🌟 Queensland’s Department of the Premier and Cabinet — Your Fast-Track Guide to a Career at the Centre of Government 🌟
AT-A-GLANCE
Name of Department / Council: Queensland Department of the Premier and Cabinet (DPC)
Location: 1 William Street, Brisbane QLD 4000 (state-wide reach)
CEO: Mike Kaiser, Director-General (appointed December 2023)
Total Revenue: $149.52 million in 2023-24
Total Number of Employees: 486 (headcount) / 462 FTE
DID YOU KNOW? 🤔
Queensland is the first jurisdiction in Australia to publish Cabinet-in-confidence material online within 30 business days under its Proactive Release Scheme, driven by DPC’s governance priority for open government.
THE QUALIFICATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS, TRADES, PROFESSIONS, WORK EXPERIENCES & SKILLS MOST SUITED TO DPC
🎓 Top 5 academic qualifications
Public Policy / Government – builds the analytical foundation for Cabinet briefs and strategy work.
Economics – underpins fiscal, cost-of-living and energy transition advice.
Law – vital for legislative drafting and constitutional matters.
Communications / Media – supports state-wide engagement and crisis communications.
Information Technology – strengthens cyber-resilience and digital-first initiatives.
📜 Top 5 certifications
PRINCE2® / AgilePM® – keeps whole-of-government projects on time and on budget.
CPA Australia / CAANZ – ensures robust financial oversight of $149 m programs.
Certified Practising Policy Officer (IPAA) – evidences best-practice policy craft.
GAICD – aligns with DPC’s high governance standards for senior roles.
Cyber Security Certifications (e.g., CISM) – protects critical information assets.
🔧 Top 5 trades / professions
Parliamentary Counsel – drafts Bills that shape Queensland.
Project Managers – translate Cabinet priorities into deliverables.
Event Specialists – deliver State Occasions & global forums.
Data Analysts – turn complex datasets into insights for decision-makers.
HR Business Partners – grow the 486-strong workforce and graduate pipelines.
💡 Top 5 skills
Stakeholder Engagement – navigate Ministers, agencies and communities.
Strategic Thinking – link local impacts to state and national objectives.
Clear Writing – condense 300-page reports into one-page Cabinet notes.
Digital Literacy – champion the Queensland Protective Security Framework.
Change Management – steer machinery-of-government transitions.
🛠 Top 5 work experiences
Policy development in any APS or state agency – directly transferable.
Private-sector consulting on infrastructure or energy – valued for delivery focus.
Military leadership – aligns with DPC’s crisis-response culture.
Academic research projects – demonstrate evidence-based analysis.
Community advocacy – proves real-world impact and stakeholder skills.
THE KEY FACTS
Name of Department: Queensland Department of the Premier and Cabinet
Name of CEO: Mike Kaiser
Location: State-wide, headquartered in Brisbane CBD
Year Founded: 1859 (earliest records of a Premier’s Department)
Main Mission & Purpose: “An informed and influential department that delivers for Queenslanders”—providing expert advice to the Premier, Cabinet and Parliament. An example in action: leading the Putting Queensland Kids First Plan, a $502 million early-intervention package.
Main Duties: Cabinet support, policy coordination, intergovernmental relations, legislative drafting, events & protocol. A tangible impact: coordinating the state’s response to 13 extreme weather events across 66 councils in 2023-24.
Key Projects / Strategic Priorities / Future Plans:
Clean-energy transition through the Queensland Energy & Jobs Plan.
Proactive Release Scheme for open government.
Whole-of-government Policy Futures Graduate Program expansion (75 new roles for 2025).
THE EMPLOYEES & REVENUE
Total Employees: 486 headcount / 462 FTE
Employees by Pay Level (headcount):
Senior Executive Service & Chief Executives: 29
Senior Officers (AO9/SO): 38
Remaining staff span AO2-AO8, PO, TO & equivalent streams.
Salary Bands (approx.):
AO2: $64 k → SES3: $294 k + super (Queensland Public Service 2024 schedule).
Average salary: ~$127 k (2023-24 wages & salaries $61.7 m ÷ 486 staff).
Total Revenue: $149.52 m
Average Revenue per Employee: ≈ $308 k
GETTING A JOB AT DPC 🚀
📚 Which Academic Subjects are Hot?
Certificate / Diploma Level: Government Administration, Event Management, IT-Support—great for entry AO3 roles keeping Cabinet systems running.
Bachelor / Master Level: Public Policy, Law, Economics, Communications, Social Science—core for policy officer through AO8.
PhDs: Behavioural Economics, Climate Risk, Data Science—inform evidence-rich briefs and long-range strategy.
🛠 In-Demand Trades & Professions
Policy analysts, project-delivery engineers, cyber-security specialists, multimedia producers, and procurement officers—all translate seamlessly into DPC’s frontline and corporate streams.
💼 Valued Work Experiences
Leading multi-agency projects
Drafting legislation or regulations
Crisis-management or disaster-response
Consultancy on major infrastructure
Delivering large public events (e.g., Commonwealth games, G20)
🧠 Must-Have Skills
Soft skills: Influencing, critical thinking, concise writing, cultural awareness.
Technical skills: Data visualisation (Power BI), project governance (Prince2), financial modelling, cyber-security fundamentals.
General skills: Adaptability, time-boxing, stakeholder mapping, proactive problem-solving.
🎯 Hobbies & Interests That Align
Policy podcasts, volunteering at community events, hackathons on civic tech, debating clubs, crisis-simulation games—each reflects the department’s culture of curiosity, service and resilience.
Want more information on this organisation?
Contact DPC Recruitment:
Address: 1 William Street, Brisbane QLD 4000
Phone: (07) 3003 9061 (corporate enquiries)
Email: corporategovernance-dpc@premiers.qld.gov.au (published enquiries)
Careers Site: Smart Jobs Queensland – DPC vacancies
General Site: www.premiers.qld.gov.au
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