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Department of Premier and Cabinet

Senior Executives

Great leaders build great organisations:
The role of the Senior Executive Service

Progressive, innovative and collaborative leadership is an essential factor in the success of the Tasmanian State Service. Officers in the Senior Executive Service (SES) are:

  • essential to public administration and to ensuring that government performs all its roles effectively and efficiently;
  • responsible for providing frank, impartial and timely advice to government as well as collaborative, innovative and high quality services to the Tasmanian community;
  • accountable for the achievement of agency and Government goals reflected in their statement of duties, instrument of appointment and performance management system;
  • required to develop and apply a broad range of knowledge, skills and abilities across the State Service; and
  • are required to display high level leadership and personal attributes that shape strategic thinking and achieve results on an Agency and whole-of-government basis.

This website is set out to provide information for applicants, Officers and agencies, under the categories of: recruitment, on boarding, performance management, performance development, compensation and benefits; and employment framework and conditions.

The employment process

Graphical representation of the employment cycle featuring key stages and relation to the executive capability framework


Senior Executive Leadership Capability Framework

The Tasmanian State Service Senior Executive Leadership Capability Framework provides a common language to support consistent whole-of-service capability development for Senior Executives and designed to ensure leadership capabilities and behaviours exist to meet the challenges for the future. The Framework is used as a key input for a number of State Service wide initiatives, including: rotation and mobility of Senior Executives; as the basis for performance management and development of executives; and aligning and developing our leaders' capabilities.

The five broad leadership capabilities of the Framework are:

  1. Shapes Strategic Thinking
  2. Achieves Results
  3. Cultivates productive working relationships
  4. Exemplifies personal drive and integrity
  5. Communicates with influence

Resources and templates for the Senior Executive Leadership Capability Framework

For more information on the leadership capability framework click here.


Recruitment

Senior Executive roles are offered as fixed-term contracts for up to five years, with similar conditions (such as leave provisions) to non-executive level appointments.

Recruitment is to a Statement of Duties, which includes the duties that are to be performed; the criteria for selection of a person to perform those duties; the level of responsibility associated with those duties; and any essential requirements for the performance of those duties consistent with Employment Direction No 1.

Information for Applicants

Information for Agencies


On boarding

Appointment is made by an Instrument of Appointment which sets out all the terms and conditions of employment.

Information for Agencies and Officers

Other key documents describing your appointment will be provided by the agency into which you are recruited. These include:

  • Provision of motor vehicles
  • Provision of mobile phone
  • Provision of computer laptop
  • Your leave entitlements
  • Support for your role through the Employee Assistance Program
  • Your health and safety (Ergonomic Assessment)

Performance management

Senior Executives, in common with all State Service employees, are required to participate in a Performance management and development process. Employment Direction No 17 outlines the recommended approach to performance management and development for Senior Executives.

Information for Officers

Information for Agencies


Performance development

Information for Officers

Professional development opportunities, such as the continuance of the Tasmanian Executive Leadership Development Program; SES Officer Masterclasses and Forums; and the establishment of formal mentoring and coaching networks are the main strategies to be pursued in 2018-19.

As enrolments for individual SES development initiatives are opened, information will be sent to Heads of Agencies, for dissemination to the SES cohort.


Compensation and benefits

Senior Executive roles are offered as fixed-term contracts for up to five years, with similar conditions (such as leave provisions) to non-executive level appointments. Senior Executives are employed on an attractive salary that includes superannuation with the approval of salary progression made in accordance with Employment Direction No 17.

Working as a Senior Executive in the Tasmanian State Service also means you will enjoy the benefits of work/life balance, provided through family-friendly and flexible work practices. Our work philosophy recognises that people have lives outside of work, and conditions and attitudes in our workplaces support this.


Employment framework and conditions

The Employment Framework in the Tasmanian State Service is governed by a range of Acts, Regulations and Awards. These include:

Employment Directions are issued by the Minister administering the State Service Act 2000 and relate to the administration of the State Service and employment matters relevant to the Act. These may be found at Employment and Ministerial Directions.

Treasurer’s Instructions provide information on financial responsibilities and management within the Tasmanian State Service.

SES Officers are also required to understand the role of the Tasmanian Ombudsman, the Integrity Commission, the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner, and the Tasmanian Industrial Commission.

All SES Officers are expected to utilise information management systems in a responsible manner in line with agency policy. Information policies relevant to SES Officers may also be found at Tasmanian Government communications. Advice on roles and responsibilities, as well as intellectual property, and corporate identity may be found here. There is also an Employment Direction that relates to internet and email use by State Service Officers and employees (No 12).

The ability to communicate effectively is also a personal capability expected from SES Officers in expressing their leadership, project and change management capabilities.


Key delegations

Officers may exercise delegations in accordance with a range of Acts, Regulations, Awards, administrative authorities and functional arrangements mandated by statutory office holders including the Secretary of the Department.

Financial delegations information, to be provided by recruiting agency:

  • Tasmanian Government Card
  • Travel allowances and reimbursement
  • Gifts, benefits and hospitality policy
  • Financial delegations
  • Procurement policy and processes

Communications information to be provided by recruiting agency:

  • Home computer
  • Information management
  • ICT security
  • ICT mobile computing
  • Electronic communication
  • Information management