Lead Governance & Access to Information Full Time Permanent Sydney’s South | Local Government Lead governance. Strengthen decision-making. Make a difference. An exciting opportunity is available for an experienced governance professional to take a lead role in shaping and strengthening governance and access to information across a progressive local government organisation. This is a senior position for someone who brings strong technical governance expertise, sound judgement and the ability to work confidently with executives, managers and stakeholders across an organisation. You will lead the Governance & Information teams and play a key role in ensuring robust, transparent and compliant decision-making across Council. About the organisation; Located in Sydney’s south, the Council serves a diverse and growing community of more than 160,000 people across approximately 50 square kilometres. With major infrastructure, key transport corridors and significant activity across the area, this is a dynamic environment where governance plays an important role in supporting effective decision-making and community confidence. The organisation is committed to:
- Visionary Leadership
- being decisive, outward focused and forward thinking
- Empowered People
- being courageous, innovative and committed to making a difference
- Meaningful Relationships
- working collaboratively and investing in each other
- Exceptional Service
- delivering an outstanding customer experience

About the role
; Reporting to the Manager Governance & Risk, you will be responsible for developing and implementing Council’s governance framework and ensuring strong governance, probity and legislative compliance across the organisation.



You will provide trusted advice to the Executive and staff on governance matters and lead the delivery of coordinated governance and access to information activities. Key areas of responsibility include:
- Leading and continuously improving Council’s governance framework, policies, systems and processes
- Providing expert advice on governance, legislation, delegations, probity and statutory requirements
- Leading the Governance & Information functions and supporting a high-performing, multidisciplinary team
- Overseeing business papers, including agendas, minutes and action tracking
- Coordinating formal, informal and internal reviews relating to access to information and GIPA applications
- Overseeing delegations, legislative compliance and changes to legislation
- Managing governance registers including GIPA, delegations, donations and sponsorship, and conflicts of interest
- Leading the development, implementation and review of Council’s Policy Framework
- Providing advice on Code of Conduct, Code of Meeting Practice and Public Interest Disclosures
- Supporting the processing of GIPA applications, subpoenas and other access to information matters
- Monitoring statutory and regulatory reporting requirements, including the OLG compliance calendar
- Supporting Council’s election responsibilities and ward boundary reviews
- Providing training and advice to Council officials on ethical standards and governance responsibilities
- Identifying opportunities to improve governance systems,



processes and organisational effectiveness The role operates with a significant level of autonomy and requires the ability to balance legislative requirements, community expectations, organisational priorities and stakeholder needs in a politically sensitive environment. About you; You will be an experienced governance qualified with the technical capability, leadership maturity and judgement to operate effectively at a senior level. You will ideally bring:
- Tertiary qualifications in law, corporate governance, public policy, business or a related discipline
- Extensive experience in a governance-related role
- Strong knowledge of governance frameworks, legislation, policies and procedures
- Demonstrated experience across at least three of the following:
- Government Information (Public Access) Act
- Policy development and implementation
- Statutory compliance
- Business papers
- Delegations
- Probity
- Investigations
- Experience providing governance advice to senior management, including General Managers, Directors and Managers
- Strong knowledge of local government governance matters, including the Code of Conduct and Code of Meeting Practice
- Experience interpreting and applying the Local Government Act 1993, Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 and Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998
- Experience in compliance management, probity advice and coordinating investigations
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to prepare high-quality reports, policies, correspondence and presentations
- Demonstrated experience leading and developing a multidisciplinary team
- A proactive approach to identifying opportunities for process, system and gov

📌 Lead Governance (Sydney)
🏢 Norwest Recruitment
📍 Sydney