• Pivotal Role | 3 Year Contract
• ‘Step Up’ and use your State, LG or Private Sector Experience and Knowledge 
• Salary $180-200K + Super + Car + House + Relocation Assistance + 5 weeks’ leave

Provide strong leadership and continue driving further transformation & growth opportunities across this diverse and beautiful region …

About the Region

The Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council (NPARC) is within the Northern Peninsula Area at the tip of Cape York.

Cape York is at the very northern tip of Australia. It is a narrow peninsula with the Coral Sea to the east, the Arafura Sea and the Gulf of Carpentaria to the west, and the Torres Strait to the north. Only 80 miles south of Australia’s nearest neighbouring country Papua New Guinea the land is traditionally owned by the Indigenous Australians of the area. It is a land of two seasons, the wet and the dry. The wet season is between December and April and the dry season between May and November. It is warm all year.

The Northern Peninsula Area is made up of five indigenous communities, settled by clans from across Cape York and the Torres Strait. There are three Aboriginal communities; Injinoo, Umagico and New Mapoon, and two Saibai Islander communities; Seisia and Bamaga. The NPA region is approximately 1,000 kilometres north-west of Cairns by road.

The area experiences a significant influx of visitors and tourists during the dry season, by road, air, and sea links. Seisa is the main seaport for the Northern Peninsula Area and Bamaga is the commercial and administrative centre for government services.

About the Organisation 

Council consists of five divisions, one for each of the former entities. Each division elects one Councillor and the Mayor is elected across the entire Council area.

Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council (NPARC) is directly involved in a significant part of the local economy through providing normal municipal services, operating local enterprises, and administering government economic development and assistance programs. Council will support you to lead a vision which is strongly focussed on community engagement and building a healthy, connected, inclusive and ultimately, prosperous community. Council operating budget is approximately $44M with a staff base of 200 and is led by the Mayor and five Councillors.

Good community development is also the responsibility of the Council. They are responsible for nurturing the establishment of a strong community that controls and uses its assets to provide cultural, and other community events, promote and support social justice, to improve the quality of the community life. NPARC works closely with the community, government funding agencies and, where appropriate, businesses, to secure and deploy the necessary resources for these purposes.  

NPARC VISION - Where do we want to be in 5 years?

Build a sustainable, culturally vibrant and connected community

OUR MISSION – How will we achieve our Vision?

By growing indigenous and local opportunities, enhancing, preserving and protecting our unique physical environment and unique Cultural Heritage,

prolonging and enriching the lives of our People, promoting unity and leading multi-generational change.

About the Position

Council is seeking to appoint a community focused leader to drive the organisation forward on a trajectory of enhanced operational performance to ultimately deliver superior outcomes and services to the community.

Reporting to and working closely with Council, you will truly embed yourself within the community. Developing an action orientated approach for Council that will contribute to the region's prosperity and managing the resources of Council effectively and efficiently ensuring sustainable performance will be underpinned by a high level of service delivery and evidence of a positive and engaged workforce.

Renowned for your strong leadership you will have a warm and engaging personality and the wisdom and empathy to deal with people from all walks of life and abilities up to the highest levels of Council.

Please click on the link for a full copy of the CANDIDATE BRIEFING DOCUMENT

Peak Services is working in conjunction with Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council, exclusively on this position. We offer local government expertise across a wide range of professional fields, providing tailored solutions for councils and other similar organisations. We work with our clients to deliver meaningful outcomes in recruitment and contracting services. 

About You

With a strong track record leading and managing in State or Local Government and/or the Private Sector you are a ‘self-starter’, an independent thinker and renowned for your strong passion for and connection to Indigenous and/or Torres Strait Island communities. Your leadership capability will be underpinned by a solid and rigorous track record of growing the capability of your staff and for your passion to add value and motivate those around you to ‘come on the journey’.

Understandably, you have highly developed organisational skills including a demonstrated ability to effectively plan, program, organise and schedule several diverse tasks and projects. Preparing budgets, monitoring budget expenditure, and providing activity reports to Council will be underpinned by a flexible disposition and an ability to deal with complexity and the nuances of stakeholder management in a council environment. With strong writing skills you will confidently express yourself, construct a fair and reasonable argument when required and grasp with passion the unique opportunity to build inclusive and engaging relationships across the region.

Renowned for your ability to be ‘hands on’ you will also be known for your energy, motivation, and passion for getting things done and for your genuine empathy and ability to ‘connect’ with people.

Why this Role?

Living and working in Bamaga offers a diversity of experiences both personally and professionally, that would be hard to equal anywhere else in Australia. You will enjoy living and working in a geographically beautiful location and enjoy the benefit of a handover from the Acting CEO.

Given the fresh energy and motivation Council are looking to bring into the role, they are open to someone ready to ‘step up’ providing a strong background in change management within either Local or State government is evident together with experience working with or in Indigenous and/or Torres Strait Island communities.

Working through the challenges of a relatively young Council you will enjoy living and working in one the most geographical beautiful areas of Australia and enjoy the benefit of a handover from the Acting CEO and be inspired by the chance to leave a legacy for NPARC and its community.

Relocation Assistance will be provided together with a salary of between $180-200K dependent upon experience, 12.5% Super, FMV, House and 5 weeks annual leave. 

How to Apply

Before you apply for this position, please read the position description carefully to assess your eligibility and suitability for the position.  You will be required to answer a few questions that relate to the criteria on the online application below.  You will also be asked to attach your current resume and a cover letter(optional) on the next page. Please note that you cannot submit your application without attaching your resume. When uploading your resume or documents please ensure file names should only include 'A-z', '0-9', '.' and '-' characters.

PLEASE NOTE: Once you have commenced your application you cannot save and continue at a later stage. It is recommended you answer the questions in a Word document to save then copy and paste your answers into the portal.

Applications will close on Wednesday 15th March at 10 pm.  Please ensure you leave adequate time to complete your application before the closing date and time. All applications will be reviewed over the following weeks and we will be in a position to return to all candidates in regards to the status of their application after the closing date.

For further information, please do not hesitate to contact Rona Horsfall at Peak Services on 0438 943854 for a confidential conversation.