Introduction

National Disability Services (NDS) is Australia's peak body for disability service organisations and has been supporting and representing the disability sector for more than 80 years. Our valued members collectively operate several thousand services for more than 300,000 Australians with disability and employ a workforce of more than 100,000 people across metropolitan, regional, rural and remote communities. NDS has a strong and influential presence in every state and territory across Australia.

At NDS, our work is purposeful, collaborative and grounded in impact. We play a key role in shaping a stronger, more sustainable sector that improves outcomes for people with disability. We influence national reform, advocate for high quality providers and help our members navigate complexity in a changing environment.

Every role at NDS contributes to this impact, whether you work in policy & advocacy, member services, marketing & communications, operations, projects or corporate services.

At NDS, our values underpin everything we do. NDS employees have a passion to make a difference, are member focused, value diversity and lived experience, share knowledge and expertise and prioritise progress over perfection. NDS supports our people to achieve their goals with a range of benefits including flexible working arrangements, employee wellbeing progams and opportunities for growth and learning.

To find out more about NDS, please visit our website.

Description

About the Role

Location: Surry Hills, Sydney (other NDS office locations considered)

Hours: Full-time, 38 hours per week, 5 days

Status: Contract until 30 June 2028

Industrial Instrument: No Award

Key Responsibilities:

- Develop and maintain strong engagement with NDS members offering employment services. This includes gathering, analysing, and sharing member intelligence.
- Support and lead where applicable, advocacy on disability employment matters.
- Lead relevant NDS project work and initiatives aligned to NDS’s work with the Centre for Inclusive Employment.
- Work with NDS State and Territory Managers and other NDS stakeholders to coordinate activity and engagement on disability employment policy, reform, advocacy matters across members, states and territories.
- Develop internal and external policy briefs, external submissions and position papers on relevant employment matters
- Prepare timely information on policy and service developments for NDS members including news updates and communication channels

- Support Buyability website and other NDS special interest projects





- Coordinate and support delivery of relevant Communities of Practice, webinar events, conferences and other consultative networks

- Represent NDS at forums, meetings and with key stakeholder networks as appropriate (including with DSS and NDIA).

- Develop strong working relationships within own team and with other NDS teams to share current information and lead discussions relating to employment.
- Contribute to the achievement of the NDS strategy through participation in special initiatives and programs within broader Policy & Advocacy team.

Other Responsibilities (applicable for all NDS employees):

- Perform tasks in alignment to NDS strategic plan objectives.
- Perform other duties and responsibilities, including administration support as required by manager/supervisor where applicable and relevant.
- Develop accessible versions of documents for internal and external distribution.
- Comply with NDS’s policies and procedures at all times, including (but not limited to) HR, Quality, Work Health & Safety (WHS), IT, Security, and Data Privacy.
- Demonstrate the NDS values of Build respectful relationships, Lead change, Deliver clarity and impact, Support and develop others, Embrace diversity.

Skills And Experiences

Skills & Experience

1. Demonstrated knowledge of disability employment policy, programs, supports and service delivery, including Australian

2. Government employment initiatives and reform directions, or the ability to quickly acquire and build such knowledge.

3. Ability to support and/or undertake advocacy work and networking with government and other relevant bodies on relevant policy issues, and contribute to related activities to further NDS’s policy positions and objectives.

4. Demonstrated ability to collaborate, pro-actively engage, show initiative, build effective relationships and work independently if/where required.

5. Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and maintain networks with a range of stakeholders, and publicly present on disability employment matters.

6. Capacity to review and analyse data,



identify strategic implications and work effectively to timelines.

7. Proactive and self-driven, with the adaptability and resilience to work effectively in an environment of change, ambiguity and complexity.

8. Proficiency with the MS Office Suite.

9. Willingness and capacity to travel independently as required

10. Knowledge of disability employment is highly desirable.

11. A tertiary qualification in a related discipline is desirable but not essential.

What We Offer

- Impact and purpose - Opportunity to do work that matters.
- Financial - Salary packaging, employee discounts, annual salary indexation
- Work life balance - Hybrid work, flexible arrangements, part time and job share options
- Leave - Paid parental leave, additional Christmas closedown leave, study leave, option to purchase leave
- Career development - Learning allowance, access to NDS events and learning, online LMS and courses
- Health and wellbeing - EAP, online wellbeing platform, flu vaccination reimbursement, Mental Health First Aid Officers
- Culture - Staff events, employee working groups, diversity and inclusion initiatives including RAP and DIAP
- Recognition - Service awards, peer recognition program, annual CEO awards

To Apply

We welcome candidates from all backgrounds and value diversity and inclusion in our workplace. We encourage all applicants, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability, LGBTIQA+ and culturally diverse communities to join NDS.

NDS is committed to supporting equal employment opportunities for individuals with disability and will provide reasonable workplace adjustments. We encourage potential applicants with lived experience to contact NDS to discuss any questions regarding individual workplace adjustments. NDS also provides adjustments throughout the recruitment process.

If you identify as a person with disability and require adjustments to the application, recruitment, selection and/or assessment process, please advise via [email protected] or 02 9256 3141 and indicate your preferred method of communication (email or phone).

Applications close: 13 September 2026. Please send your CV and a cover letter outlining your Skills & Experience in the areas listed above by clicking on the Apply button. For further information please contact [email protected]. Please do not send your application to this email address, as it's for enquiries only.

The successful applicant must be prepared to undertake a pre-employment police check.

No agencies please.

📌 Employment Policy & Engagement Lead (Sydney)
🏢 Elmo
📍 Sydney