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Head of Strategic Partnerships

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Join and outstanding team at WorkCover Queensland.

Overview:

WorkCover Queensland

About WorkCover Queensland

At WorkCover Queensland our vision is to be the best worker’s compensation insurer, to make a positive difference to people’s lives and to keep Queenslanders working. Our flexible work environment allows you to be your best every day and contribute to the big picture.

WorkCover Queensland has been providing workers’ compensation insurance in Queensland for more than twenty years. Supporting Queensland workers and businesses is at the heart of everything we do. From customer service and managing claims, to accessing rehabilitation, preventing injuries, and making sure employers have the right cover to protect their team. The most important thing for us is keeping Queenslanders working and we understand everyone’s needs are different.

Our vision

To be the best workers’ compensation insurer and make a positive difference to people’s lives.

Our purpose

We partner with and support our customers to keep Queenslanders working, through:

Trusted partnerships underpin our focus on return-to-work outcomes.
Tailored quality experiences for workers and employers.
Creating value for business through innovative and sustainable outcomes.
Influencing and investing in injury prevention.

Our culture

Our organisation is made up of individuals who collaborate and seek to engage others, working together as One Team. We embrace diversity and value people who bring personal energy and authenticity to everything they do. If you’re someone with a strong values-oriented compass and you want to achieve sustainable outcomes, you will find a great community at WorkCover.

About the role:

Head of Strategic Partnerships

About the position

The Head of Strategic Partnerships proactively engages and influences at the highest level with WorkCover Queensland’s key partners — including other schemes and insurers, the broader personal injury industry, employer associations, unions, and stakeholders in injury prevention and management. Working collaboratively with internal partners, the role fosters trusted, enduring relationships that deliver mutually beneficial outcomes for all parties.

Under the Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003, all Queensland employers must hold insurance to protect both workers and employers in the event of a work-related injury. WorkCover Queensland operates as a self-funded organisation to administer this fund on behalf of the State, in line with the requirements of the Act. Operating within a complex regulatory environment, the Head of Strategic Partnerships applies deep subject matter expertise to design and implement a partnership framework across multiple systems, ensuring the sustainability of the fund and supporting WorkCover’s long-term strategic objectives.

Your responsibilities

As the Head of Strategic Partnerships, your key responsibilities include:

Lead the development and implementation of WorkCover’s account management strategy and framework, including ongoing change management, embedding, and education.
Shape WorkCover’s strategic focus on early return to work and injury prevention, in consultation with the Office of Industrial Relations and Workplace Health and Safety Queensland.
Advise on strategic issues, emerging trends, and risks that may impact WorkCover and its partners, proactively identifying and addressing potential challenges before they escalate.
Lead, manage, coach, and mentor Senior Account Managers to enhance their performance, build technical capability, and optimise their contribution in collaborating across teams.
Build and maintain strong, trusted partnerships with key stakeholders to support long-term organisational objectives.
Engage with and influence key government, corporate, and industry stakeholders to strengthen relationships, education, and compliance outcomes.
Gain a deep understanding of partner needs and issues to inform WorkCover’s corporate strategy.
Identify and promote partnerships with relevant stakeholders, ensuring mutually beneficial relationships and coordinated internal collaboration.
Account manage key government and corporate customer relationships within the Partnerships function, tailoring solutions to meet customer and business expectations.
Oversee the development and potential implementation of partnership initiatives, including WorkCover’s injury risk reduction programs.
Undertake complex and high-level negotiations to achieve business and customer outcomes while maintaining strong, ongoing relationships.
Foster interconnected networks among partners, encouraging collaboration and shared value creation.
Represent and promote the interests of WorkCover in key stakeholder interactions and industry forums.
Collaborate with internal business areas to provide strategic partnership advice that supports organisational goals.
Build organisation-wide capability in developing and maintaining partnership activities.
Maintain strong internal and external relationships to build consensus with industry, community, government, and other stakeholders, ensuring strategies are well-researched and aligned with WorkCover’s objectives.
Ensure appropriate financial, records management, risk management, and audit controls are in place and adhered to.
Create a culture of safety where team members actively engage with workplace health and safety responsibilities.
Comply with all workplace health and safety and injury management standards, policies, and procedures.

Skills & Knowledge

Practical Experience & Capability

Minimum 10 years’ experience and exposure in liaising, engaging partnering with, and influencing across government, unions and industry associations
Strong understanding of WorkCover Queensland and its stakeholder landscape, including unions, customers, service providers, industry associations, government, and similar interstate entities
Proven ability to lead, develop, coach, and mentor high-performing teams, fostering growth, capability, and engagement while achieving organisational and strategic objectives.
Exceptional written, verbal and presentation skills with advanced capability in negotiation, influencing and active listening
Excellent relationship management and stakeholder engagement skills, with extensive experience in building and sustaining relationships at senior and executive management levels
Proven ability to engage and influence diverse stakeholders across organisational teams and at the most senior executive levels
Demonstrated capability to gain mutual understanding, respect, and commitment from a broad range of partners
Proven ability and track record of initiating and delivering strategic projects and initiatives that achieve timely, high-value and measurable outcomes
Experience in insurance and workers’ compensation preferable but not mandatory
Comprehensive knowledge of legislation and policy relevant to WorkCover Queensland and its stakeholders.
Proven experience influencing complex stakeholder ecosystems, including government, unions, corporate partners, and industry bodies.
Ability to cultivate high-trust, mutually beneficial partnerships that enhance organisational impact.
Track record of delivering measurable, high-impact results from partnerships and strategic initiatives.

- Postgraduate or tertiary qualifications in business, marketing, communications, or a related discipline, demonstrating a strong foundation for strategic leadership and stakeholder engagement.
- Proven ability to plan proactively and think strategically, organising work priorities to meet deadlines while optimising outcomes and impact.
- Demonstrated capability to evaluate options, make informed decisions, and implement solutions with a clear understanding of potential implications across the organisation and stakeholders.
- Ability to develop and articulate a long-term strategic vision for partnerships that aligns with organisational objectives.
- Experience leading organisational change initiatives that involve multiple stakeholders, ensuring successful adoption and
- Exceptional ability to influence and engage partners through clear, persuasive, and tailored communication.
- Highly developed interpersonal skills to build rapport, foster trust, and maintain strong relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders.
- Excellent presentation and facilitation skills, capable of conveying complex information effectively to senior executives, boards, and external audiences.
- Proven capacity to professionally represent and advocate WorkCover’s interests in high-level forums and stakeholder interactions.
- Strong negotiation skills with a demonstrated track record of achieving mutually beneficial outcomes with third parties.
- Skilled at exploring alternate perspectives and ideas to build consensus and secure support from all stakeholders.
- Comprehensive understanding of commercial, industrial, and political factors that influence WorkCover’s operations and stakeholder environment
- Strong knowledge of statutory and common law claims management functions, premium processes, and regulatory frameworks relevant to the organisation
- Understanding of governance frameworks, financial accountability, risk management, and compliance as they relate to strategic partnerships.
- Capacity to identify new opportunities, anticipate industry trends, and drive innovative approaches to partnership development.
- An authentic, human-centred leader who inspires trust, collaboration, and high performance
- Systems-oriented leadership approach, recognising the interdependencies within the organisation and across stakeholder networks
- Proven ability to lead, coach, mentor, and provide guidance to direct reports, fostering development while achieving both individual and organisational objectives
- Ability to shape stakeholder agendas and outcomes through strategic thinking and persuasive influence.
- Proven ability to lead projects and initiatives that translate strategy into tangible, sustainable outcomes.

Position Description

To learn of the requirements and attributes of our ideal candidate for this position, we invite you to please download the full position description below.

Download the PD

There are six additional leadership capabilities for WorkCover leaders.

Provides clarity, focus and inspiration regarding key strategic priorities and change initiatives; proactively manages change resistance; uses courage to drive WorkCover Qld towards its strategy.
Critically solves problems and sets mid and long-term strategies for the business, creates opportunities and mitigates risks by acting now to address future challenges and opportunities.
Proactively collaborates across the business through inclusive leadership, fostering teamwork as opposed to working separately or competitively, and breaking down silos.
Actively sets WorkCover Queensland up for a sustainable future through creating efficiencies, improving processes and innovating, as well as fostering the long-term growth, development and resilience of self and others.
Demonstrates judgement, agility and decisiveness in order to solve complex problems and drive performance through results and behaviours that are aligned with WorkCover values.
Accepts and delegates authority whilst enabling others to act with purpose; is intrinsically motivated to hold self, others and teams to account for achieving results. Owns individual decisions.

How to Apply

Requirements

To be considered, please provide the following information in your online application, for the assessment of your suitability:

A short (no more than two pages) statement focusing on how you align with the core accountabilities outlined in the role statement below.
Your current CV highlighting your relevant experience, qualifications, and achievements.

If you need assistance with your application please reach out to us.

Download Position Description