The Senior Policy Officer at the NSW Ministry of Health supports maternity and newborn policy, projects and models of care. It suits a policy professional who can make sense of complex evidence, work confidently with clinical stakeholders and keep implementation moving. View the official job ad.
When planning how to apply for Senior Policy Officer, use the cover letter to connect your policy process to a real outcome. The panel should be able to see what you researched, how you developed the advice, who you involved and what changed because of the work.
The application asks for evidence against each essential requirement. Build the letter around your strongest relevant examples rather than writing a separate paragraph of general claims for every capability.
This full-time role is based in Sydney – North/North West, with advertised salary of $133,348 to $146,945 per year. Applications close Tuesday 18 August 2026 at 11:59pm.
In This Guide
- Role snapshot
- Application requirements
- Candidate requirements
- Example application structure
- Application help
Senior Policy Officer Role Snapshot
| Role title | Senior Policy Officer |
|---|---|
| Organisation | NSW Ministry of Health |
| Job location | Sydney – North/North West |
| Job reference number | REQ684054 |
| Work type | Full-Time |
| Salary | $133,348 to $146,945 per year |
| Closing date | Tuesday 18 August 2026 at 11:59pm |
| Official job ad | View the official job ad |
NSW Government Application Requirements
Document limits are part of the screening process. Follow the advertised instructions and use the written application to demonstrate capability through specific evidence rather than repeating the resume.
Application Requirements For Senior Policy Officer
- Up-to-date resume, maximum 5 pages.
- Cover letter, maximum 2 pages, explaining your interest and motivation and providing evidence against each essential requirement.
Essential Role Requirements
- Australian citizenship is required.
- You must have the right to work in Australia.
- The advertised tertiary qualification or equivalent relevant experience is required.
NSW Government Candidate Requirements
Strong applicants will combine sound policy analysis with the relationships and discipline needed to implement work across the health system.
Candidate Requirements For Senior Policy Officer At NSW Ministry of Health
| Requirement or capability from role | How to demonstrate it |
|---|---|
| Policy research and analysis | Show how you gathered evidence, tested its quality and identified the implications for a policy, program or model of care. |
| Clear briefs and recommendations | Use an example where your writing helped a senior decision-maker understand the issue, options, risks and recommended action. |
| Health stakeholder engagement | Explain how you worked with clinicians, service providers, agencies or consumers to improve the quality and practicality of the work. |
| Project and implementation discipline | Describe how you planned actions, tracked dependencies and followed through from policy development to delivery or evaluation. |
Example Application Structure For Senior Policy Officer
The application asks for up-to-date resume, maximum 5 pages; cover letter, maximum 2 pages, explaining your interest and motivation and providing evidence against each essential requirement. Use the first part of the application to establish your fit, then develop your strongest evidence in the required document or question responses. The table below shows a clear way to organise the main written component.
| Cover letter section | What to include |
|---|---|
| Opening paragraph | Your interest in the role and the two or three strengths that make you a credible Senior Policy Officer. |
| Policy research and analysis | Show how you gathered evidence, tested its quality and identified the implications for a policy, program or model of care. |
| Clear briefs and recommendations | Use an example where your writing helped a senior decision-maker understand the issue, options, risks and recommended action. |
| Health stakeholder engagement | Explain how you worked with clinicians, service providers, agencies or consumers to improve the quality and practicality of the work. |
| Project and implementation discipline | Describe how you planned actions, tracked dependencies and followed through from policy development to delivery or evaluation. |
| Closing paragraph | A concise summary of your fit, motivation and readiness to contribute. |
What The Panel Will Want To See In Your Examples
- Relevant policy work with a clear outcome.
- Ability to interpret complex evidence.
- Concise advice for senior audiences.
- Constructive work with clinical and non-clinical stakeholders.
- Evidence against each essential requirement.
Help With Your Senior Policy Officer Application
Keep the letter grounded in evidence, with one example showing policy judgement and another showing implementation and stakeholder work. Use the free NSW cover letter template. For tailored help, request professional application support. Check the official advertisement.