Introduction
The Principal Project Officer at Aboriginal Affairs NSW leads business operations and strategic implementation across the Reform and Innovation branch. Based in Mascot, the temporary role combines financial performance, project governance, risk and partnership reporting. Its work contributes to Closing the Gap reforms and the delivery of government priorities.
When planning how to apply for Principal Project Officer, choose evidence of a substantial program you helped lead and the operational decisions that made it work. The two-page cover letter should explain your responsibility for priorities, resources and governance. The resume can provide the broader record within its five-page limit.
Budget coordination and relationships with sector agencies and the Coalition of Aboriginal Peak Organisations are central to this opportunity. Explain how you developed advice with partners, resolved competing priorities and supported accountable decisions. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants should also check the confirmation-of-Aboriginality requirement for this targeted recruitment.
View the official job ad and keep its application instructions open while you plan.
Principal Project Officer role snapshot
| Role | Principal Project Officer |
| Organisation | Aboriginal Affairs NSW, Premier’s Department |
| Location | Mascot |
| Employment | Temporary full-time until 12 July 2027, Clerk Grade 11/12 |
| Salary or remuneration | $154,231 to $178,369 per annum plus 12% superannuation and leave loading |
| Job ID | 605147 |
| Closing date | 11:59 pm, Tuesday 27 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 Project Officer
- Resume, maximum 5 pages
- Cover letter addressing the role requirements, maximum 2 pages
Use the letter to connect your leadership of business operations and complex reform to the priorities of Aboriginal Affairs. This is a targeted role: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants are encouraged to apply and receive greater consideration. It is not described as an Aboriginal Identified-only position.
Role conditions and qualifications
- Targeted recruitment encourages Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants and gives their applications greater consideration under Rule 26; it is not stated as an Identified-only restriction
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants must confirm their Aboriginality in addition to the role’s essential requirements
Candidate evidence for Principal Project Officer
Lead reform implementation, portfolio governance and business operations, including Closing the Gap budget proposals and partnership reporting. The evidence areas below help you choose examples for that work.
| Requirement or evidence area | How to demonstrate it |
|---|---|
| Policy and service reform leadership | Describe a reform you led, how you tested its approach and the evidence used to judge its results. |
| Portfolio delivery and governance | Explain how you prioritised work, allocated resources and used risk reporting to keep a complex portfolio accountable. |
| Budget coordination and funding proposals | Show how you worked with partners on a funding proposal, tested assumptions and connected investment to agreed priorities. |
| Strategic writing, analysis and advice | Use an example of a sensitive brief or submission that combined rigorous analysis with a clear recommendation. |
| Partnerships and representation | Explain how you represented an organisation, worked across government and community interests and followed through on agreed actions. |
Example application structure for Principal Project Officer
The application requires a resume and a cover letter addressing the role requirements. The letter has a maximum of two pages and the resume a maximum of five pages. The outline below helps organise your leadership, budget, governance and partnership evidence within the letter.
| Application section | What to include |
|---|---|
| Opening and reform leadership | Set out the scale of the reform or business operations you have led and its relevance to Aboriginal Affairs. |
| Portfolio governance | Describe a consequential decision about priorities, resources or risk and the outcome it supported. |
| Budget and partnership work | Explain how you developed funding or investment advice with partners and aligned it with strategic priorities. |
| Advice and representation | Show how your research and written advice supported a sensitive government decision. |
| Closing | Connect your leadership evidence to the Reform and Innovation branch and confirm relevant recruitment requirements. |
Before you submit
Check both page limits and ensure that your examples explain your own leadership decisions, financial responsibility and partnership work. Confirm any Aboriginality documentation relevant to your application. Submit by 11:59 pm on Tuesday 27 October.
Return to the official vacancy for the final document and deadline check.
Help with your Principal Project Officer 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.