Introduction
The Executive Director, Policy at The Cabinet Office leads a policy branch and provides impartial advice to the Premier, Cabinet and senior officials. The immediate opportunity covers Energy, Environment and Primary Industries. The recruitment also seeks senior policy leaders for a talent pool across other branches, including housing, economic, human services, justice and security policy.
To understand how to apply for Executive Director, Policy, start with the request to name the policy areas you want to lead. Submit a current CV and a cover letter of no more than two pages by email to Orchard Talent Group. Select evidence of policy reform, executive leadership and advice that helped decision-makers weigh competing priorities.
The application should make your judgement visible. Explain a complex or politically sensitive issue, the evidence and perspectives you considered and the trade-offs you put before decision-makers. Show how you worked across portfolios, maintained impartiality and led your team through urgent demands while keeping longer-term priorities moving.
View the official job ad and keep its application instructions open while you plan.
Executive Director, Policy role snapshot
| Role | Executive Director, Policy |
| Organisation | The Cabinet Office |
| Location | Sydney |
| Employment | Executive Director appointment; confirm appointment terms with Orchard Talent Group |
| Salary or remuneration | Remuneration is not stated in the advertisement |
| Job ID | 605029 |
| Closing date | 8 November 2026 |
NSW Government application requirements
Give the hiring team the documents and written responses it requests, within the stated limits. Check the application form before drafting so the final submission follows the required format.
Application requirements for Executive Director, Policy
- Current CV
- Cover letter, maximum two pages, noting the policy areas you are interested in leading
No CV page limit is stated. Use the two-page letter to identify your policy interests and give concise evidence of executive leadership and public-policy judgement. Email the application to [email protected].
Role conditions and qualifications
- Applicants must have a legal right to work in Australia.
- The talent pool may support other Executive Director appointments over the following 18 months; it is not a guarantee of an appointment.
Candidate evidence for Executive Director, Policy
Lead a policy branch at the centre of NSW Government, coordinating research, reform and impartial advice across complex portfolio and Cabinet matters. The evidence areas below help you choose examples for that work.
| Requirement or evidence area | How to demonstrate it |
|---|---|
| Policy development and reform | Describe a significant policy issue, your analysis and the reform or decision your work supported. |
| Whole-of-government judgement | Show how you identified interdependencies and trade-offs across policy, Budget and portfolio proposals. |
| Executive leadership | Explain how you directed a policy team, adapted priorities and maintained quality under pressure. |
| Impartial advice and partnerships | Demonstrate credible relationships with senior officials, ministerial offices, industry or community partners while preserving an apolitical approach. |
Example application structure for Executive Director, Policy
Keep the letter within two pages and connect your chosen policy areas with evidence of executive leadership. Experience in energy, environment or primary industries is highly regarded for the immediate opportunity.
| Application section | What to include |
|---|---|
| Opening and policy interests | Name the policy areas you want to lead and summarise your relevant executive experience. |
| Policy judgement example | Explain a complex issue, the evidence and trade-offs you assessed and the decision supported. |
| Leadership and collaboration | Show how you led a team and worked across portfolios or sectors to deliver an outcome. |
| Closing | Connect your approach to impartial advice and public value, and confirm the email application route. |
Before you submit
State your policy interests, keep the cover letter within two pages and include a current CV. Verify your legal right to work in Australia. Email [email protected] by 8 November 2026, confirming any final submission-time instructions with the recruiter.
Return to the official vacancy for the final document and deadline check.
Help with your Executive Director, Policy application
If you want help organising your own evidence and preparing the written documents, request application support from Team 3Thirty. Bring the vacancy and your current CV so the application can address the work you have actually done.