National Portrait Gallery
APS5 Executive Assistant
Reporting to the Executive Officer, the Executive Assistant provides high-level administrative and coordination support to the Director of the NPG.
About Us
The National Portrait Gallery (NPG) aspires to reflect the face of Australia. It is the place where the national story unfolds with clarity, without complacency or self-satisfaction. We use portraiture to tell Australian stories and to increase understanding and appreciation of Australian people – their identity, history, culture, creativity and diversity. We are open 364 days a year, offering visitors the opportunity to view the collection and special exhibitions, and participate in a variety of cutting-edge public and educational programs. The Gallery also offers venue hire for private and corporate events and houses a popular cafe and bookstore.
We recognise the great contribution from our staff in realising our mission and values; and encourage applications from Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, the LGBTQIA+ communities, people with disability and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
We’re committed to ensuring a child’s safe and child friendly environment, and to sustaining a safe workplace and inclusive culture. Our staff actively contribute to the wellbeing and safety of our visitors and each other.
The Position
Reporting to the Executive Officer, the Executive Assistant provides high-level administrative and coordination support to the Director of the National Portrait Gallery. This role contributes to the broader functioning of the Executive by supporting communications, processes and engagement across the senior leadership team.
The Executive Assistant role is dynamic, people-facing and central to the daily rhythm of the Director’s Office. It requires a calm, confident presence and a strong sense of discretion, reliability, and responsiveness.
The Executive Assistant is often the first point of contact for the Director’s Office and must exercise sound judgement, initiative, tact and discretion. The role demands a high degree of professionalism and the ability to manage competing priorities calmly and effectively.
This position requires a significant on-site presence aligned to the Director’s schedule. Occasional after-hours work will be required.
Specific Tasks
- Coordinate the daily operations of the Director’s Office, including provision of high-level administrative support with diary management, meeting coordination, inbox management, hospitality, event support, financial acquittals, and document preparation.
- Provide secretariat services, including scheduling of meetings, drafting agenda, coordination of papers and updates to action registers, attendance at meetings and minuting meetings and outcomes.
- Work closely with the Executive Officer to ensure seamless workflows, communication channels and administrative processes. This includes the delivery of consistent high-quality support across the Executive, with a focus on collaboration and shared outcomes, while actively supporting team cohesion and clear communication.
- Prepare and collate materials for the Director’s engagements, including briefs, presentations and speaking notes.
- Undertake filing and records management functions, ensuring records are accurate, complete and are managed in accordance with Agency policy.
- Contribute to the planning, coordination and delivery of Executive meetings and All Staff Briefings, including the preparation of agendas and follow-up of actions.
- Liaise on behalf of the Director with internal and external stakeholders, including government officials, artists, donors, Board members and senior Public Servants.
- Coordinate domestic and international travel arrangements for the Director.
Selection Criteria
- Demonstrated experience in providing highly developed broad-ranging administrative and coordination support to a senior executive, including diary and travel management, briefing coordination and meeting preparation.
- Proven ability to balance and prioritise competing demands, anticipate needs and ensure smooth daily operations in a dynamic work environment.
- Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to build and maintain positive working relationships across a broad range of internal and external stakeholders.
- Sound judgement and the ability to work with limited guidance, particularly when dealing with confidential and sensitive information, including the ability to triage and escalate issues appropriately.
- Confident and adaptable communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to prepare clear, well-structured documentation tailored to audience needs and engage effectively with stakeholders with professionalism and tact.
- Demonstrated initiative, flexibility and a collaborative approach to supporting a small, high performing team.
- Demonstrated experience in providing secretariat support for senior-level meetings, including scheduling, agenda preparation, minute-taking and action tracking.
Industry Specific:
- Familiarity with Office 365, MS Teams and Tessitura or similar CRM software will be well-regarded.
- Demonstrated experience in a cultural institution will be highly regarded.
Applicant Information
In no more than two A4 pages, please tell us how your skills, knowledge, experience and qualifications make you the best person for this job.
Email your application, a current CV and the application coversheet to hrservices@npg.gov.au by the deadline listed below.
For more information, please get in touch with Yasmin Martin on (02) 6102 7072 or yasmin.martin@npg.gov.au.
