Deputy Head of Strategy & Portfolio Management

Full job description
Purpose of the Position
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is seeking a Deputy Head of Department to lead its Strategy, Continuous Improvement, and Portfolio Management functions.
This is a unique opportunity to establish and shape the Bank’s strategic planning and continuous improvement capabilities from the ground up.
The role will inspire, guide, and enable a team to:
Coordinate strategic planning activities that support the Bank’s vision.
Establish and embed an enterprise-wide continuous improvement capability.
Oversee governance of the enterprise project portfolio and ensure effective delivery.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Planning: Develop and implement an enterprise-wide strategic planning framework and associated processes to define and deliver on the organisation’s strategic priorities. Coordinate the development of these plans across the Bank and design and embed ongoing enterprise workload prioritisation processes.
Portfolio Management: Oversee the management of the enterprise project portfolio, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities, effective governance and risk management, efficient resource allocation, and the delivery of targeted benefits.
Continuous Improvement: Establish and deploy a continuous improvement framework and supporting processes across the Bank to drive operational excellence and innovation.
People Leadership: Lead and manage the team, fostering a high-performance culture and supporting the development of all employees to achieve organisational and team goals.
Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborate closely with the Bank’s senior leadership, executive team, and board members to define priorities, navigate policies and operational accountabilities, and support the delivery of the Bank’s charter objectives and strategic goals.
Objectives
Design, develop, and roll out a Bank-wide strategic planning framework. Coordinate the delivery of strategic planning activities across the Bank, including engagement with key executive stakeholders to secure sponsorship and foster cross-department collaboration, advice, and support to achieve enterprise outcomes.
Design and embed ongoing enterprise-wide workload prioritisation processes.
Balance strategic priorities, risk management and funding constraints to ensure a portfolio mix which contributes to compliance, efficiency, risk mitigation and capability development / innovation
Establish a continuous improvement framework to support ongoing enhancements to business-as-usual activities.
Lead effective portfolio governance by overseeing and enforcing project controls, providing strategic advice, constructive challenge, and actionable insights to ensure successful portfolio delivery and benefits realisation.
Oversee the management of the Bank’s project delivery frameworks, methods, and tools to enable and support effective portfolio execution.
Motivate, foster, and inspire a culture aligned with the Bank’s values, creating an environment that supports high levels of staff engagement and performance.
Provide leadership, guidance, and development for employees and teams to effectively achieve both team and enterprise outcomes.
Promote proactive and effective communication, encourage multi-level feedback, and foster a culture of openness and trust.
Anticipate and manage issues and risks effectively, ensuring processes align with the Bank’s risk appetite.
Enable and recognise workforce performance in ways that encourage high achievement and continuous improvement.
Manage the day-to-day operations of the team, including strategic direction, people management, financial oversight, and risk management.
Challenges
Navigating Complexity: Understand the Bank’s accountabilities, policies, processes, and operational arrangements.
Establishing a New Function: Lead the creation of a new function with enterprise-wide responsibilities.
Team Transition: Manage the integration of team members from other departments.
Example Tasks
Establish an annual strategic planning operating framework for the Bank.
Coordinate the development of the Bank-wide Corporate Plan (strategic priorities component) on an annual basis, including integration into departmental planning and annual budgets.
Provide advice, guidance, tools, and templates to support the development of departmental strategic plans.
Oversee project portfolio planning and management to ensure alignment with organisational needs.
Establish and operationalise an enterprise-wide continuous improvement capability.
Encourage and support regular formal and informal performance and development conversations, helping staff create plans that address current and future needs.
Facilitate regular team communication sessions where informal feedback is both sought and provided.
Anticipate, manage, and oversee the function’s risk management responsibilities in line with the Bank’s risk appetite.
Manage and oversee operations, including budget, people, and process management, with a focus on continuous improvement.
Develop and maintain effective relationships with senior stakeholders across the organisation.
Recognise and celebrate team and individual successes.
Minimum Requirements
Demonstrated experience in strategy development and planning.
Demonstrated experience in project portfolio governance.
Proven experience in continuous improvement initiatives.
Strong people leadership and influencing skills.
Highly articulate with excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Preferred Industry Background
Management consulting.
Public service.
Financial services.
Skills and Competencies
Proven track record in coordinating the development of enterprise-level strategy across policy, operational, and support areas, including external trend analysis, opportunity and risk identification, business case development, and implementation planning.
Demonstrated experience in enterprise project portfolio management and delivery of large-scale, complex, technology-enabled projects using various methodologies.
Strong understanding of project management, change management, business analysis, and testing methodologies, frameworks, and tools.
Experience in designing and implementing enterprise-wide continuous improvement capabilities.
Proven ability to lead diverse, integrated teams and foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Strong analytical capabilities to assess financial performance, identify trends, and provide insights to support decision-making.
Demonstrated capability in budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis to inform resource allocation, cost management, and financial planning.
Effective communication and negotiation skills, with the ability to influence at all levels.
Experience in analysing complex risks and issues and managing them in alignment with organisational risk and innovation appetites.
Experience in managing and continuously improving operations, including budget, people, and process management.
Skilled in developing policies, systems, and processes, and providing strategic advice and recommendations for change.
Experience in managing external stakeholder and vendor relationships, including contract management and program delivery.
Understanding of the central bank’s purpose and how all functional areas contribute to the enterprise’s strategic goals.
Qualifications
Degree qualification in a discipline relevant to business management.
Relevant certifications (e.g., PRINCE2, Lean Six Sigma, etc.).
The Reserve Bank of Australia is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace and encourage applications from experienced candidates seeking workplace flexibility.
Application Close :
July 11, 2025

Australia
New South Wales
Sydney Show on map Get directions