Introduction
DCCEEW is appointing two Manager Strategic Policy professionals to lead complex policy work across the department’s portfolio and provide advice that can move through Cabinet and parliamentary processes.
This guide explains how to apply for Manager Strategic Policy and how to divide the evidence between the resume and cover letter. One appointment is ongoing and the other runs to December 2027, giving the panel two substantial leadership roles to fill.
At this level, a strong policy example needs to show the path from an uncertain problem to advice that a senior decision-maker could use. Include the competing interests, how you tested the evidence and what you did to keep the work moving through government processes.
The role also manages policy professionals. Give leadership its own evidence rather than leaving it as a line in the resume.
View the official Manager Strategic Policy vacancy.
Manager Strategic Policy role snapshot
| Role | Manager Strategic Policy |
|---|---|
| Organisation | Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water |
| Location | Parramatta, with hybrid working supported |
| Employment | Two full-time roles, one ongoing and one temporary to December 2027 |
| Remuneration | $157,257 to $172,589 plus superannuation |
| Reference | 552992; iWorkForNSW job 599555 |
| Applications close | Sunday 27 September 2026 at 11:55 pm |
| Official vacancy | Read the vacancy and open the application |
Application requirements
Submit a resume and cover letter expressing your interest and suitability. The advertisement does not state page limits, so use the application portal to confirm the final document settings.
- Resume.
- Cover letter expressing your interest and suitability. No page limit is stated publicly.
Essential role requirements and work conditions
- Work rights that meet the requirements for the appointment type.
- Relevant tertiary qualifications or equivalent policy expertise where required by the role description.
What to highlight in your application
The panel needs enough detail to assess what you personally did, why you chose that approach and what followed. The areas below are the strongest evidence priorities for this role.
| Evidence area | How to demonstrate it |
|---|---|
| Complex policy advice used by senior decision-makers | Choose a policy problem with several plausible options. Explain how you framed it, tested evidence, handled uncertainty and produced a recommendation that an executive, ministerial or Cabinet audience could use. |
| Working across portfolios and government | Show how you built a workable position among agencies or stakeholder groups with different interests. Include the trade-offs and the point where your judgement helped the work progress. |
| Leading policy professionals | Describe how you set direction, reviewed advice and developed the capability of a team. Make clear what changed in the quality, pace or consistency of the work. |
| Policy design carried into implementation | Use an example where advice moved beyond approval into implementation, legislation, a program or another practical outcome. Explain how you protected the intent as details changed. |
Example application structure
Use the cover letter to demonstrate policy leadership at the required scale. One substantial policy example can carry much of the letter if it includes senior advice, cross-government work and delivery.
- Open with your policy leadership scope and the DCCEEW portfolio work that interests you.
- Develop one complex policy example from problem definition through to decision or reform outcome.
- Explain the senior stakeholders and government processes you navigated.
- Add a leadership example that shows how you improved a team’s work or supported policy capability.
- Close with the contribution you would make across the Strategic Policy and Cabinet Branch.
What the panel will want to see in your examples
- Advice that is concise, evidence-based and usable at executive level.
- Judgement when stakeholder positions or policy evidence conflict.
- Leadership that improves the work of other policy professionals.
- A policy outcome that progressed through the relevant government process.
Before you submit
Check that the cover letter contains evidence of both policy judgement and people leadership. Remove background detail that does not help a senior reader assess the decision you influenced.
Confirm the appointment type you prefer if the form asks, then review the live portal for page limits or screening fields.
Return to the official Manager Strategic Policy vacancy to confirm the closing time and final portal instructions.
Help with your Manager Strategic Policy application
You can compare this role with the other campaigns in our current NSW Government multiple-vacancy shortlist. If the application needs a cover letter, our NSW Government cover letter template can help you organise the first draft.
If you want help choosing the evidence and preparing the full written application, request a Complete Government Job Application from Team 3Thirty.