The Director of Data Strategy and Projects at the Department of Creative Industries, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport (DCITHS) is a senior executive opportunity for applicants who can lead data strategy, analytics, research and enterprise project delivery in a complex government setting. This role is Sydney-based, ongoing, and focused on lifting capability and delivery across the Hospitality and Racing division and its related agencies, including data governance, artificial intelligence, analytics and strategic project management.
For applicants seeking to apply for the Director, Data Strategy and Projects role, the key task is to demonstrate clear executive-level evidence of strategic leadership, transformation delivery, and influence. This is the kind of role that suits someone who can connect technical data capability with executive decision-making, public value outcomes and practical reform priorities. You can view the official job ad here.
The work itself is broad and high impact. The role leads the implementation of the Hospitality and Racing Data Strategy, oversees the establishment of a Strategic Projects Office, and drives stronger data, analytics, and research capabilities across the division. That means the application needs to show both strategic depth and delivery credibility.
NSW Government applications are assessed against both the application instructions and the role requirements. For this role, you need to submit the right documents through the required process and use those documents to back up your claims with evidence, especially around the capabilities the panel will be looking for at senior executive level.
Contents
- Director Data Strategy and Projects role snapshot
- NSW Government application requirements
- Application requirements for Director Data Strategy and Projects
- NSW Government candidate requirements
- Candidate requirements for Director Data Strategy and Projects at Department of Creative Industries, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport (DCITHS)
- Example application structure for Director Data Strategy and Projects
- Help with your Director Data Strategy and Projects application
Director Data Strategy and Projects role snapshot
| Role Title | Director Data Strategy and Projects |
| Organisation / Entity | Department of Creative Industries, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport (DCITHS) |
| Job location | Sydney-based |
| Work type | Ongoing |
| Total remuneration package | Public Service Senior Executive (PSSE) Band 1 with a total remuneration package starting at $247,865 |
| Closing date | 14 May 2026 at 10.00AM |
| Official job ad | Read the full job ad |
NSW Government application requirements
Application requirements matter because they are used to screen applications for compliance before the panel gets into the deeper assessment. In NSW Government recruitment, that means your application needs to follow the stated process, include the required documents, and present relevant evidence in a clear format. A strong application starts with meeting the instructions exactly and then using each document well.
Application requirements for Director Data Strategy and Projects
For this role, you need to apply online through the Apply Now process and submit a cover letter with an up-to-date resume. No page or word limit is stated, but a maximum of two pages for the cover letter is the strongest approach because it gives you enough room to address the core capabilities without losing focus.
The cover letter is likely to carry the most weight because it is where you connect your background directly to the role and show why your experience matches the executive-level requirements. Your resume should support that case with clear career history, scope of responsibility and major achievements. Keep both documents aligned so the examples in your cover letter are reinforced by the positions and outcomes shown in your resume.
This is an online application, so make sure your documents are current, clearly named and easy to read before you upload them. Given the seniority of the role, your cover letter should focus on strategic leadership, transformation outcomes, executive influence and the scale of the functions you have led. You can apply for this role here.
NSW Government candidate requirements
Candidate requirements are the capabilities, experience and leadership strengths the hiring manager wants to see addressed in your application. These points should shape the examples you choose in your cover letter and resume. For a senior executive role like this, the panel will be looking for evidence of scope, complexity, influence and results.
Candidate requirements for Director Data Strategy and Projects
| Requirement or capability from role | How to demonstrate it |
|---|---|
| Extensive experience leading data strategy, analytics, research and major enterprise project delivery functions in a complex organisation, ideally within a regulatory or public sector environment | Use an example that shows the scale of the functions you led, the complexity of the operating environment, and the outcomes achieved. Strong evidence would include leading multiple related functions, setting direction across a division or agency, and delivering major projects or reforms that improved decision-making, risk management or service outcomes. |
| Strong expertise in data analysis, governance, strategic planning and transformation | Show how you have built or strengthened governance, used analysis to guide priorities, and led strategic transformation with clear implementation steps. The strongest examples will explain the problem, the strategy you set, the governance or operating model you established, and the measurable impact. |
| The ability to turn complex, technical information into compelling insights that inform executive decision-making and public value outcomes | Give an example where you translated technical or data-heavy material into advice that senior leaders could act on. Focus on how you framed the issue, what insight you drew out, how you communicated it, and what decision, reform or public value outcome followed. |
| You are a trusted advisor who can influence at the most senior levels, build strong cross-government relationships and lead teams through change with integrity, clarity and purpose | Use an example that shows senior stakeholder influence, relationship building across agencies or portfolios, and leadership through change. The panel will want to see how you built trust, handled competing interests, kept people aligned, and led your team with clear direction and credibility. |
Example application structure for Director Data Strategy and Projects
This application requires a cover letter and resume submitted through an online application. No page or word limit is stated, so a maximum of two pages for the cover letter is a strong structure for this role. The table below shows how to organise the cover letter so it addresses the required capabilities clearly and persuasively.
| Cover letter section | What to include |
|---|---|
| Opening paragraph | A strong value proposition. Summarise the combination of senior leadership experience, data and analytics capability, strategic project delivery and executive influence that makes you well suited to lead this function within DCITHS. Keep this to one concise paragraph and position yourself as someone who can deliver both strategic uplift and practical outcomes. |
| Extensive experience leading data strategy, analytics, research and major enterprise project delivery functions in a complex organisation, ideally within a regulatory or public sector environment | Use one strong example that shows the breadth of your leadership across these functions. Include the organisational context, the scale of the remit, what you were accountable for, and the outcomes you delivered across strategy, capability and project execution. |
| Strong expertise in data analysis, governance, strategic planning and transformation | Show how you used analysis and governance to support strategic planning and transformation. A strong paragraph here would explain the challenge, the governance or strategic framework you introduced, how you drove implementation, and the result for the organisation. |
| The ability to turn complex, technical information into compelling insights that inform executive decision-making and public value outcomes | Provide a concrete example of translating technical information into executive advice or a decision-ready recommendation. Explain the issue, the insight you identified, how you communicated it to senior decision-makers, and the outcome that followed. |
| You are a trusted advisor who can influence at the most senior levels, build strong cross-government relationships and lead teams through change with integrity, clarity and purpose | Use an example that combines senior influence, cross-government collaboration and change leadership. Show how you built trust, aligned stakeholders, led your team through change and maintained clarity and integrity while delivering results. |
| Closing paragraph | A short, confident conclusion reinforcing your fit for the role. Re-state your readiness to lead data strategy and strategic projects at executive level and your ability to deliver outcomes across a complex government environment. |
What the panel will want to see in your examples
- Clear evidence of executive-level leadership across data, analytics, research and project delivery functions
- Examples with real scale, including complex stakeholders, enterprise impact and strategic accountability
- Strong links between your work and better decision-making, risk identification, reform priorities or public value outcomes
- Practical evidence that you have established governance, led transformation and delivered implementation, not just strategy design
- Examples that show you can brief senior leaders clearly and turn technical material into action
- Credible leadership stories that show influence, cross-government relationships and steady leadership through change
Help with your Director Data Strategy and Projects application
The Director Data Strategy and Projects is the kind of role where a focused, evidence-based application matters. Your cover letter needs to do more than summarise your resume. It needs to show the panel that you have led comparable functions, handled comparable complexity and delivered outcomes that match the scope of the role.
If you want a practical starting point, use Team 3Thirty’s free NSW cover letter template. If you want tailored help from someone who understands how government panels assess applications, you can get professional application writing support from a government hiring manager.
Before you submit, read the official job ad again and check that your cover letter and resume are aligned with the role’s core capabilities. A clear, targeted application gives the panel a much stronger basis to assess your fit for this opportunity.
