Discuss your alignment with the Senior Project Officer role |
| Get Your Cover Letter Reviewed | Click here to have it professionally reviewed for clarity and impact. |
| Apply via the Official Link | Submit your application through iworkfor.nsw.gov.au before the deadline. |
Candidate From Non-Profit & Local Council
Let’s take Harry as an example—a candidate with a bachelor’s degree in planning. He has extensive project management experience from both the non-profit sector and local government, where he’s worked in senior project roles. His time in local council has given him firsthand insight into the development approval process and the practical workings of urban planning.
Passionate about large-scale projects, Harry is eager to step into the State Government public sector, where he can further apply his planning expertise and expand his career opportunities.
Senior Project Officer Talent Pool Example Cover Letter
Download a template for your NSW Public Sector Cover Letter
Dear Hiring Manager,
I am writing to express my strong interest in the Senior Project Officer – Talent Pool position with the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW).
With a bachelor’s degree in planning and extensive experience managing urban and infrastructure projects, I am eager to contribute my expertise in strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and project delivery to your team. My background in both local government and the non-profit sector has given me a comprehensive understanding of urban planning processes, regulatory frameworks, and the complexities of managing multi-stakeholder projects within strict timelines.
In my role as a Senior Project Officer at Smithville Council, I led the revitalisation of a local urban precinct, a multi-million-dollar initiative requiring coordination across state and local agencies, developers, and community stakeholders. The project involved land use assessments, rezoning applications, and environmental impact approvals. A key challenge was balancing regulatory compliance with ambitious project timelines. To address this, I developed a phased implementation plan, proactively engaged planning authorities to navigate approval processes efficiently, and implemented risk mitigation strategies. As a result, the project secured approvals three months ahead of schedule, enabling faster infrastructure delivery and achieving key urban planning objectives.
Also while working with Smithville Council, I managed the redevelopment of a major public space, which required close coordination between council departments, state agencies, and local community groups. Early resistance from community stakeholders threatened to delay the project, so I implemented a structured engagement strategy, conducting targeted consultations, town hall meetings, and collaborative design workshops to align interests. Additionally, I introduced a cross-agency tracking system, improving transparency and accountability across multiple teams. This approach successfully secured stakeholder buy-in, streamlined approvals, and enabled the project’s timely and successful completion.
Beyond my technical expertise, I am highly motivated by the opportunity to contribute to state-level planning initiatives that shape communities for the long term. I am particularly drawn to this role as it allows me to apply my project management experience and planning qualifications within a policy-driven environment, where I can make a tangible impact on the built environment at scale.
I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how my experience and skills align with this role’s objectives. Thank you for your time and consideration, and I look forward to the possibility of contributing to your team.
Best regards,
Harry
Explain the STAR Technique
The STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) technique is a structured way of presenting real-life scenarios, especially in public sector recruitment processes. It helps demonstrate your capabilities in a clear and compelling format. Here’s how it applies:
- Situation: Set the context. What was the problem or scenario?
- Task: What was your responsibility or the goal you needed to achieve?
- Action: Detail the specific steps you took, showing your reasoning and leadership style.
- Result: Highlight the outcome, preferably with tangible, measurable impacts.
In the sample cover letter, Harry has used this approach to give some strong examples of how he has performed in similar roles. By clearly mapping out each stage, you underline not only what you did but also the significance of your interventions—critical for convincing recruiters that you can handle the complexities of the Senior Project Officer role.
How to Prepare for a Public Sector Interview
Securing an interview is an exciting step in the public sector recruitment journey. Here are some tips to help you succeed:
- Review the Focus Capabilities – Consult the role description and the NSW Capability Framework for relevant behavioural indicators.
- Brainstorm Examples – Identify real-life projects or situations that illustrate your strengths in these capabilities.
- Match to Indicators – Align each example with the specific behaviours the panel is seeking. For instance, if a capability requires you to “communicate effectively,” consider examples that highlight how you kept stakeholders informed throughout a project.
- Use the STAR Method – Structure your stories with a clear beginning, middle, and end (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
- Practise & Use Notes – If possible, bring bullet-point notes that can guide you during the interview, or review them thoroughly beforehand for a more natural, confident presentation.
Possible Interview Questions might include:
- “Tell us about a project where you had to secure stakeholder buy-in under tight deadlines.”
- “How do you prioritise projects when faced with competing environmental needs and limited resources?”
- “Describe a time you collaborated with a diverse group of stakeholders to achieve an environmental outcome.”
Example STAR Talking Points:
Situation: An ongoing project in bushland restoration was facing community opposition due to a lack of awareness.
Task: You were assigned to address concerns, build trust, and keep the project on track.
Action: You organised public forums, listened to feedback, and adjusted the project plan to incorporate community input.
Result: Opposition decreased, volunteer participation doubled, and restoration milestones were met without further delays.
To get more help with preparing for your next public sector interview, download these public sector question and answer workbooks.
Final Thoughts
Are you prepared to embrace this opportunity and make a tangible impact on NSW’s environmental future?
Ready to apply? Click here to apply .
Still need more guidance? Explore this recruitment guide for additional tips on how to apply and succeeding in public sector recruitment.
Enhance your application with a professional cover letter review from Team 3Thirty .
