The Principal Policy Officer, Maternity Strategic Programs, Maternity Policy and Strategy at the Ministry of Health is a senior policy role focused on improving maternity and newborn services across NSW. It suits applicants with strong midwifery expertise, policy leadership experience and the ability to work across health services, government and stakeholder groups to shape strategic programs and models of care.
This is an ongoing role based in St Leonards, with multiple opportunities available. For applicants working out how to apply for Principal Policy Officer, Maternity Strategic Programs, Maternity Policy and Strategy, the key task is to show clear evidence of relevant qualifications, clinical and management experience, and strong policy and stakeholder leadership in maternity and newborn settings. You can view the official job ad to review the full vacancy details and apply.
The work itself centres on leading the development and implementation of maternity and newborn strategic and clinical policies and programs in line with NSW Health priorities. The role also involves managing projects, working closely with health service providers and other government agencies, and collaborating with key stakeholders to support better outcomes for pregnant women, babies and families.
NSW Government applications are assessed against both the application instructions and the role requirements. That means you need to submit the right documents in the right format, stay within the stated limits, and back up your claims with solid examples that show how you meet the essential requirements.
Contents
- Principal Policy Officer, Maternity Strategic Programs, Maternity Policy and Strategy role snapshot
- NSW Government application requirements
- Application requirements for Principal Policy Officer, Maternity Strategic Programs, Maternity Policy and Strategy
- NSW Government candidate requirements
- Candidate requirements for Principal Policy Officer, Maternity Strategic Programs, Maternity Policy and Strategy at Ministry of Health
- Example application structure for Principal Policy Officer, Maternity Strategic Programs, Maternity Policy and Strategy
- Help with your Principal Policy Officer, Maternity Strategic Programs, Maternity Policy and Strategy application
Principal Policy Officer, Maternity Strategic Programs, Maternity Policy and Strategy role snapshot
| Role Title | Principal Policy Officer, Maternity Strategic Programs, Maternity Policy and Strategy |
| Organisation / Entity | Ministry of Health |
| Job location | 1 Reserve Road, St Leonards |
| Work type | ongoing |
| Total remuneration package | Crown Clerk 11/12, starting salary from $149,739-$173,174 p.a. plus superannuation and annual leave loading |
| Closing date | 13 May 2026 at 11:59 pm |
| 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 looks closely at the content. In practice, this means your application needs to include the requested documents, follow the stated limits and address the role requirements clearly. A strong application does both jobs well: it meets the instructions and gives the panel evidence that you can do the work.
Application requirements for Principal Policy Officer, Maternity Strategic Programs, Maternity Policy and Strategy
For this role, you need to submit an up-to-date resume of up to 5 pages and a cover letter of up to 2 pages. The cover letter needs to explain your interest and motivation for the role and provide evidence of how you meet each of the essential requirements. The application also directs applicants to use the Capability Application tool, so it is worth using that structure to organise your examples clearly and make sure each requirement is addressed. You can apply for this role here.
The cover letter carries a lot of weight because it is the document where you are asked to explain your motivation and show evidence against the essential requirements. Your resume should support that case by showing the scope of your roles, seniority, policy work, clinical background and relevant achievements. Keep both documents focused and make it easy for the panel to see the connection between your background and the work of leading maternity and newborn policy, strategy and programs across NSW.
NSW Government candidate requirements
Candidate requirements are the skills, experience and capabilities the hiring manager wants to see addressed in your application. These points should shape the examples you choose in your cover letter and resume. The strongest applications use specific examples that show the scale of the work, the applicant’s role in it and the outcome achieved.
Candidate requirements for Principal Policy Officer, Maternity Strategic Programs, Maternity Policy and Strategy at Ministry of Health
| Requirement or capability from role | How to demonstrate it |
|---|---|
| Relevant tertiary midwifery qualifications and demonstrated relevant management and clinical experience. | Show your tertiary midwifery qualifications clearly and give examples of senior clinical and management roles that relate directly to maternity and newborn services. Use evidence that shows your level of responsibility, the service context you worked in and how your clinical background has informed policy, program or service leadership. |
| Significant experience in developing, implementing and evaluating maternity and newborn strategic and clinical policies, programs and models of care in a multi-disciplinary and/or multi-agency environment. | Use a strong example of a maternity or newborn policy, program or model of care that you helped develop, implement and evaluate. Explain the problem or priority, your role, how you worked across disciplines or agencies, what you delivered and what changed as a result. |
| Demonstrated ability to lead strategic engagement with diverse stakeholders to deliver on complex maternity and newborn strategic and clinical policies, programs and models of care. | Provide an example where you led engagement across health services, government, clinicians or other key stakeholders to progress a complex maternity or newborn initiative. Show how you built support, managed differing views, kept the work moving and achieved an outcome that aligned with strategic priorities. |
| To be eligible for employment in these roles you must be an Australian citizen, or a permanent resident, or a New Zealand citizen, or hold a valid visa with permission to work in Australia. | Confirm your work rights clearly in your application. A short statement is enough unless further evidence is requested later in the process. |
Example application structure for Principal Policy Officer, Maternity Strategic Programs, Maternity Policy and Strategy
This application requires a cover letter and resume, with the cover letter doing the main work of addressing the essential requirements. The maximum cover letter length is 2 pages and the maximum resume length is 5 pages. The table below shows a practical structure for a strong 2-page cover letter that addresses each requirement clearly.
| Cover letter section | What to include |
|---|---|
| Opening paragraph | A strong value proposition. Explain your combination of senior midwifery expertise, management and clinical experience, and policy leadership in maternity and newborn services. Keep this to one concise paragraph that shows why you are well suited to this role at the Ministry of Health. |
| Relevant tertiary midwifery qualifications and demonstrated relevant management and clinical experience. | Briefly state your qualifications, then give a focused example that shows your senior clinical and management experience in maternity and newborn settings. Highlight the scope of your leadership and how that experience supports strategic policy and program work. |
| Significant experience in developing, implementing and evaluating maternity and newborn strategic and clinical policies, programs and models of care in a multi-disciplinary and/or multi-agency environment. | Use one concrete example of a policy, program or model of care you helped lead. Cover development, implementation and evaluation, and show how you worked across disciplines or agencies to deliver a meaningful outcome. |
| Demonstrated ability to lead strategic engagement with diverse stakeholders to deliver on complex maternity and newborn strategic and clinical policies, programs and models of care. | Use a specific example that shows you leading stakeholder engagement on a complex maternity or newborn initiative. Explain who the stakeholders were, how you managed the engagement and what result was achieved. |
| Mandatory requirements | Confirm in one short paragraph that you are an Australian citizen, permanent resident, New Zealand citizen, or hold a valid visa with permission to work in Australia. |
| Closing paragraph | A short, confident conclusion reinforcing your interest in the role, your motivation to contribute to NSW Health priorities and your readiness to lead strategic maternity and newborn policy and program work. |
What the panel will want to see in your examples
- Examples that are directly relevant to maternity and newborn policy, strategy, programs or models of care
- Clear evidence of your personal role in the work, especially where you led, influenced or made key decisions
- Work that shows scale, complexity and collaboration across disciplines, services or agencies
- Results that improved policy direction, implementation, service delivery or strategic alignment
- Strong stakeholder engagement examples that show judgement, credibility and follow-through
- Examples that connect your clinical and management background to system-level policy leadership
Help with your Principal Policy Officer, Maternity Strategic Programs, Maternity Policy and Strategy application
This is a role where a well-structured cover letter can make a real difference because you are being asked to show evidence against the essential requirements within a tight 2-page limit. A focused application will make your qualifications, policy experience and stakeholder leadership easy for the panel to assess. Before you submit, it is worth reviewing the official job ad again to check the instructions and make sure your examples are aligned to the role.
If you want a solid starting point, Team 3Thirty offers a free NSW cover letter template that can help you structure your response properly. If you want practical one-on-one help, you can also get professional application writing support from a government hiring manager. The goal is simple: present clear evidence, stay within the limits and make it easy for the panel to see why you are a strong match for this role.