Principal Business Resilience and Continuity Lead

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Principal Business Resilience and Continuity Lead to join a highly respected organisation based in the heart of Adelaide CBD. This pivotal role is designed for someone who thrives on making a meaningful impact by shaping, implementing, and continuously enhancing a comprehensive business resilience framework across diverse campuses and operational environments. You will be at the forefront of ensuring organisational preparedness, safeguarding critical business activities, and fostering a culture of collaboration and support. The organisation offers flexible working opportunities, generous professional development programmes, and the chance to work with knowledgeable teams committed to excellence. If you are passionate about building robust systems that protect people, processes, and reputation while enjoying a supportive leadership environment, this is your chance to make a real difference.

What you'll do:

As Principal Business Resilience and Continuity Lead, you will play an instrumental role in embedding a culture of preparedness throughout the organisation. Your day-to-day responsibilities will see you collaborating with senior executives as well as operational teams to develop robust frameworks that safeguard essential services. You will champion the standardisation of policies while providing hands-on support through training sessions and scenario-based exercises. By proactively identifying vulnerabilities and facilitating cross-functional cooperation, you will help ensure that every campus is equipped to respond effectively to any disruption. Your expertise will be called upon not only during incidents but also in shaping long-term strategies that keep the organisation future-ready. Success in this position means being a trusted advisor who brings together people from diverse backgrounds to create resilient solutions that protect both individuals and operations.

• Lead the design, development, implementation, and ongoing enhancement of the organisation’s enterprise-wide business resilience framework to ensure it remains fit for purpose.
• Establish collaborative relationships with internal stakeholders at all levels to provide expert consultancy on strategic direction for resilience and continuity initiatives.
• Monitor, evaluate, and refine resilience frameworks against industry best practices to drive continuous improvement and implement necessary changes.
• Standardise policies, procedures, systems, tools, and templates related to resilience management to ensure consistency and quality across all campuses.
• Partner strategically with business units to anticipate potential threats or disruptions, plan effective responses, and mitigate risks impacting critical operations.
• Provide expert guidance, capability development sessions, and coaching for staff at all levels to strengthen business continuity management skills and incident response capabilities.
• Oversee annual reviews of resilience plans, business continuity plans, procedures, and workarounds to maintain regulatory compliance and alignment with minimum standards.
• Design, plan, and execute regular disaster recovery exercises across campuses while offering tailored advice on preparedness activities.
• Prepare detailed reports on incident management performance; analyse trends to identify areas for improvement and inform decision-making processes.
• Offer critical support during significant business disruptions by guiding management teams through effective resilience strategies.

What you bring:

To excel as Principal Business Resilience and Continuity Lead you will bring extensive experience managing complex projects focused on organisational preparedness. Your background should include hands-on involvement in developing frameworks that address both immediate risks and long-term challenges. You will have demonstrated your ability to communicate complex ideas simply—building trust among colleagues from diverse disciplines. Your approach is grounded in empathy; you understand how change impacts people at every level of an organisation. A deep appreciation for cultural diversity enables you to foster inclusive solutions that respect all communities served by the organisation. With your analytical mindset you can interpret data trends into actionable insights while maintaining regulatory compliance. Experience gained from education or emergency service settings would further enhance your ability to navigate unique sector-specific challenges.

• Extensive experience leading the strategic design, consultation, implementation, and evaluation of business resilience programmes across multi-site organisations.
• Highly developed interpersonal skills with proven ability to engage collaboratively with stakeholders at all levels—advising on complex issues clearly and concisely.
• Demonstrated analytical abilities with a strong track record in problem-solving; able to drive continuous improvement initiatives while exercising sound judgement.
• Proven capacity to work both independently under broad policy guidelines as well as collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams—managing competing priorities effectively.
• Significant experience developing, reviewing, and improving systems related to business continuity planning—including risk identification across supply chains.
• In-depth knowledge of contemporary principles in business resilience including major incident management practices; familiarity with CPS 232/230 or equivalent compliance requirements.
• Experience (5+ years) in operational resilience or risk-related fields within large organisations or public sector environments.
• Comprehensive understanding of Aboriginal Culture and Community (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples - Diversity Council Australia).
• Appropriate tertiary qualification in Business Continuity Management or related field (desirable).
• Experience working within education sectors or emergency services at local/state level (desirable).

What sets this company apart:

This organisation stands out for its unwavering commitment to creating safe learning environments where everyone can thrive. Employees benefit from flexible working opportunities designed around individual needs—whether balancing family commitments or pursuing further study. The workplace culture is built on mutual respect; knowledge sharing is encouraged through structured training programmes led by experienced mentors. Staff are supported by approachable leaders who value open communication as well as personal wellbeing. The organisation’s dedication extends beyond compliance: it actively seeks input from under-represented groups ensuring that every voice is heard when shaping policies or responding to incidents. Opportunities for professional growth abound thanks to generous investment in ongoing development—making this an ideal setting for those who want their contributions recognised while making a positive impact on society.

What's next:

If you are ready to take your career forward by helping shape resilient futures for communities across South Australia then this is your moment!

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples are encouraged to apply.
To apply, please click "Apply" or contact Matheus Leão on 61 8 8216 3532 or mat.leao@robertwalters.com.au for a confidential discussion.