Introduction
The Customer Support Officer at the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure is a first point of contact for customers using Development Coordination Authority services. Based in Parramatta, the role involves explaining processes, responding to complex enquiries and connecting customers with technical expertise. The department is recruiting two temporary full-time positions for up to six months, with flexible working supported.
Your CV and cover letter need to show how you keep customer advice clear and accurate when enquiry volumes are high. This guide explains how to apply for Customer Support Officer using examples of problem solving, prioritisation and collaboration. A useful example follows the enquiry through to its outcome and makes your own decisions easy to assess.
Role snapshot
| Role | Customer Support Officer |
| Organisation | Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, Development Coordination Authority services |
| Location | Parramatta, with flexible working supported |
| Employment | 2 temporary full-time opportunities, up to 6 months |
| Remuneration | $116,981 to $129,492 per annum plus superannuation, relative to experience |
| Closing date | 27 October 2026 at 11:55 pm |
| Job ID | 604961 |
Application requirements
- CV
- Cover letter
Role conditions and eligibility
- Hold a degree in a related relevant discipline or equivalent relevant experience.
- Be an Australian or New Zealand citizen or permanent resident, or hold a valid Australian working visa for the duration of the appointment.
- Satisfy standard pre-employment checks, including a criminal record check.
- Consider the Parramatta office location and temporary appointment of up to 6 months when assessing fit.
Candidate requirements and evidence
| Clear, accurate advice to diverse customers and stakeholders | Choose an enquiry where the customer needed help understanding a complex service or process. Explain how you clarified their needs, checked the information and provided advice in a form they could act on. |
| Problem solving and sound judgement | Describe how you worked out what was preventing progress, identified a practical solution and recognised when technical expertise was needed. Show how you involved the appropriate specialist and remained responsible for customer communication. |
| Time management, organisation and accuracy under high volumes | Explain how you prioritised enquiries, monitored deadlines and kept reliable records during a busy period. Include the checks you used to preserve accuracy and the result for response times, unresolved matters or service quality. |
| Stakeholder engagement and collaboration across teams | Show how you built a working relationship with another team to resolve a customer matter. Specify what information you exchanged, how you kept responsibilities clear and how the collaboration helped the customer. |
Example application structure
Prepare a cover letter that connects your customer support experience to the four main evidence areas above. A focused two-page letter is a practical recommendation, subject to any instructions in the application form. Use the following outline to balance customer communication, judgement, workload management and collaboration.
Opening and communication: briefly explain your interest in supporting planning customers and the relevant experience you bring. Introduce an example where you made a complicated process understandable, including how you established what the customer needed and verified your advice.
Problem solving and judgement: explain the issue you investigated, the options you considered and the point at which you sought specialist assistance. Show how you kept the customer informed while coordinating a reliable answer. This can extend the first example when it genuinely covers both requirements.
Workload and collaboration: use a further example or concise evidence paragraph to show how you handled competing enquiries, tracked commitments and worked across teams. Describe your method and the effect on quality, timeliness or the customer’s ability to progress their matter.
Close by briefly confirming the relevant qualification or equivalent experience and your suitability for the temporary role. The panel needs evidence of accurate advice, sensible escalation, control of competing work and a clear contribution to shared outcomes. Check that each of those points has a specific supporting detail.
Before you submit
- Attach both your CV and cover letter, using any length or upload instructions in the application form.
- Check that the cover letter addresses communication, problem solving, workload management and stakeholder collaboration.
- Explain the outcome of your customer examples and the part you personally played.
- Make your related degree or equivalent relevant experience clear.
- Confirm that your work rights cover the appointment and that the Parramatta location and temporary term suit you.
- Submit before 11:55 pm on 27 October 2026.
Return to the official job ad and check the final portal instructions before submitting.
Help with your application
A good starting point is an enquiry where the customer needed several people or services to work together. Explain how you clarified the issue, coordinated the right help and maintained clear communication until the matter progressed. Review the official vacancy page and role description before submitting your application.
The NSW cover letter template at NSW cover letter template can help organise your evidence. For tailored assistance linking your experience to this role, use Team 3Thirty’s customer service application help at customer service application support.