Sector role description FAQs

Sector role descriptions are:

• quality assured
• designed for current and future needs
• developed with input from HR experts and agencies
• reviewed by job evaluation specialists
• endorsed by lead agencies and occupational groups.

Why they’re useful:

• save time creating role descriptions
• provide consistency across agencies
• support employee mobility
• make work expectations clearer
• help with workforce planning.

The library includes common NSW public sector roles, both non-executive and executive. It’s updated over time to include more roles.

They’re developed in occupational or functional suites. The process may include:

1. analysing functions and roles in NSW, other jurisdictions and private sector
2. forming working groups of HR and subject matter experts
3. drafting descriptions with expert input
4. reviewing and approving through steering or reference groups.

Roles are grouped in levels (tiers) to suit different organisations.

For example:

• business analyst
• senior business analyst
• principal business analyst.

Large agencies may use all three levels. Smaller agencies may only need one, sometimes combining content from several levels and re-evaluating.

Agencies must add some details, such as:

• department or agency overview
• any local information needed for the role.

Follow the Sector Role Description Guide to complete the document.

Yes, but keep the main content to preserve consistency across agencies and employee mobility benefits.

Check the content, not just the title – a description may be suitable with small changes.

If no suitable role description exists:

• consider if creating a unique role is necessary
• follow the role description development guidelines
• use the Role Description Builder tool.

You can use content from sector descriptions when creating your own.

Non-executive roles are linked to indicative grades under the Crown Employees (Administrative and Clerical Officers – Salaries) Award.

Executive roles follow the NSW Senior Executive Work Level Standards and band system.

Agencies with different structures should map the role to their classification system. They may need to re-evaluate if necessary.

No. Capabilities align with the role’s purpose, accountabilities, challenges and relationships. Do not change capability levels. However, you may choose different focus capabilities. These should match the role context and remain consistent with its complexity.

Only include them if the role usually manages people. They can be added or removed based on context. For example, a role without direct reports may still need these capabilities if leading project teams.

Changing these capabilities may require re-evaluation.

Add them when specialised skills are essential. Indicators include:

• a large part of the job involves occupation-specific work
• the job title is linked to a profession
• the role’s purpose and accountabilities require special skills.

Generally, roles have capabilities from only one occupational set.

Do not remove occupation-specific capabilities – they’re essential for performance.

To grade a senior executive role:

1. determine the band using the NSW Work Level Standards
2. prepare a description aligned with that band
3. follow the guidance in the Remuneration Framework.