#1001 Chief Governance Officer, SES Band 1, Defence Housing Australia
DHA was established in 1988 following passage of the Defence Housing Australia Act 1987 (DHA Act) to provide adequate and suitable housing for, and housing related services to, members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and their families. We remain committed to our purpose of providing housing, and housing related services, to ADF members and their families to support Defence’s operational needs.
DHA manages an expanding portfolio of housing solutions and provides housing for over 17,200 ADF members and their families and has an opportunity for an experienced Chief Governance Officer to join the team
About the role
The Chief Governance Officer (CGO) leads the Governance and Communication (G&C) Branch which sits within the People and Compliance (P&C) Group. The P&C Group brings together three critical teams; Governance & Communication, Legal Services, and Human Resources, who play unique roles and, together, enable DHA to function effectively and efficiently.
The CGO provides best-practice leadership and advice, influencing the development and implementation of strategies for governance outcomes. The CGO is a key engagement role across the whole of DHA’s activities, building and maintaining relationships with DHA’s Board and key stakeholders, including joint ministers and government agencies. The CGO also holds the positions of Chief Security Officer, Chief Audit Executive, and Principal Officer delegate under the Principal Officer delegate under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013.
The key duties of the position include:
About your team
The G&C team ensures information flows seamlessly throughout DHA, supporting good governance, transparent decision-making, integrity, and regulatory compliance. The CGO provides strategic leadership overseeing four discrete teams:
- Communication and Media
- Strategic Governance – including Risk & Internal Audit; Assurance, Compliance & Insurance; and Policy & Quality
- Governance Operations – including Privacy & Freedom of Information; Integrity & Security; and Work Health & Safety
- Secretariat, Parliamentary & Executive Coordination – including secretariat for the DHA Board and its Committees.
The role is responsible for:
- Collegiate leadership and stewardship of the Governance and Communication branch and contribution to the People and Compliance Group, overseeing the Group’s work program to deliver high quality outcomes for DHA.
- Engaging with Board and executive to lead the establishment and promotion of strategies which build organisation capability and responsiveness for governance, compliance, integrity and transparent decision making within DHA.
- In collaboration with stakeholders, lead the shaping of an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) approach in support of DHA’s statement of corporate intent to be a leader in ESG. This will include the establishment and maintenance of contemporary ESG frameworks.
- Proactive engagement to build and maintain productive relationships with key Commonwealth, State/Territory and non-government stakeholders.
- Representing DHA on high-level cross agency working groups, committees, and other forums.
- Collaborating and connecting with the Managing Director and Senior Executives to identify and pursue strategies that support achievement of DHA’s strategic objectives and position DHA to meet future Defence needs.
- Supporting simplified and streamlined governance that enables transparent and responsive decision making and flexible resource allocation.
- Contributing to and promoting DHA-wide initiatives beyond the Group’s work program, for example, through organisational committees and championship roles.