Vacancy Details : Position: Organisation Unit: Location : Package: Tenure: Closing: Synopsis: Manager Secretariat and Governance APS5

Townsville, QLD; Canberra, ACT; Cairns, QLD Ongoing/Non-ongoing; Full-time Applications close Thursday 26 March 2026, 11:59pm AEST

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (the Reef Authority) is a Commonwealth non-corporate entity, and a statutory agency established by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975 (Marine Park Act), reporting to the Minister for the Environment and Water. Our objective is the long-term protection, ecologically sustainable use, understanding and enjoyment of the Great Barrier Reef for all Australians and the international community through the care and development of the Marine Park.

Managing a reef roughly the size of Italy demands many skills and talents, so you don't have to be a marine biologist to contribute to our mission. From finance to marketing roles, we have a team almost as diverse as the ecosystem we protect. Our commitment and dedication to the Great Barrier Reef and the Australian public have a long-lasting impact, and we are looking for individuals who can bring their unique skills, experience, and knowledge to our high-performing and inclusive organisation.

The Position

As the Manager - Secretariat and Governance you deliver high-quality, end-to-end secretariat and governance for our Board and two Board advisory committees.

Drawing on well-developed communication and business administration skills you collaborate with ease across the Reef Authority and with external stakeholders, work calmly to deadlines, provide executive support to our Board Chairperson, and ensure best practice governance.

You bring an enthusiastic, flexible and positive attitude, take a pragmatic approach to delivering operational activities,



keep an eye to anticipating future strategic needs, and display a desire to contribute to the success of our governance functions. You support broader section projects as required.

About You

- Experienced in high-level business administration, governance, or Board and Committee support
- Enthusiastic and positive with a can-do, customer focused attitude
- Diligent, professional, exceptionally organised, demonstrate integrity, and enjoy delivering governance activities
- Able to think strategically and forward plan while delivering routine functions
- Committed to collaborating with others, displaying a desire to contribute to the success of the team and working in harmony with others
- Open to learning, adaptable to change, exercise sound judgement, and calm and confident in managing competing priorities while maintaining attention to detail
- Able to understand the broader operating environment of the organisation and government
- Professional and discreet when dealing with confidential matters
- Able to research and interpret information to support informed decision-making
- Flexible in how and where you work and willing to support your team in a range of areas.

Duties

- Deliver high-quality, end-to-end secretariat and governance activities to enable the effective operations of the Reef Authority Board and two Board advisory committees.
- Review, quality-assure,



and provide advice on materials to support informed Board decision-making and ensure compliance with legislation, policy, and delegations.
- Oversee, support, and mentor staff and implement business improvements, fostering a culture of continuous learning and professional growth.
- Provide high-level executive assistant support to the Board Chairperson and Board members and cultivate strong, team-oriented relationships internally and externally.
- Anticipate and proactively implement solutions to future governance, secretariat, and strategic planning needs.
- Work in harmony with the Strategic Governance team, the section leadership team, and contribute to section projects, other committees, and the parliamentary function.

For more information about this opportunity, please contact Jessica Mead, Assistant Director - Governance and Strategy, Ph. 0499 438 324**

Essential Requirements

- Demonstrated business, secretariat, governance, or project management experience.
- Ability to anticipate future needs while undertaking routine secretariat activities.
- Attention to detail and a desire to contribute to the success of the team.
- The ability to travel, sometimes for multiple nights at a time.

How to apply

You will be required to prepare a response document (“pitch”) in MSWord or PDF format using standard margins and size 11 Arial font.

Please prepare a ‘pitch’, as outlined in the Position Description, in relation to the advertised role, outlining:

- how your experience, abilities, knowledge and personal qualities would enable you to perform the duties and meet the technical and behavioural capabilities of the role.
- any specific examples or achievements that demonstrate your ability to perform the

📌 Manager Secretariat and Governance (Canberra)
🏢 Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
📍 Canberra