A rare opportunity to shape the future of public sector oversight.

We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of this land. We recognise the continuing connection to land, waters, culture and community of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and recognise the strength, resilience and diversity of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across this land.

This is an exciting opportunity to join Ombudsman Western Australia as Chief Operating Officer and play a key role in shaping the organisation's future. The position is offered as a five-year fixed-term appointment, with the possibility of extension.

About the Western Australian Ombudsman

The Parliamentary Commissioner for Administrative Investigations – more commonly known as the Ombudsman:

• Protects People’s Rights: we give people a way to ensure they are heard when they feel they’ve been treated unfairly.
• Improves Services and Build Trust in Government: we can investigate how services are delivered and bring weaknesses to the attention of decision-makers. In doing so, we improve service delivery for all Western Australians.
• Prevents Harm: through death reviews, investigations and oversight of how organisations respond to allegations of child related harm, we identify opportunities to prevent deaths and strengthen the safety net around children.
• Supports Vulnerable Communities: we can focus on people who are often overlooked or disadvantaged, ensuring their voices are heard and their needs are considered.

The Ombudsman also undertakes the role of the Energy and Water Ombudsman and is the Charitable Trusts Commissioner.

Staff of the Ombudsman’s Office

Our people are at the heart of the Ombudsman’s Office and central to its success. We are committed to supporting employees to grow and thrive through ongoing education, training and professional development opportunities. Flexible work arrangements may also be negotiated, helping employees balance their professional and personal commitments.

Equity and Diversity

The Ombudsman’s office provides services to a diverse range of people within the Western Australian community, and is committed to creating an equitable and diverse workforce. We encourage people with disabilities, people from culturally diverse backgrounds, and women and young people to apply. The office of the Ombudsman may prioritise recruitment decisions based on the Equal Opportunity Act Western Australia 1984 (EOA 1984).

The Ombudsman’s office is committed to growing the Aboriginal workforce. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are strongly encouraged to apply for this position under Section 51 of the EOA 1984 as a measure to achieve equality and increase workforce representation of Aboriginal people.

The position is covered by the Public Sector CSA Agreement 2024 and is located in the CBD, Perth Western Australia.

This Position

This newly created Chief Operating Officer role presents a unique opportunity to influence the future direction of the WA Ombudsman's Office at a pivotal point in its evolution. As the Office's senior corporate leader, you will navigate a dynamic mix of strategic, operational and cultural priorities within a small, agile and high-impact organisation where the results of your leadership will be visible across the organisation and the community.

You will lead organisation-wide initiatives to strengthen people, systems and capability, ensuring the Office continues to deliver efficient, effective and sustainable services while preparing for a significantly expanded regulatory mandate.

Working closely with the Ombudsman and Deputy Ombudsman, you will help position the Office to meet growing community expectations, respond to emerging challenges and secure the resources needed to deliver lasting public value.

The role offers an exceptional opportunity to shape organisational performance through strong stewardship of people, finances, information, data and technology. Operating with an organisational development mindset, you will work across the executive team to align people, processes and systems with strategic priorities, while driving accountability, continuous improvement and high performance.

This is more than a corporate services leadership role. It is an opportunity to help shape the future of an independent integrity agency and leave a lasting legacy for the Western Australian community.

All key responsibilities and selection criteria are outlined in the attached Job Description Form.

Would you like to know more?

About the position: Andrea Hancock, Senior Consultant - Government, Beilby Downing Teal on email ahancock@beilbydt.com.au

Submitting your application: Linda Keys, Executive Support Officer on (08) 9220 7467

How to Apply

To prepare a strong application, prospective applicants are encouraged to review the Job Application Package and Job Description Form. Together, these documents provide important information about the role, including its key duties and selection criteria.  There is no need to provide a separate statement addressing the selection criteria.

Click on the ‘Apply for Job’ button at the top or bottom of this advertisement to lodge your application. You are required to attach the following:

A covering letter (no more than a 2 pages) outlining your skills, experience and suitability for the position; and

A comprehensive curriculum vitae that details your duties and achievements from current and previous roles and shows that you have the skills, knowledge and experience to do the job. This should include names and contact details of two referees.

If you experience any difficulties submitting your application online, or downloading the attached documents, please contact Linda Keys, Executive Support Officer on (08) 9220 7467.

Security Clearance

A current, satisfactory National Police Certificate will be required prior to commencing employment.

Other Information

To achieve a broad field of applicants, we may conduct an executive search and may use this process to continue to recruit applicants after the closing date for executive search applicants.

This recruitment process may be used to fill similar temporary or permanent positions over the next 12 months.

Closing Date: Applications must be received by Tuesday 06 October 2026, 5:00pm (WST).

Late applications will not be accepted.