Introduction
The Field Officer at National Parks and Wildlife Service helps care for recently acquired conservation areas around Cobar in Far West NSW. Two ongoing vacancies cover hands-on work with roads and fencing, weed and pest control, and preparation for fires or other incidents. The team also works with neighbours and Aboriginal communities, including caring for places of importance to Ngiyampaa people.
Your application needs a resume and cover letter explaining why you are suited to this work. This guide shows how to apply for Field Officer using practical experience that could come from conservation, agriculture, a trade or another outdoor setting. The recruitment welcomes people who can work safely and learn the skills required, with several certificates to be obtained after commencement.
A useful example shows how you assessed a task before using equipment or entering a difficult work area. Explain the hazard you noticed, the precautions you took and how you worked with others to complete the job. If your experience is outside parks work, make the connection to maintaining assets or looking after land clear in your own words.
View the official job ad while you plan your application.
Field Officer role snapshot
| Role | Field Officer |
| Organisation | National Parks and Wildlife Service |
| Location | Cobar, Far West NSW |
| Employment | Two ongoing full-time vacancies |
| Salary or remuneration | $60,000 to $80,000 per annum, plus 17% loading for weekends and public holidays and superannuation |
| Source job ID | 603454 |
| Closing date | 27 October 2026 at 11:55 pm |
Application requirements for Field Officer
- Resume
- Cover letter expressing your interest and suitability
A cover-letter page limit is not specified. We recommend a focused two-page letter that uses examples of practical outdoor work and safe decisions, unless the application form gives a different limit.
Role conditions and qualifications
- Current Australian Class C driver licence or equivalent
- Ability to obtain a Medium Rigid licence and operate MR vehicles if required
- 4WD recovery certification, first aid certificate and White Card within six months of commencement
- Level 1 crosscut chainsaw certification within 12 months of commencement
- Pre-employment medical clearance for the physical duties
- Australian citizenship, New Zealand citizenship or Australian permanent residency for ongoing employment
Candidate evidence for Field Officer
Two field officers will help establish an NPWS presence on recently acquired conservation areas around Cobar. The work includes maintaining tracks and visitor assets, controlling weeds and pest animals, and preparing for fires while caring for places with cultural importance to Ngiyampaa people. Practical experience in agriculture or trades can provide useful evidence for this outdoor work, alongside a willingness to live and work in a remote community.
The following evidence areas are practical application guidance for the work described.
| Evidence area | How to demonstrate it |
|---|---|
| Safe practical work outdoors | Describe a maintenance or land-management task and the safety decisions you made around tools, machinery or the terrain. |
| Adaptability and willingness to learn | Explain how you learned an unfamiliar procedure or piece of equipment and checked that you could use it correctly. |
| Working with limited supervision | Use an example of planning a day’s work, checking progress and knowing when to seek advice in a remote or isolated setting. |
| Respectful teamwork and communication | Show how you listened to colleagues or local stakeholders and adjusted the work to address a practical concern. |
Example application structure for Field Officer
Submit a cover letter explaining your interest and suitability alongside your resume. A two-page cover letter is a practical recommendation because a maximum is not specified in the vacancy. The outline below helps you connect outdoor experience to the work around Cobar.
| Application section | What to include |
|---|---|
| Opening | Explain your interest in living and working around Cobar and the practical experience you would bring to NPWS. |
| Safe practical work | Describe a hands-on task that involved equipment, asset maintenance or land management, including the decisions that kept the work safe. |
| Learning and independent work | Show how you learned a task and organised work with limited supervision, including when you asked for guidance. |
| Working with others | Use a concise example of communicating with people from different backgrounds or agreeing a workable approach with a local stakeholder. |
| Role conditions and closing | Confirm your current driver licence and ability to meet the required certificates and medical conditions, then close with your interest in the two ongoing vacancies. |
What the panel will want to see in your examples
- Describe a maintenance or land-management task and the safety decisions you made around tools, machinery or the terrain.
- Explain how you learned an unfamiliar procedure or piece of equipment and checked that you could use it correctly.
- Use an example of planning a day’s work, checking progress and knowing when to seek advice in a remote or isolated setting.
- Show how you listened to colleagues or local stakeholders and adjusted the work to address a practical concern.
Before you submit
Check your ongoing-employment eligibility and current Class C licence before submitting. Read the timing for the certificates that can be obtained after starting, consider the physical and remote-location requirements, and ensure the cover letter and resume explain the experience you would bring to Cobar.
Return to the official vacancy to check the final submission instructions.
Help with your Field Officer application
For help choosing and organising your own examples, request application support from Team 3Thirty. Bring the vacancy and your current CV so the written application can explain work you have completed.