Introduction
The Policy Officer at NSW Police Force researches law-enforcement issues and contributes to legislative reform. Working in the Legislation and Policy Branch, the role prepares evidence-based advice for senior executives and the NSW Government on policy affecting community safety.
This guide explains how to apply for Policy Officer and how to divide your evidence across the required documents. Alongside a resume and a cover letter of up to two pages, you must answer two targeted questions, with a maximum of 500 words for each response.
The questions focus on how you developed a policy recommendation and how you communicated complex advice. Choose examples where you can explain your own judgement, including the evidence you considered and the choices you made when presenting the advice.
View the official Policy Officer advert.
In this guide
- Role snapshot
- Application requirements
- What to highlight
- Essential role requirements
- Example application structure
- Before you submit
Role snapshot
| Role | Policy Officer |
|---|---|
| Organisation | NSW Police Force, Legislation and Policy Branch, Office of the Commissioner |
| Location | Sydney City |
| Employment | Temporary full-time, up to 12 months |
| Salary | Clerk Grade 7/8, $116,981 to $129,492 annually |
| Closing | 20 September 2026 |
Application requirements for Policy Officer
- Cover letter, maximum two pages.
- Up-to-date resume detailing skills and experience relevant to the role.
- Responses to two targeted questions, maximum 500 words per question, entered in the online text boxes or attached as a separate document.
Attach only the requested documents. Copies of qualifications or certificates can be brought if you are invited to interview. The targeted responses are separate written tasks, so leave enough preparation time to answer both fully within their individual word limits.
Targeted questions
Question 1, maximum 500 words
Please give an example of where you have researched and analysed a strategic policy problem and developed recommendations for decision-makers. How did you approach the task, what evidence informed your analysis, and what was the reasoning behind your recommendations in addressing the issue?
Question 2, maximum 500 words
Please provide an example of where you have communicated complex strategic policy advice, options or reform proposals to diverse stakeholders. What did you do to ensure your communication was clear, balanced and understood?
What to highlight in your application
Use the following evidence areas to choose relevant examples for this role.
| Research and recommendations | Identify the policy problem and explain how you assessed the available evidence. Describe the alternatives you considered and the reasoning behind the recommendation you put forward. |
|---|---|
| Communication of complex advice | Name the audiences involved and explain what each needed to understand. Show how you made the advice clear and balanced, including how you checked their understanding. |
| Legislative and strategic context | Connect your experience to public policy, legislation or government decisions. Explain the constraints that shaped your advice without assuming the reader knows the setting. |
| Your contribution | Distinguish your analysis and drafting from the wider team’s work. Include the decision, response or practical outcome when you can substantiate it. |
Essential role requirements
Applicants must be Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents or New Zealand citizens. Before commencement, the successful applicant must undergo a National Police criminal-history check and obtain and maintain the security clearance determined by NSW Police Force. These are employment conditions, separate from the written application tasks.
Example application structure for Policy Officer
Use the cover letter to explain your interest in the Legislation and Policy Branch and give a concise account of the experience you bring. Let the targeted responses carry the detailed examples, with the resume providing the employment history and responsibilities behind them.
For the first question, introduce the policy problem and your responsibility briefly. Give most of the response to the research, your analysis and the reasons for the recommendation. Finish by explaining what decision or outcome followed, keeping confidential details appropriately deidentified.
For the second question, choose a situation with genuinely different stakeholder needs. Explain how you presented the options, retained balance and checked that people understood the advice. If you adapted the material after feedback, describe the change and its effect.
| Targeted question | Response focus |
|---|---|
| Please give an example of where you have researched and analysed a strategic policy problem and developed recommendations for decision-makers. How did you approach the task, what evidence informed your analysis, and what was the reasoning behind your recommendations in addressing the issue? | For the first question, introduce the policy problem and your responsibility briefly. Give most of the response to the research, your analysis and the reasons for the recommendation. Finish by explaining what decision or outcome followed, keeping confidential details appropriately deidentified. |
| Please provide an example of where you have communicated complex strategic policy advice, options or reform proposals to diverse stakeholders. What did you do to ensure your communication was clear, balanced and understood? | For the second question, choose a situation with genuinely different stakeholder needs. Explain how you presented the options, retained balance and checked that people understood the advice. If you adapted the material after feedback, describe the change and its effect. |
Before you submit
Count each response separately and confirm that both parts of each question are answered. Check that the uploaded files contain the final versions and submit by 20 September 2026. Team 3Thirty’s government application guidance can help you identify the detail that makes a policy example easier to assess.
Check the official vacancy and start your application, or read our NSW public sector recruitment guide for help understanding the process.