Job Title

Guiding the future of NSW educationAbout the roleThe Lead, Measurement and Research Services is a senior quantitative leadership role within NESAs Assessment Division, responsible for supporting NSW-wide assessment programs, including the Higher School Certificate (HSC), the HSC Minimum Standards Tests, and NAPLAN.The role involves computational modelling to translate policy and assessment frameworks into precise mathematical and statistical formulations, supported by intensive analytical coding in R. It requires strong quantitative judgement to design, implement, and evaluate models that underpin high-stakes decisions, often under tight time constraints.You will work across a wide range of analytical problems, including complex modelling, large-scale data analysis, model evaluation, and analytical quality assurance to ensure outputs are robust, defensible, and fit for purpose. In addition to hands-on technical work, the role provides leadership and guidance to a team of statisticians and data scientists, promoting high standards of analytical practice, reproducibility, and documentation.A key component of the role is advising and communicating with senior internal stakeholders, governance bodies, and expert committees. You will present and explain complex quantitative findings to non-technical audiences, support policy deliberations, and contribute to decision-making processes where analytical rigour and clarity are critical.This role offers an opportunity to apply deep quantitative problem-solving skills to work with real-world impact, influencing outcomes for students across NSW.Why join NESAJust some of the benefits of working with NESA include:An organisation where your work has a meaningful impact on HSC and NAPLAN outcomes, supporting equity and excellence in education.A prime CBD location (all modes of transport nearby, and excellent coffee and eateries) with refurbished offices.Flexible working arrangements and generous leave entitlements with standard working hours 35 hours per week.Accrue flex time for hours worked over the standard hours and enjoy true work-life balance.A range of leave to support you with your needs out of work including generous paid parental leave, carers leave and more.Access to discounted health and fitness memberships via Fitness Passport, an employee assistance program and annual flu vaccinations.Salary packaging options.Working in a purpose driven and ethical organisation with committed colleagues.Position detailsClerk Grade 11/12Full-Time, OngoingClose to Wynyard station & hybrid work arrangements availableAbout usAt the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA), we are dedicated to carrying out meaningful work that drives improvements and elevates student achievement across NSW, now and into the future.We accomplish this by supporting all school sectors with high-quality syllabuses, assessment (including managing the HSC and NAPLAN), teaching standards (e.g., accrediting teachers) and school environments (including setting and monitoring school standards).NESA is a unique organisation in NSW (of around 740 FTE staff) with significant state-wide impact, visit our website to learn more about the important work we do.On a day-to-day basis you will be responsible for:Leading the unit in delivering core functions, particularly during the HSC written examination period.Solving complex and time-critical quantitative problems, including diagnosing and validating analytical logic in complex systems with limited documentation.Designing and implementing robust and automated analytical workflows that generate high-stakes quantitative outputs for ministerial, executive, and statutory reporting.Proactively identifying and responding to emerging issues to ensure effective resolution and minimise delivery and analytical risks.Leading and contributing to projects that support strategic and operational objectives.Providing expert quantitative advice to senior stakeholders, governance committees, and policy forums, including clear communication of complex technical issues to non-technical audiences.Leading, mentoring, and providing technical oversight to statisticians and data scientists, including code and modelling review and capability development.Exercising professional judgement in determining appropriate analytical approaches, modelling assumptions, and trade-offs in time-critical contexts to ensure outputs are accurate, defensible, and fit for purpose.To be successful you will need:PhD in Mathematics, Data Science, Statistics, Engineering, Physics, Computer Science or other quantitative science or equivalent professional experience demonstrating comparable depth in large-scale, high-stakes quantitative modelling and analysis.Strong analytical thinking, problemsolving ability and attention to detail.Experience in data wrangling, scientific computing, modelling and visualising using R (primary) and Python.Familiarity with version control systems (Git) and reproducible coding standards and ensuring consistent adoption of these practices across direct reports.High-level written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate clearly and engage internal and external stakeholders.Demonstrated experience preparing high-quality technical documentation using LaTeX, RMarkdown, or Quarto.Willingness to work outside standard working hours during the HSC period (paid), with the ability to remain focused and work efficiently under high pressure.Demonstrated ability to lead teams in delivering fit-for-purpose, high-quality outcomes within business timeframes, making informed trade-offs where required.Demonstrated commitment to cultivating a team culture that embraces ongoing learning in emerging technologies and modelling techniques.It is desirable to have:Experience in psychometric modelling, including knowledge of Item Response Theory.Proficiency in TAM, dplyr and SQL.Familiarity with Generative AI and AI-assisted or agentic coding tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Codex, Cursor), with the judgement to support their safe and appropriate use within the team.Experience in leading and coaching data scientists and statisticians in a fast-paced environment, applying advanced statistical and, where appropriate, machine learning techniques to complex datasets.Experience using cloud-based platforms (e.g. AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud) and Linux environments to support scientific computing or large-scale analytical workloads.We invite you to download the role description for additional information on the position.Note:A current NSW Working with Children Check (WWCC) clearance for paid employment is required before commencing in this role. It is not required at the application stage. The cost of the WWCC clearance is the responsibility of the successful applicant.Interviews will be conducted in person at our Head Office at 117 Clarence St, Sydney 2000.Ready to join us?Select apply and attach an up-to-date rsum (maximum 5 pages) and a cover letter (maximum 1 pages). Applicants with recent qualifications are encouraged to attach an academic transcript (ideally as a certified PDF from My eQuals). Applicants with a research background are also welcome to include a list of publications.You must also address the 2 targeted questions below in your online application (maximum of approximately 500 words per response)Targeted Question 1: Provide an example of a situation in which you presented highly technical research or information to a non-technical audience, particularly where you sought to influence their understanding or decision-making. How did you help the audience grasp the key ideas, and to what extent were you able to influence outcomes as a result of your presentation?Targeted Question 2: Describe a project you led or were involved in that required the complex use of programming languages, large language models, and analytical or machine learning methods. How did you apply these tools, what challenges did you encounter, and how did you overcome them? What lessons did you learn that would be valuable for future projects?Advice on applying for NSW Public Sector rolesIf you need reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process and workplace, please reach out to Close date: 14 April AESTThank you for your interest, we look forward to receiving your application.Important informationNESAs Statement of Commitment to Child SafetyAll children and young people have the right to be respected, feel safe, be safe, and protected from harm. NESA is committed to child safety and child safe practices underpinning our purpose of helping children and young people leave school, ready to take advantage of lifes opportunities and rise to its inevitable challenges. We particularly welcome applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability, people of all ages, genders, cultural and linguistic backgrounds and the LGBTQIA+ community.Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. For ongoing roles, you must be an Australian or New Zealand citizen or an Australian Permanent Resident. Australian Temporary Residents may be considered for a fixed term contract for the length of their visa, depending on the requirements of the hiring area and the position.A Talent Pool (valid for 18 months) may be created for future ongoing and temporary roles.