Head of Governance

The role

The Head of Governance plays a critical role in overseeing APRA’s governance arrangements and providing strategic advice to senior leadership. This position requires a combination of strategic thinking, strong communication skills and a deep understanding of governance practices. Reporting to the General Manager of Strategy and Governance, the role works closely with senior internal and external stakeholders.

The team

The Governance team sits within the Strategy and Governance Branch of the Chief of Staff and Enterprise Services Division (ChES). ChES plays a vital role in the effective functioning of the organisation and comprises a range of critical functions, including strategy and governance, corporate affairs, regulatory affairs, finance, project delivery, facilities, and people and culture. These functions are essential to the smooth operation of the organisation and enable APRA to focus on achieving its strategic objectives and fulfill its purpose.

Key responsibilities

• Leading the development and implementation of APRA’s governance arrangements to support strategic objectives;
• Providing support to committee members, including shaping agendas and providing strategic advice;
• Fostering strong relationships with stakeholders, including internal and external committee members;
• Ensuring APRA’s committee members have the resources, information and opportunities to make robust decisions;
• Ensuring compliance with key regulatory obligations, including those required under the PGPA Act;
• Ensuring governance arrangements foster engagement and debate in decision making;
• Promoting high standards of communication, ensuring information is accurate and actions are resolved in a timely manner;
• Overseeing databases to ensure that information is accurate and accessible; and
• Driving change within the organisation, to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of APRA’s governance arrangements.

About you

• The ability to lead and inspire teams to achieve high performance, through coaching, mentoring and training;
• Proven leadership skills, with the ability to influence and drive change at an organisational level;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, suitable for a broad range of stakeholders at all levels of seniority, both internally and externally;
• Strong attention to detail to support the smooth operation of APRA’s governance committees;
• Deep analytical and problem-solving skills to navigate complex governance issues, including the ability to understand the broader organisational environment when balancing important and urgent tasks;
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to collaborate across a range of roles and seniority;
• Demonstrated ability to handle highly confidential information with sensitivity and maturity; and
• Experience with board management software, corporate governance principles and secretariat processes as well as professional membership of the Governance Institute of Australia (or equivalent experience) would be highly regarded. 

To work with us, you must be an Australian citizen with eligibility to gain a Baseline Security clearance through the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency.

About APRA

Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) was established in 1998 as an independent statutory authority that supervises almost 1,200 financial institutions that manage $8.6 trillion in assets for Australians across the banking, insurance and superannuation sectors. 

In overseeing the safety, competitiveness and stability of the financial system, we seek to recruit, develop and retain highly skilled professionals, who want to help shape financial services and protect the financial wellbeing of the Australian community. Our employee base of almost 900 come predominantly from the commercial financial services industry or other government agencies; as such, we have the feel of a small corporate organisation that can work flexibly and with agility.

Why Work for APRA

We recognise the skills, experience and commitment that our staff bring to their professional lives, and we seek to reward them accordingly. We also recognise that for our staff to be able to perform at their best, we need to ensure that they are able to bring their best selves to work. Our commitment to wellbeing is having engaged people supported by resilient leaders within a values-aligned culture.

At APRA, we’re committed to providing an inclusive workplace where everyone belongs, feels valued and respected. We aspire to attract and foster diversity of background, thought, and experience, recognising that a broad range of perspectives, approaches and ideas makes us stronger, and better enables us to meet our obligation to protect the financial wellbeing of the Australian community. If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, please inform at application stage so we can do our best to accommodate your requirements.