Regional Development Australia Central and Western Queensland Inc. View all jobs
$190,000 – $210,000 + Super per year Pkg
Due to the impending retirement of our existing Director of Regional Development (DRD), we are looking for someone to fill this coveted full‑time role based in Rockhampton and with responsibility for all of Central and Western QLD.
Candidates are required to submit their applications electronically to Mr John Anderson, Chair of RDA Central and Western Queensland on chair@rdacwq.com.au
Applications should include a current CV and a cover letter and statement addressing each of the six selection criteria below. Please keep each selection criteria response to a maximum of 250 words.
Applications must be received before 5:00 p.m. (QLD time) on Friday 12/12/25 to be considered.
Women, First Nations Australians, people from diverse cultural backgrounds, and people with disability are encouraged to apply.
Director of Regional Development (DRD) Position description
The role of the DRD is to:
* 1. Connect stakeholders and facilitate opportunities
o Facilitate investment in people, places, services, and industries and local economies
o Support regional stakeholders, including local government and the not-for-profit sector, to seek grant opportunities that advance strategic regional priorities
o Support decarbonisation efforts and the transformation to a net zero economy and enable regional linkages between sectors to achieve these aims
o Build the evidence for economic development, including innovation and diversification strategies
o Facilitate meaningful engagement across the three levels of government, and with diverse communities (especially First Nations people) to ensure investments deliver better outcomes for the region(s)
o Collaborate with integrity, transparency, respect and accountability
o Support gender equality opportunities.
o Contribute relevant data and local intelligence to support the evidence base to inform regional development strategies, program design and policy responses.
* 3. Committee governance
o Managing the day-to-day affairs of the RDA Committee and its personnel in a manner consistent with the Guide, the Committee’s Annual Business Plan and Budget, the Funding Agreement, and its constitution (for incorporated committees)
o Developing the RDA Committee’s Annual Business Plan and Budget, Annual Report on Outcomes, Annual Audited Accounts, Communications Strategy, and associated management delivery strategies.
* 4. Management
o Providing management advice and support to the RDA Committee consistent with the Funding Agreement and the RDA Committee Program’s Better Practice Guide, including:
+ Keeping the RDA Committee informed of the status and progress of its business
+ Undertaking the accountable and transparent management of RDA Committee funds under the oversight of the Chair
+ Ensuring that all RDA Committee reporting and compliance requirements are met
+ Ensuring that the RDA Committee operates in accordance with the applicable state or territory incorporation legislation
+ Ensuring that the RDA Committee meets its obligations under the Funding Agreement;
+ Implementing office policies and procedures
+ Leading and developing RDA Committee personnel (where agreed by the Committee) and being involved in the recruitment of staff
o Implementing decisions and activities as determined by the RDA Committee Chair or Committee.
DRD accountabilities and responsibilities
In the role of DRD you will be accountable to the RDA Committee for the successful achievement of the organisation’s strategic objectives. You will also be accountable:
* For delivering outcomes that meet regional needs
* To the funding providers – for ensuring that agreed objectives are achieved and resources invested are expended as efficiently and effectively as possible
* To RDA Committee staff – for providing a safe and healthy workplace.
* Supporting the RDA Committee to meet the requirements of the RDA charter
* For delivering the outcomes and meeting the reporting requirements and performance measures specified in the RDA Funding Agreement and any other agreements the RDA Committee has with funding partners
* For the good operational and financial governance of the overall organisation.
DRD Selection criteria
(Please address each separately)
Strategic thinking – the applicant will have worked at very senior levels in business and have had considerable experience in strategic vision setting and in achieving outcomes for large or complex business enterprises in complex business environments. They will be able to clearly outline a strategic vision for the RDA Committee which aligns with the Charter and clearly articulate how this will be achieved.
Analytic ability – the applicant will have worked in a complex environment dealing with high level problems involving multiple competing factors and a high degree of ambiguity. They will be able to demonstrate a clear understanding of the importance of using a range of information sources from a range of varied stakeholders in decision making and be able to demonstrate a strong track record of integrating this with their own experience and knowledge in their problem solving.
Working with government and diverse communities – the applicant has considerable experience in working with more than one level of government and possibly all three, and may have also worked in government. They will also have a track record of having worked with diverse communities (especially First Nations people). They will be able to demonstrate a sound understanding of government policy and be able to clearly translate this into economic development opportunities for their region. They will have a demonstrable track record of achieving very positive outcomes from working with government and diverse communities.
Communications and stakeholder engagement – the applicant has been successful in managing a broad range of stakeholders in a complex environment to achieve very successful outcomes. They will have a high degree of experience in managing complex relationships including how to manage conflict between stakeholders. They will be able to clearly articulate how their communication style was instrumental in achieving successful outcomes and how they would adapt this to the RDA environment. They will also have a demonstrable track record of collaborating with integrity, transparency, respect and accountability.
Professional business skills – the applicant will be able to demonstrate a very strong track record in delivering successful business outcomes in senior leadership roles across their career. They will be able to clearly articulate the economic development issues facing the state/region and will have insightful strategies for facilitating investment in people, places, services, and industries and local economies. They should also have significant organisational governance experience and be able to very clearly articulate how to effectively implement better practice governance frameworks.
Leading people and change – the applicant has had significant experience in successfully leading one or more teams or organisations through complex and substantial change. They will be able to articulate a clear understanding of how to lead through change. They will be able to clearly demonstrate what they have done to bring about successful and sustainable outcomes in an organisation or team.
Application questions
Your application will include the following questions:
* Which of the following statements best describes your right to work in Australia?
* How many years' experience do you have as a Regional Development Director?
* How many years of business development experience do you have?
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