- Executive leadership across people, culture, and governance
- Shape workforce strategy and cultural transformation across NSW Health
- High-impact role influencing system-wide reform and policy
Lead cultural transformation, workforce strategy and governance across NSW Health, shaping system-wide capability and leadership excellence.
The organisation
As Australia’s largest public health system, NSW Health delivers services to over eight million people across metropolitan, regional and rural areas. With a workforce of more than 180,000 staff, the system encompasses Local Health Districts, Specialty Health Networks, pillar organisations, statutory health services, ambulance services and the Ministry of Health.
The Ministry plays a central role in shaping the policy, clinical, workforce and governance frameworks that underpin the delivery of healthcare across the State. It provides strategic leadership, planning, oversight and enabling functions to support safe, high-quality and sustainable health services across New South Wales.
The opportunity
The Deputy Secretary, People, Culture and Governance provides strategic leadership across workforce planning and development, industrial relations, workplace culture, legal services, governance, strategic communications, and nursing and midwifery. A key priority of the role is to lead a sustained cultural transformation agenda that strengthens alignment with NSW Health’s core values—collaboration, openness, respect and empowerment—across all levels of the system. The Deputy Secretary is directly accountable for delivering strategies that embed these values and foster a safe, inclusive and high-performing workplace culture for more than 180,000 staff.
Reporting to the Secretary, the role leads a talented senior executive team overseeing a diverse portfolio of enabling services, including regulatory and legislative responsibilities and the delivery of functions that support both the Ministry and the broader health system. The Deputy Secretary is a key contributor to the Ministry’s executive leadership team, providing high-level advice to the Secretary, Ministers and Cabinet Committees on complex and sensitive workforce, legal and governance matters. The role also represents NSW Health at national and State-level forums, working with stakeholders across government, health unions, professional bodies and the community to drive cohesive, system-wide change.
About you
You are a senior executive with a strong track record of leading cultural and workforce reform across complex, multidisciplinary systems. You will drive the implementation of governance frameworks across the Health cluster including structures, decision making processes, and control systems to meet regulatory obligations and corporate strategy. With demonstrated expertise in people strategy, organisational culture, industrial relations, or enabling services, you bring a deep understanding of the levers required to drive large-scale behavioural and cultural change. You are experienced in working within the public sector or similarly complex settings and can translate strategy into measurable cultural and workforce outcomes that reflect shared values and improve the lived experience of staff across all settings.
You are a strategic, inclusive and values-led leader with the presence and credibility to influence across diverse stakeholder groups. Your strengths lie in systems thinking, collaborative leadership and political acumen, and you are confident engaging at Ministerial, Cabinet and intergovernmental levels. You bring clarity, purpose and commitment to building a safe, inclusive and high-performance workforce. Relevant tertiary qualifications or equivalent professional experience are required.
How to apply
For a confidential discussion or role related questions, please contact Felicity Stalley, Jess Lewy or Jess Gough of The Orchard Talent Group by email health@orchardtalent.com.au. To apply please submit your current CV via email health@orchardtalent.com.au.
Please note applicants must have a legal right to work in Australia.
Applications close: Friday 22 August 2025 (11:59pm)