The Executive Assistant, Office for Health and Medical Research role at the NSW Ministry of Health provides high-level support in a busy office that works across the health system. The position manages the Executive Director’s diary and invitations, prepares agendas, minutes and correspondence, and helps senior leaders handle competing requests and stakeholder issues.
This guide explains how to apply for Executive Assistant, Office for Health and Medical Research through a five-page résumé, a two-page cover letter and a separate response to two target questions. The questions focus on executive support under pressure and sensitive communication on behalf of a leader.
View the official job ad before drafting. Regular office presence is essential at St Leonards, with flexible arrangements available around that requirement.
Your application checklist
- Executive Assistant, Office for Health and Medical Research Role Snapshot
- Application requirements for Executive Assistant, Office for Health and Medical Research
- Evidence to include in your Executive Assistant, Office for Health and Medical Research application
- How to structure the cover letter and target-question responses
- Help with your Executive Assistant, Office for Health and Medical Research application
Executive Assistant, Office for Health and Medical Research Role Snapshot
| Role title | Executive Assistant, Office for Health and Medical Research |
|---|---|
| Organisation | NSW Ministry of Health |
| Location | St Leonards |
| Job reference | REQ677155 |
| Work type | Ongoing full-time, 35 hours per week |
| Salary | $102,936 to $113,579 plus super |
| Closing date | 13 September 2026 at 11:59pm |
| Official job ad | View the official job ad |
Application requirements for Executive Assistant, Office for Health and Medical Research
This application asks for three attachments with overlapping evidence. Use the cover letter to present your overall fit, then let the target responses give the detailed examples of priority management and sensitive communication.
- Up-to-date résumé, maximum 5 pages
- Cover letter, maximum 2 pages
- Response to 2 target questions, maximum 2 pages
You must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident, New Zealand citizen or hold a valid visa with permission to work in Australia. The selection process can include a range of comparative assessment techniques.
Evidence to include in your Executive Assistant, Office for Health and Medical Research application
The panel needs to see executive support that remains accurate when plans change. Good examples will name the executive or office context, the competing demands, how you controlled the diary or communication and what the leader was able to achieve because of your work.
| What the role needs | How to show it |
|---|---|
| Executive and administrative task management | Describe how you managed a complex diary, invitations, meetings or briefing work with attention to detail. |
| Written and verbal communication | Use an example involving correspondence, minutes or a sensitive conversation on behalf of a senior leader. |
| Strong customer focus | Show how you understood a stakeholder’s need, set expectations and followed the matter through. |
| Work in a small dynamic team | Explain how you shared information, anticipated needs and adapted when priorities changed. |
How to structure the cover letter and target-question responses
The application requires a cover letter plus a separate response to two target questions. The cover letter and combined question response can each be a maximum of two pages. The tables below show how to avoid repeating the same evidence.
| Cover letter section | What to include |
|---|---|
| Opening paragraph | Summarise your executive-support experience and interest in the Office for Health and Medical Research. |
| Administrative range | Give concise evidence of diary, correspondence, meetings and briefing support. |
| Team and customer focus | Show how you anticipate needs and maintain useful relationships in a small office. |
| Closing paragraph | Confirm your readiness for regular St Leonards office presence and the ongoing role. |
How to answer the target questions
| Target question | What a strong response would include |
|---|---|
| Describe a time when you supported a senior executive in a busy environment with multiple competing demands. How did you prioritise tasks, manage changing priorities, and ensure critical deadlines were met? | Set out the competing demands, your prioritisation method, the changes you managed and the deadlines protected. |
| In this role, you will often be the first point of contact for a wide range of stakeholders. Describe a situation where you had to manage sensitive or complex communication on behalf of an executive. What was your approach and what was the outcome? | Explain the sensitivity, authority boundaries, wording and escalation decisions, then give the stakeholder and executive outcome. |
What strong executive-support evidence looks like
- Disciplined control of a busy executive diary
- Judgement about urgency, access and escalation
- High-quality correspondence or briefing support
- Diplomatic handling of sensitive stakeholders
- Results linked to deadlines and executive effectiveness
Help with your Executive Assistant, Office for Health and Medical Research application
Choose two different examples for the target questions so the panel sees both operational control and communication judgement. Recheck the official job ad before attaching the three documents.
Team 3Thirty’s professional application writing support can help you turn executive-support work into clear selection evidence.