Department of Primary Industries and Regions
Job reference: 862238
Location: 5024 - WEST BEACH
Job status: Ongoing
Eligibility: Open to Everyone

About Us

At the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA), our work makes a real difference to South Australia. Our state is internationally recognised for the quality of its agriculture, food and wine, and our regions are the economic powerhouse that drives prosperity for all South Australians. As a key economic development agency, PIRSA works in partnership with industry, regional communities and all levels of government to grow, protect and sustain these industries, including our valuable fisheries and aquaculture sectors. We are a passionate team of around 800 people across metropolitan and regional South Australia, united by a shared purpose to help our primary industries and regions thrive.

PIRSA's Fisheries and Aquaculture Division works in partnership with industry, research organisations and regional communities to support thriving and sustainable fisheries and aquaculture sectors, with a strong focus on regulatory excellence, reform and the efficient and sustainable use of resources.

At the centre of the Division's operations, the Regulatory and Business Services Unit delivers the State's fisheries and aquaculture licensing, leasing and information management systems, and leads the Division's business planning, financial and risk management, cost recovery and corporate performance reporting.

About the Role

Are you a strategic and forward-thinking leader with a track record of driving reform and business improvement? As General Manager, Regulatory and Business Services, you will provide strategic leadership of the Regulatory and Business Services Unit. Reporting directly to the Executive Director, Fisheries and Aquaculture, and as a member of the Division's leadership team, you will play a pivotal role in shaping how the Division's services are delivered to government, industry and the community, now and into the future.

You will lead with a clear vision, keeping an eye on the horizon to anticipate emerging business, technological and regulatory needs. You will champion innovation, reform and business transformation, including digital transformation initiatives, and challenge existing ways of working to improve how the Division does business.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and direction across the Regulatory and Business Services Unit, ensuring alignment with divisional and agency priorities.
• Lead organisational reform, digital transformation and service improvement initiatives that change how we work and deliver better outcomes for industry and stakeholders.
• Lead the annual state-wide cost recovery process, including benchmarking activities that will inform future cost recovery approaches across the fisheries and aquaculture sectors.
• Engage with commercial fishers, industry bodies and stakeholders, managing competing interests and leading complex and challenging conversations.
• Provide expert advice, briefings and Ministerial responses to the Executive Director, Chief Executive and Minister’s Office on highly sensitive and complex matters.
• Lead, motivate and develop the workforce, including the Licensing and Leasing team, strengthening capability and performance through change.
• Lead a collaborative and integrated approach across PIRSA, government and industry, bringing groups together to achieve shared outcomes.
• Oversee the Division's budget, risk management, Service Level Agreements and performance reporting, ensuring strong governance and accountability.

About You

You are an accomplished senior manager with the vision, resilience, political acumen and leadership capability to navigate and embrace change in a complex regulatory environment and coupled with:

• Extensive experience leading strategic reform, digital transformation and business transformation programs.
• Proven experience leading, managing and developing high-performing teams, including through periods of change.
• High-level written, negotiation and stakeholder engagement skills, with the confidence to navigate difficult conversations.
• The ability to operate in a highly public and politically sensitive environment and make decisions where limited precedent exists.
• Extensive knowledge of regulatory and business service delivery, including cost recovery, strategic planning, and financial and risk management.
• An understanding of, or the ability to quickly develop sound knowledge of, the fisheries and aquaculture regulatory environment.

Why Join Us?

This is a rare opportunity to shape how a critical regulatory function operates and to lead meaningful reform with State-wide impact. As General Manager, you will have the mandate to look beyond business as usual, rethink how services are delivered and position the Division for the future, while directly influencing strategy, policy and decision-making at Executive and Ministerial level

Located at the seaside of West Beach, this opportunity offers free on-site parking, flexible working arrangements, and excellent professional development.

If you are ready to make a real difference and leave a lasting legacy, we'd love to hear from you.

Remuneration

SM1 - $144,421 per annum, plus superannuation and options for salary sacrifice.

For further details about the role, including its responsibilities, special conditions, requirements and desirable qualifications, please refer to the Role Description.

Confidential Enquiries

Gavin Begg
Executive Director, Fisheries and Aquaculture
Phone: +61884290960
Email: [email protected] 
Website: www.pir.sa.gov.au

Application Instructions

All applications must be submitted online.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please see the attached applicant instructions, and outline your skills and experience in relation to the Professional and Technical Knowledge, Strategic Focus and Organisational Knowledge / Political Nous capabilities of the attached role description.

Applicants must include the contact information of at least 2 referees with 1 being your immediate supervisor/manager and a completed “Pre-Employment Declaration in the SA Public Sector” form.

Applications close: 15/11/2026 11:45 PM

Attachments:
- Application Guidelines#2.pdf
- Pre-Employment-Declaration_240522.pdf
- Role Description - SM1 General Manager - Regulatory and Business Services.pdf

Flexibility Statement
The South Australian public sector promotes diversity and flexible ways of working including part-time. Applicants are encouraged to discuss the flexible working arrangements for this role.