Chief Executive Officer and Principal Registrar

The Federal Court of Australia (FCA) is a contemporary national Court that is accessible, diverse and trusted. It is a superior court of record and a court of law and equity. The FCA sits in all capital cities and elsewhere in Australia from time to time. It also has responsibility for corporate administration of the National Native Title Tribunal. A separate statutory entity also known as the Federal Court of Australia (Entity)

supports the operations of, and provides corporate services to, the FCA, the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 1), the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 2) and the Tribunal. The services provided by the Entity support registries operated in all capital cities and elsewhere. The Entity provides accommodation and staffing requirements for the Courts and the Tribunal as well as finance, information technology, human resources, communications, information management and library services.

It is responsible for associated budgetary and risk management.

Ideally based in Sydney or Melbourne, The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Principal Registrar assists the Chief Justice of the FCA to manage the administrative affairs and business of the FCA and is a trusted advisor to the Chief Justice. The CEO is also the Agency Head and accountable authority of the Entity. The CEO is responsible for the appropriations for the Courts and the Tribunal, the Commonwealth Courts Registry Services and corporate services.

The CEO is also responsible for the provision of corporate services to the Courts and the Tribunal. It also oversees resourcing for the shared Commonwealth Courts Registry Services. It is key to ensuring the proper resourcing of the administration of justice in the Courts and Tribunal.

The appointee will have a demonstrated record of leading organisational transformation, including technology-enabled change, and making independent and sound decisions while balancing competing stakeholder priorities and constrained resources, supported by strong communication skills across complex organisational settings. The appointee will have the ability to motivate and engage a diverse workforce, building on a culture of engagement, respect, excellence and accountability. Essential to success in this role will be fostering deep and productive internal and external relationships.

The appointee will also constructively and effectively represent the Entity and the FCA at Senate Estimates and in media engagements, including press conferences, with informed and strategic judgement.

You are a senior executive with significant operational leadership experience, gained within the public sector or a comparably complex environment. You possess demonstrated exceptional capability as a leader across governance, risk and financial stewardship. You are calm and deliberate under pressure and have insight into the risks associated with service delivery.

Ideally possessing legal qualifications, you are commercially and administratively astute, and balance competing priorities with sound judgement. You have the ability to navigate complex stakeholder environments and the capacity to lead diverse teams with clarity and purpose. You listen to understand, and have the passion and vision to bring people along as part of a collaborative approach.

The Chief Executive Officer and Principal Registrar of the Federal Court, together with officers and staff identified under the Federal Court of Australia Act 1976, the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia Act 2021 and the Native Title Act 1993, constitute a single Statutory Agency for the purposes of the Public Service Act 1999. Employees are engaged to work in support of the following courts or tribunal:

• Federal Court of Australia,
• Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, and
• National Native Title Tribunal.

Employees are covered by the Federal Court of Australia Enterprise Agreement 2024-2027. The Federal Court and the Federal Circuit and Family Court each maintain a distinct statutory identity, with separate functions and judicial independence.