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Pivotal leadership role overseeing core programs in emergency management, animal and plant biosecurity, veterinary services, and invasive species.
Local Land Services (LLS), part of the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), is seeking an experienced executive to lead the delivery of critical state-wide programs in emergency management and biosecurity. As Director Programs and Partnerships, you will oversee the application of the LLS program framework, ensure consistent delivery and report under the State Strategic Plan. This role is central to safeguarding NSW’s agricultural and environmental assets, strengthening resilience, and building collaborative partnerships with government, industry, and communities.
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development is dedicated to growing primary industries and supporting regional economic development to deliver long-term benefits to NSW. With nearly 5,000 employees – 80% of whom live and work in regional communities – DPIRD brings together Agriculture and Biosecurity; Fisheries and Forestry; Local Land Services; NSW Resources; Regional Development and Delivery; the Regional Growth NSW Development Corporation; NSW Public Works; and the Soil Conservation Service.
Local Land Services is a regionally based organisation providing quality, customer-focused services to landholders and communities across NSW. Our remit spans agriculture, biosecurity, natural resource management, biodiversity, emergency services, and private native forestry.
Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, the Director Programs and Partnerships leads the delivery of LLS’s core programs in emergency management, animal and plant biosecurity, veterinary services, and invasive species. You will provide guidance and leadership to Principal Program Managers, ensuring programs are delivered consistently and effectively across the state. The role also requires you to perform statutory functions, including acting as the Agriculture and Animal Services Functional Area (AASFA) Coordinator within the NSW Emergency Management Framework and serving as the NSW Plague Locust Commissioner.
You will drive proactive and collaborative partnerships with government and industry stakeholders, manage program interdependencies, and monitor performance against key indicators. A critical aspect of the role is ensuring risks and issues are identified, communicated, and mitigated, while maintaining program governance, reporting, and review frameworks. You will provide centralised coordination and subject matter expertise across LLS’s 11 delivery regions, ensuring state-wide consistency and capability.
Operating with a high level of autonomy, the Director will oversee up to six direct reports and manage significant resources. You will be expected to balance diverse stakeholder interests, resolve contentious issues under tight timeframes, and provide expert advice to the CEO, Ministerial offices, and senior executives. This is a role that demands strategic insight, operational excellence, and the ability to foster collaboration across government, industry, and communities.
You are a strategic leader with extensive knowledge of program and project management, proven executive-level skills in leadership, and a strong record of building partnerships across government and industry. Your career reflects a consistent ability to manage sensitive and high-stakes programs, navigate political and financial complexities, and deliver outcomes that strengthen resilience and protect NSW’s agricultural and environmental assets.
You bring experience in leading state-wide programs, supported by strong communication skills to articulate complex concepts and influence diverse audiences. You are adept at negotiating, resolving conflicts, and building consensus, with the ability to anticipate and manage risks in dynamic, fast changing and challenging environments. Your leadership style inspires and motivates teams, fosters collaboration, and builds capability across the organisation.
You act with integrity, uphold the values of the NSW public sector, and demonstrate resilience, accountability, and a commitment to public value. You are highly skilled in stakeholder engagement, program governance, and risk management, and you thrive in roles that require both strategic vision and operational delivery. Above all, you are motivated by a commitment to strengthening NSW’s emergency management and biosecurity capability for the benefit of communities and industries across the state.
Diversity and inclusion are core values of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development is a workplace where everyone is able to contribute and participate to their full potential, and we are proud to have a team that reflects the richness and complexity of the regional NSW communities we serve.
If you require adjustments in completing your application, interviewing, completing any pre- employment testing, require information in an alternative format, or otherwise participating in the recruitment process, please let us know so we can assist. Send an email to capability.talent@regional.nsw.gov.au or contact the hiring manager listed below for a confidential discussion.
