Introduction
The Principal Program Officer – Identified role at the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water leads initiatives within the Aboriginal Outcomes Branch. The work supports the department’s Aboriginal Outcomes Strategy and Closing the Gap commitments through strategic programs, executive advice and partnerships. Two permanent opportunities are based in Parramatta, with location negotiable.
To organise how to apply for Principal Program Officer – Identified, prepare your resume and a single-page cover letter. That tight letter needs a clear account of your interest, cultural knowledge and strategic leadership. Choose a substantial initiative where your work with Aboriginal communities and senior decision-makers produced an outcome you can explain.
This is an Aboriginal identified position with specific eligibility requirements. Check those requirements before preparing the letter, then show how you work respectfully with community governance and priorities. Your examples should also explain how you supported a culturally responsive team and exercised judgement in sensitive organisational or policy matters.
View the official job ad and keep its application instructions open while you plan.
Principal Program Officer – Identified role snapshot
| Role | Principal Program Officer – Identified |
| Organisation | Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water |
| Location | Parramatta, location negotiable |
| Employment | Two permanent full-time opportunities, 35 hours per week |
| Salary or remuneration | $157,257 to $172,589 plus superannuation |
| Job ID | 602394 |
| Closing date | 11:55 pm, Tuesday 13 October 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 Principal Program Officer – Identified
- Resume
- Single-page cover letter expressing your interest and suitability for the role
Keep the cover letter to one page. Prioritise your Aboriginal community and governance knowledge, a strategic initiative you led and the advice or partnerships that helped achieve its outcomes.
Role conditions and qualifications
- Aboriginality is an essential requirement of this identified role under section 14(d) of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977
- Applicants must be of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent, identify as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person, and be accepted as such by the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community
- Tertiary qualifications in a relevant discipline and/or demonstrated equivalent industry or professional experience
Candidate evidence for Principal Program Officer – Identified
Lead strategic programs for Aboriginal outcomes, provide senior policy and operational advice, build trusted partnerships and develop a culturally responsive team. The evidence areas below help you choose examples for that work.
| Requirement or evidence area | How to demonstrate it |
|---|---|
| Aboriginal cultures, communities and governance | Explain how knowledge of community structures and priorities shaped your engagement, advice or program decisions. |
| Strategic initiative and program leadership | Use a complex initiative to show the objective, your leadership responsibilities, delivery decisions and outcome for Aboriginal peoples or organisations. |
| Strategic, policy and operational advice | Describe the advice you gave senior leaders, the evidence behind it and the decision or action it supported. |
| Trusted relationships and negotiated outcomes | Show how you worked with diverse stakeholders, respected community perspectives and reached an agreement that supported delivery. |
| Judgement in sensitive issues | Explain how you handled a culturally sensitive or politically nuanced issue, including the risks you considered and how you maintained trust. |
| Culturally responsive team leadership | Describe how you developed staff and supported collaborative practice while delivering Aboriginal outcomes and Closing the Gap commitments. |
Example application structure for Principal Program Officer – Identified
The required written documents are a resume and a single-page cover letter. Keep the letter within one page by choosing a strategic example that also demonstrates community partnerships and senior advice. The outline below groups the evidence around Aboriginal outcomes while keeping eligibility separate.
| Application section | What to include |
|---|---|
| Opening and cultural context | State your interest in the Aboriginal Outcomes Branch and briefly establish your understanding of Aboriginal cultures, community governance and priorities. |
| Strategic initiative and senior advice | Explain one initiative you led, the strategic or policy advice you provided and the outcome it supported. |
| Partnerships and judgement | Describe how you negotiated with communities and organisational stakeholders while managing a sensitive issue. |
| Team leadership and commitment | Show how you supported culturally responsive practice and connect your work to Aboriginal outcomes and Closing the Gap. |
| Eligibility and closing | Briefly confirm the identified-role eligibility and qualification or equivalent-experience requirement, then close with your interest in the work. |
Before you submit
Confirm that you meet all three Aboriginal identified-position criteria and the qualification or equivalent-experience requirement. Check that the cover letter is a single page and that it gives clear evidence of strategic leadership, cultural knowledge and trusted partnerships. Use the application form to check any supporting eligibility instructions and submit by 11:55 pm on Tuesday 13 October.
Return to the official vacancy for the final document and deadline check.
Help with your Principal Program Officer – Identified 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.