Introduction
This guide walks through the application task for the Strategic Work Health & Safety Advisor role with the Department of Communities and Justice in Parramatta. The role provides strategic and specialist WHS advice across DCJ and focuses on safety systems, risk management, data, governance and organisational capability. You can view the official job ad here before you prepare your application.
The Strategic Work Health & Safety Advisor role suits someone who can think beyond day-to-day compliance and contribute to risk-informed decision-making across a large, complex and high-risk public sector environment. The panel will be looking for evidence that you can work with executives, interpret WHS data, build capability and support practical system improvement.
If you are working through how to apply for Strategic Work Health & Safety Advisor, your application should show that you can lead or shape WHS work in a strategic way. Strong examples will show how you used frameworks, evidence, stakeholder engagement and practical change activity to improve safety outcomes.
For this role, the application includes a resume, cover letter and a separate targeted response of up to one page. NSW Government applications are assessed against both the instructions and the role requirements, so the targeted question should be treated as a major assessment item rather than an afterthought.
Contents
- Strategic Work Health & Safety Advisor role snapshot
- NSW Government application requirements
- Application requirements for Strategic Work Health & Safety Advisor
- NSW Government candidate requirements
- Candidate requirements for Strategic Work Health & Safety Advisor at Department of Communities and Justice
- Example application structure for Strategic Work Health & Safety Advisor
- Help with your Strategic Work Health & Safety Advisor application
Strategic Work Health & Safety Advisor role snapshot
| Role Title | Strategic Work Health & Safety Advisor |
| Organisation / Entity | Department of Communities and Justice |
| Agency | Communities and Justice |
| Job location | Parramatta |
| Job reference number | 83417-44222485 |
| I Work for NSW job number | 581921 |
| Work type | Ongoing |
| Classification | Clerk Grade 7/8 |
| Total remuneration package | $113,574 to $125,720 plus superannuation and annual leave loading |
| Closing date | Tuesday 16 June 2026 at 11:59pm AEST |
| Official job ad | View the official job ad |
NSW Government application requirements
NSW Government application requirements matter because they are part of the first screening step. If the role asks for a resume, cover letter, CV or targeted response, each item needs to be complete, within the stated limit and aligned with the role requirements.
Application requirements for Strategic Work Health & Safety Advisor
For this role, you need to provide:
- Up-to-date resume, maximum 4 pages
- Cover letter, maximum 2 pages, addressing how you meet the requirements of the role
- Response to 1 targeted question, maximum 500 words or up to 1 page
Keep these essential role requirements separate from the application documents. They are eligibility or mandatory conditions, so confirm them clearly in your application rather than treating them as extra written responses.
- Qualifications or equivalent knowledge, skills and experience working in a professional work health and safety environment
- Valid NSW driver licence and willingness to drive as travel may be required
The official role page should remain your final check before submission, especially if the application portal presents extra upload prompts or wording.
NSW Government candidate requirements
Candidate requirements are the capabilities, experience areas and behaviours the hiring team wants assessed through your examples. These are the points that should drive your cover letter and any targeted responses.
Candidate requirements for Strategic Work Health & Safety Advisor at Department of Communities and Justice
| Requirement or capability from role | How to demonstrate it |
|---|---|
| Sound knowledge and understanding of WHS legislation, regulations, policy, codes of practice and standards | Use a specific example that shows what you did, how you handled the work, who you worked with, and the result or improvement that followed. |
| Experience supporting WHS systems implementation, risk assessments and incident investigations | Use a specific example that shows what you did, how you handled the work, who you worked with, and the result or improvement that followed. |
| Advanced communication and presentation skills, both written and verbal | Use a specific example that shows what you did, how you handled the work, who you worked with, and the result or improvement that followed. |
| Expertise in stakeholder engagement, including consulting with executives across a broad range of portfolios | Use a specific example that shows what you did, how you handled the work, who you worked with, and the result or improvement that followed. |
| Project management, strategic thinking and adaptability | Use a specific example that shows what you did, how you handled the work, who you worked with, and the result or improvement that followed. |
| Ability to monitor, analyse and interpret WHS data to inform planning and evidence-based recommendations | Use a specific example that shows what you did, how you handled the work, who you worked with, and the result or improvement that followed. |
Example application structure for Strategic Work Health & Safety Advisor
This application requires a cover letter and one or more separate targeted responses because the panel is assessing both your overall fit and your ability to answer specific role-based questions. The maximum stated limits are Cover letter, maximum 2 pages, addressing how you meet the requirements of the role and Response to 1 targeted question, maximum 500 words or up to 1 page. The tables below show how to structure both parts of the written application.
| Cover letter section | What to include |
|---|---|
| Opening paragraph | State that you are applying for the Strategic Work Health & Safety Advisor role and briefly connect your background to the practical demands of the position. |
| Sound knowledge and understanding of WHS legislation, regulations, policy, codes of practice and standards | Use one concise example that proves this requirement. Keep the focus on your action, judgement and result, and link it back to the demands of the Strategic Work Health & Safety Advisor role. |
| Experience supporting WHS systems implementation, risk assessments and incident investigations | Use one concise example that proves this requirement. Keep the focus on your action, judgement and result, and link it back to the demands of the Strategic Work Health & Safety Advisor role. |
| Advanced communication and presentation skills, both written and verbal | Use one concise example that proves this requirement. Keep the focus on your action, judgement and result, and link it back to the demands of the Strategic Work Health & Safety Advisor role. |
| Expertise in stakeholder engagement, including consulting with executives across a broad range of portfolios | Use one concise example that proves this requirement. Keep the focus on your action, judgement and result, and link it back to the demands of the Strategic Work Health & Safety Advisor role. |
| Project management, strategic thinking and adaptability | Use one concise example that proves this requirement. Keep the focus on your action, judgement and result, and link it back to the demands of the Strategic Work Health & Safety Advisor role. |
| Ability to monitor, analyse and interpret WHS data to inform planning and evidence-based recommendations | Use one concise example that proves this requirement. Keep the focus on your action, judgement and result, and link it back to the demands of the Strategic Work Health & Safety Advisor role. |
| Transition statement | Use one sentence to signal that your targeted responses will give the panel a deeper example of your capability in the areas they have singled out. |
| Mandatory requirements | Briefly confirm the essential requirements you meet, especially any qualification, licence, work-rights, neutrality or assessment conditions stated in the role. |
| Closing paragraph | Reinforce your interest in the Strategic Work Health & Safety Advisor role and the value you would bring to the organisation. |
Responses to targeted questions
Each targeted response should answer the question directly, use one strong example where possible and stay disciplined with the stated limit.
| Targeted Question | What a strong response would include |
|---|---|
| Describe a strategic work health and safety (WHS) project you have led or played a significant role in that is reflective or relevant to a large, complex and high-risk operating environment such as the NSW Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ). | Answer the question directly in the first line, then use one strong example with enough context, your actions, the reasoning behind those actions and the measurable or practical outcome. |
For this role, make sure your response covers the points the panel has flagged as especially important:
- The organisational context, including key risks and challenges
- The driver for the project, including legislative, regulatory or organisational change
- Your input to designing and implementing the initiative, including use of contemporary WHS frameworks and evidence-based practices
- How you addressed psychosocial risks, consultation, risk assessments and mitigation controls
- Stakeholder engagement strategies across executives, managers, workers and unions
- Key outcomes achieved and lessons learned for continuous improvement
What the panel will want to see in your examples
- A strategic WHS example with real scale, complexity and organisational risk
- Evidence that you can translate data, frameworks and legislation into practical action
- Strong executive-facing communication and stakeholder engagement
- Examples of system improvement, risk management and capability uplift
- A targeted response that answers the question directly and stays disciplined within the limit
Help with your Strategic Work Health & Safety Advisor application
Before submitting, recheck the official job ad and the application portal so your documents match the latest wording, limits and upload instructions. This matters even more for roles with targeted questions or strict compliance conditions.
If you want a practical starting point, Team 3Thirty's NSW cover letter template can help you shape your examples properly. If you want direct help with the cover letter, CV, resume or targeted responses, Team 3Thirty's Write It For Me service can help you turn your experience into a stronger NSW Government application.