The National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) is Australia’s independent expert regulator for health and safety, structural integrity, well integrity and environmental management for all offshore energy operations and greenhouse gas storage activities in Commonwealth waters, and in coastal waters where regulatory powers and functions have been conferred.
NOPSEMA also administers the functions of the Offshore Infrastructure Regulator (OIR), for the offshore renewables industry. This includes the regulation of work health and safety, infrastructure integrity, and environmental management for offshore renewable energy infrastructure activities.
Working with NOPSEMA provides an opportunity to make a real difference to people working in Australia’s offshore oil and gas and energy industry.
Role:
NOPSEMA is seeking an experienced Executive Director to provide strategic leadership of regulatory activities across producing assets from within the Regulatory Operations Division. The role is responsible for leading a risk-based regulatory approach, identifying and responding to emerging industry risks, driving continuous improvement in regulatory practices and influencing regulatory outcomes across industry. The successful candidate will bring extensive leadership experience in a regulatory organisation and/or major hazard industry, supported by a strong understanding of operational risk management across the asset lifecycle.
Key responsibilities:
You will be responsible for leading and guiding ongoing regulatory operations across production facilities and managing oversight of specialist technical advice on production operations, process safety and marine operations to the agency, industry and other stakeholders.
As an experienced strategic senior leader, driving a risk-based approach in regulating production operation activities, you will provide oversight of the use of regulatory powers to result in fair, consistent and defendable regulatory outcomes and lead promotion, advice and influence on activities to titleholders and industry across all production topics including external representation and presentations. You will be responsible for identifying and responding to emerging and systemic industry risks and ensuring NOPSEMA regulatory activities remain focused on areas of greatest risk and regulatory value.
Working collaboratively with other Executive Directors, you will promote consistency in regulatory practice, decision making, capability development and the application of regulatory powers across exploration, development, production and decommissioning activities.
You will provide leadership of NOPSEMA’s safety regulatory discipline and work closely with the Deputy CEO – Regulatory Operations and other Executive Directors to support workforce capability, succession planning, organisational improvement and development of regulatory capability.
About you:
To be successful in this role, you will bring extensive executive leadership experience in an objective-based regulatory organisation and/or regulated major hazard industry.
You must be able to demonstrate extensive experience in executive leadership, not limited to:
- major hazard risk management.
- regulatory decision making.
- offshore petroleum technical safety.
- operations associated with offshore petroleum facilities including FPSO’s, MODUs, floating and fixed platforms, pipelines and subsea infrastructure.
- process safety and integrity of offshore energy facilities.
Why work for NOPSEMA?
As a highly skilled, agile, and competent regulator, our people are our number one asset. NOPSEMA offers competitive remuneration packages, five weeks annual leave, 18 personal leave days per annum, 18 weeks paid parental leave, 15.4% superannuation contribution and flexible working arrangements.
Guided by our values of professionalism, ethics, independence, leadership and collegiality the decisions we make and the actions we take affect individuals, businesses, communities and the environment. Our people can make a difference. Grow your career in the offshore energy sector. Be a part of Australia’s future and apply today.
NOPSEMA is committed to a fair, flexible, safe and rewarding workplace which allows for diversity amongst all its employees. Applicants who are First Nations people, come from a diverse cultural or linguistic background or have a disability are encouraged to apply.
RecruitAbility applies to this vacancy. Under the RecruitAbility scheme you will be invited to participate in further assessment activity for the vacancy if you choose to apply under the scheme, declare you have a disability and meet the minimum requirements for the position. For more information see https://www.apsc.gov.au/recruitability
If you are an experienced senior leader with significant leadership experience and proven track record in a regulatory environment and/or major hazard industry, apply now and take the next step in your career with this exciting opportunity.
Further information:
For more information and to apply for this exciting opportunity visit:
Please note that the closing date for this position is 6 October 2026.
Applications must be submitted by the closing date. Any applications received beyond the closing date will not be considered.
Please note this recruitment process will be valid for a period of 18 months and may be used to fill ongoing and non-ongoing positions within the Australian Public Service at this level or similar that arise over the 18-month period.
To apply for this job please visit nopsema.bigredsky.com.