Position Description - Stepping Into ProgramPosition Title

NSW Department of Family and Community Services - Office of the Secretary Intern

Location

Strawberry Hills, NSW

Position Duration

152 hours

Agency Overview

The Department of Family and Community Services (FACS) directly supports approximately 800,000 people every year and reaches a further million people through local community-based programs.

Our vision is to empower all people to live fulfilling lives and achieve their potential in inclusive communities. We collaborate with government, non-government and community partners to work with children, adults, families and communities to improve lives and realise potential, with a focus on breaking, rather than managing, disadvantage.

Position Overview

The Office of the Secretary ('OSec') is a small team supporting the Secretary (who is the head of our organisation) and Executive. We review advice to make sure it makes sense, is accurate and is based on consultation with the right people. We are the 'secretariat' for the FACS Board which meets weekly, and for weekly meetings the Secretary has with our Cluster Minister (Minister Goward). We also help resolve issues, guide media responses and promote corporate goals like improving outcomes for Aboriginal people. Among our staff we've got direct experience working with and for people with disability.

Key Tasks

• Reviewing advice - for spelling and grammar, logic, accuracy, gathering extra information so it's clearer or more up to date, and making sure it's properly documented and tracked on our systems.

• Managing the flow of advice prepared for our Board - receiving and saving documents, distributing papers, checking attendees and appointments, maintaining key documents like calendars, forward agendas, minutes and action logs.

• Researching and consulting about issues to answer the Secretary's or team's questions - ranging from statistics to legal decisions, to news clips etc.

• Promoting 'OSec' - scheduling meetings for OSec to visit other teams, participating in team visits, participating in meetings with 'executive officers' about topical issues.

Level 3, 80 Clarence Street, Sydney NSW 2000 (02) 8270 9200 www.and.org.au

Key accountabilities• Work autonomously and within a team environment to achieve key performance

indicators, ensuring deliverables meet quality expectations and comply with defined policies protocols and timeframes.

• Undertake tasks that contribute to the design, implementation and coordination of projects which deliver effective business unit outcomes and meet client service delivery needs.

• Build working relationships with internal and external stakeholders to facilitate achievement of business outcomes.

• Identify and escalate complex matters or issues that may impact the delivery of services to the business unit manager.

• Conduct research and analysis that contribute to the development of policies, procedures and guidelines.

Key challenges• Operating in a complex organisation undergoing significant structural and service

delivery reform and this role will require the occupant to display a high level of change agility.

• Progressively building an understanding of the institutional frameworks and conventions which guide work in the NSW Government including legislative and budgetary processes.

• Establishing and maintaining positive working relationships with internal and external stakeholders given the diverse and varied range of stakeholders.

Ideal Degree/Discipline

You'd be a good fit in our team if you have an eye for detail and a 'have a go' attitude. People with all sorts of backgrounds have been in our team. You might find it a useful internship if you're studying:

• Arts, politics, government, industrial relations, social policy, or security• Social work or psychology• Economics or business• Communications• Community or international development• Civil engineering, architecture or town planning• Law

Eligibility Requirements

Currently studying in final or penultimate year of a relevant undergraduate or post-graduate degree with an Australian university

Australian citizenship May be subject to reference checks, criminal history clearance and working with children

check