General Manager, Project Communications

High Speed Rail Authority | SES Band 1 | Newcastle or Sydney. Build community confidence in Australia's first high speed rail network. Senior leadership role leading project communications and community engagement for a nationally significant project. Lead corridor and community engagement from early planning through to property acquisition and delivery. Reporting to the Executive General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Communications & Engagement.

About the High Speed Rail Authority

The Australian Government is planning a future high speed rail network to connect Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and regional communities across the east coast of Australia.

The High Speed Rail Authority (the Authority) is an independent corporate Commonwealth entity governed by an independent board, established to lead the development and delivery of high speed rail.

The Newcastle to Sydney High Speed Rail project will connect the two cities in around one hour on a dedicated high speed railway. From the Central Coast it will take around 30 minutes to get to Newcastle or to Sydney. With the project now in the Development Phase, the Authority is building the leadership team to develop and deliver this generational program.

High speed rail will contribute to key Australian Government priorities, including increased economic productivity, new housing options, and regional economic and tourism development zero.

About the role

The primary purpose of this role is to lead the project communications and engagement activities that promote organisational alignment and build public confidence during the Development Phase. The role drives strategic messaging and inclusive stakeholder engagement to enable successful project delivery.

It carries the Authority's relationship with the communities along the Newcastle to Sydney corridor, including residents and landowners affected by property acquisition, and sets the frameworks that will guide engagement through to delivery.

What you'll lead

• Develop and implement project communication strategies that inform strategic decision making, align with organisational priorities and manage the release of project information across multiple channels.
• Design and execute community engagement programs that deliver timely, transparent information and enable informed community input throughout all stages of project planning and delivery.
• Manage a high volume of engagement activity with residents and landowners impacted by property acquisition, maintaining a consistent and transparent experience.
• Lead the development and oversight of engagement frameworks, systems and tools that track engagement and align with industry best practice.
• Drive co-design and corridor engagement with communities, meeting key milestones from initial planning through to acquisition and delivery.
• Identify and mitigate community engagement risks, offering strategic advice to senior leadership on high impact situations.
• Lead, motivate and develop a multidisciplinary project communications team, and coordinate engagement effort with internal project teams to maintain alignment with program goals and timelines.
• Establish and maintain trusted relationships with a wide network of internal and external stakeholders, including the HSRA Executive and the Minister's Office.
  
  

About you

We are seeking a senior communications and engagement executive with deep experience in major infrastructure delivery and the communities it affects. Specifically, you bring:

• Proven experience leading community and stakeholder engagement on major linear infrastructure or transport delivery programs, with direct exposure to property acquisition a strong differentiator.
• The ability to design inclusive and transparent engagement programs that build trust and support informed community input.
• Confidence managing sensitive interactions with impacted communities, and the judgement to identify and mitigate engagement risk before it escalates.
• Working knowledge of planning approvals and regulatory frameworks, and the obligations these place on engagement practice.
• Experience engaging with local councils, state governments, First Nations communities, community organisations and local businesses.
• The ability to translate complex technical information into accessible content for diverse audiences.
• A track record of leading multidisciplinary teams with a focus on performance, accountability and collaboration.
  
  

Eligibility

Employment with the Authority is subject to the conditions prescribed within the Public Service Act 1999. To be eligible, you must:

• Be an Australian citizen & hold a degree or equivalent working experience.
• Hold or be able to obtain a Baseline security clearance & satisfy a National Police check (mandatory pre-employment screening).

RecruitAbility

The High Speed Rail Authority (HSRA) is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce and supporting the employment of people with disability.

As a participating agency in the APS RecruitAbility Scheme, HSRA will progress applicants with disability to a further stage of the recruitment process where they choose to opt into RecruitAbility and demonstrate that they meet the minimum requirements of the role.

If you would like to participate in RecruitAbility, please indicate this when submitting your application.

HSRA is committed to providing reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process to ensure all candidates have an equitable opportunity to participate. Adjustments may include modifications to the recruitment process, accessible formats, specialist equipment, or other practical supports. If you require any adjustments, please include this information in your application or contact the nominated contact officer to discuss your needs.

For further information about the RecruitAbility Scheme, please visit the APS RecruitAbility Scheme Guide for Applicants.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

Before preparing your application for the High Speed Rail Authority (HSRA), please read APSC’s Principles for candidate use of AI in recruitment.

These principles are designed to support the responsible use of AI throughout the recruitment process, while ensuring fairness, transparency and the integrity of merit-based selection. They provide clear guidance on how AI may be used to assist with your application, as well as outlining the types of AI use that are not appropriate in APS recruitment processes.

Candidates are expected to comply with these principles and maintain the authenticity and integrity of their application at all stages of the recruitment process.

Next Steps

Applications close on Tuesday 6^th Oct 11.59pm AEST.

To apply, please submit your CV together with a suitability statement via this advertisement.

A full position description is available to download on www.robertwalters.com.au/hsra.html or via request to the details below.