Commissioner Rural Fire Service NSW

Commissioner, NSW Rural Fire Service

• Headquarters based in Sydney Olympic Park
• Full-Time Ongoing role
• Total Remuneration payable starting from $433,833

Your role

Reporting to the Minister for Emergency Services, you will be the head of the lead combat agency for bush fire in NSW and the world’s largest volunteer fire service providing fire and emergency services to NSW. You will be responsible for leading and directing the strategic and executive management and direction for NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS).  

As the RFS Commissioner, you will drive and direct the vision, development, and delivery of integrated and complex strategies for the agency, whilst managing RFS service delivery, community, and political environments with diverse stakeholder expectations.

This is a highly varied role, where you will be working as part of a diverse team to deliver on whole-of government emergency service strategies relating to the RFS, and bush fires, to deliver excellence in community preparedness and emergency response.

What you’ll do

You will be responsible for setting and leading the strategic direction and public administration of the RFS, ensuring the achievement of the agency’s mission, vision, and objectives.

You will also:

• Drive excellence across the RFS as a high performing organisation; managing resources, programs, processes, staff and volunteers to ensure a culture of continuous improvement and optimisation is maintained.
• Build the capability and performance of the RFS as a government agency, ensuring the achievement of government policy and direction.
• Deliver strategic plans that align with the RFS vision and support interagency and cross-sector coordination, to maximise effective management across emergency services.
• Direct governance, management and continuous improvement/reform for RFS operational service delivery and support functions, to maximise the agency’s effectiveness at helping the community to prepare for, respond to emergency events.
• Manage resources, programs, processes, staff, and volunteers to ensure the optimal use of resources, whilst fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
• Lead the Senior Leadership Team in providing direction and guidance on the key priorities of the RFS.
• Oversee NSW firefighting operations, driving multi-agency risk planning and prevention strategies and response arrangements.

What we’re looking for

• A Degree or Graduate Certificate in a relevant discipline.
• Firefighting and emergency management qualifications to enable fulfilment of legislative requirements of role.
• Command and control experience at major bush fires, emergencies and other disasters.
• Leadership, experience and demonstrated skills at a senior executive level within Government, industry or a large-scale field operations organisation.
• Executive management skills and experience including commercial, business and political acumen combined with knowledge and experience of governance, financial and human resource frameworks to support organisational success.
• Experience in the management of media including the ability to conduct and hold press briefings and media interviews.

Please click here to review the role description.

We focus on hiring people who share our commitment and goals of inclusion, collaboration, adaptability, courage and integrity.

What We Offer

We offer a variety of benefits, including:

• A challenging and rewarding career.
• Flexible, autonomous work environment
• Competitive pay and conditions
• Training and development opportunities to build and maintain capabilities.
• Health & Wellbeing and Employee Assistance Programs.

Want more information?  Visit our website to see more information on Working for us.

Do work that really matters

The Rural Fire Service (RFS), a dedicated community of volunteers providing fire and emergency services to approximately 95% of NSW. When you work with the RFS, you join a passionate team committed to protecting our neighbours, the wider community, and the environment from the threat of bushfires and other emergencies. With over 70,000 volunteer members and staff, we embody the spirit of mutual respect, support, friendship, and camaraderie. We are one team with many players, united by a single purpose.

Are you ready to join us?

Click apply, attach a cover letter (maximum 2 pages) outlining how you meet the requirements of the role as well as an up-to-date résumé (maximum 5 pages).

Applications close Sunday 13 April 2025 at 11:59pm (AEDT)

Got a question?

For more information about applying for the role and would benefit from an adjustment in the recruitment process to help you perform at your best, please contact the Marijana Puric on marijana.puric@dcj.nsw.gov.au

Inclusion and Diversity lies at the heart of how we recruit

We continue to hire great people with a wide variety of skills, experience and backgrounds. This includes people with disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, women, people identifying as LGBTIQ+, culturally and linguistically diverse people, carers, and other diversity groups.

Thank you for your interest in this role. We look forward to receiving your application.