Kate Armstrong
Senior Policy and Program Officer
Sydney,NSW
Summary
Results driven professional with a proven track record of high productivity and efficient task completion. Skilled in strategic planning, program development, stakeholder engagement and managing projects and programs. Excel in communication, problem-solving, and adaptability, leveraging these soft skills to advance organizational goals and foster collaborative success.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Policy and Program Officer – Secondment
Department of Education
09.2019 - Current
- Providing a range of project management and support, including preparation of communications, reports and briefs, tender document writing, maintaining project documentation and implementing and monitoring project plans, ensuring project outcomes are achieved on time to quality standards and within agreed scope
- Souring, collating and compiling data and information to identify emerging issues, identify alternative solutions to manage program risks, and track and report on project progress against established milestones and deliverables
- Complex specification writing for essential contract management documents
- Preparing and maintaining project documentation for reporting, monitoring and evaluation purposes to ensure accessibility of quality information and contribute to the achievement of project outcomes
- Building and maintaining professional relationships with colleagues and partners, communicating with key partners and coordinate working groups, committees and consultations to support engagement on project and program deliverables
- Facilitate the exchange of key information and support achievement of projects and project objectives in line with project plans
- Developing and implementing strategies and procedures ensuring they are in line with the Departments policies
- Providing high level advice to senior staff and external partners on policy, programs and projects, ensuring a high level of communication and coordination of advice
- Undertaking research and analysis, identify trends and preparing project briefs to support informed decision making
Program Officer - Secondment
Department of Education
09.2019 - Current
- Developing a range of internal resources including governance plan, stakeholder management plan and project management framework
- Auditing and analyzing data trends, identifying discrepancies, providing evidence and research, developing complex reports and recommendations to resolve issues and eliminate risks to the department
- Developing project scopes and plans to provide advice on the project progress, milestones and delivery timelines
- Providing a range of project management and support, including developing and maintaining project documentation and implementing and monitoring project plans, ensuring project outcomes are achieved on time to quality standards and within agreed scope
- Developing and implementing strategies and procedures ensuring they are in line with the Department of Education policies and have efficient and effective delivery of outcomes
- Building and maintaining relationships with internal and external stakeholders through effective communication, negotiation and issues management
- Provide high quality and timely advice to senior staff on current projects, risks and emerging issues
Recognition and Awards Senior Advisor - Secondment
Department of Education
09.2019 - Current
- Developing communications content across a wide range of platforms and audiences to promote awards and recognition activities across the department
- This includes reports and briefs, communication plans, event invitations and targeted communications to executive, leadership and senior staff
- Provide high level advice to senior staff and external partners on policy, programs and projects, ensuring a high level of communication and coordination of advice
- Developing recognition framework and recognition program initiatives
- Building and maintaining relationships with internal and external stakeholders through effective communication, negotiation and issues management
- Coordination and event preparation of the end of year all staff Award Ceremony including project manage the development, coordination and successful delivery of employee recognition activities
- Coordination of nominations and applications for the awards and achievements across the department, including preparing application forms, providing feedback on applications and preparing correspondence for the approval and submission of nominations and applications
- Event management and coordination whilst also establishing and maintaining effective while navigating competing stakeholder priorities and viewpoints
- Managing and overseeing project budget ensuring project deliverables are met to high quality, on time and within allocated budget
Senior Policy and Program Officer - Secondment
Department of Education
09.2019 - Current
- Developing and implementing strategies and procedures ensuring they are in line with the Departments policies
- Provide high level advice to senior staff and external partners on policy, programs and projects, ensuring a high level of communication and coordination of advice
- Providing a range of project management and support, including preparation of communications, reports and briefs, maintaining project documentation and implementing and monitoring project plans, ensuring project outcomes are achieved on time to quality standards and within agreed scope
- Souring and compiling data and information to identify trends, emerging issues and identifying solutions to manage project risks
- Building and maintaining relationships with internal and external stakeholders
- Liaison Officer for the Department at State Emergency Operation Center during state wide emergencies (COVID and Floods)
Administration Support Officer - Substantive
Department of Education
09.2019 - Current
- Organising and Coordination or workshops and professional development training
- Assisting with recruitment process
- Role advertisement, scheduling interviews, coordinating work sample assessments and reference checks
- Developing and implementing strategies and procedures ensuring they are in line with the Departments policies
- Proving administration support to Department Liaison Officer during state emergencies
- Preparation of Situation Reports for State Emergency Operation Center
- Managing conflicting priorities and deadlines ensuring desired outcomes achieved
- Providing high level of customer service to internal and external stakeholders
- Arranging meetings, minute taking and assisting with action items
- Organising and Coordination of travel arrangements
- Providing executive point of contact support for multiple executive and senior staff, coordinating executive meetings, mailbox and calendar management
- Experience using SAP, SHEILD and TRIM
Operations Support Officer
Department of Education
09.2019 - Current
- Reviewing and investigating invoices for Employee Assistance Program
- Preparing payment authority for approval
- Arranging meetings, minute taking and assisting with action items
- Administration Support for COVID-19 Response
- Fitness Passport Facilitator and point of contact
- Weekly reporting and employee verification for external suppliers
- Managing multiple inboxes
Manager, Member Services
Genesis Fitness
07.2018 - 06.2019
- Leading and managing a team of 6 member services consultants
- Recruitment, training and onboarding new team members
- Building retention strategies, improving member engagement
- Developing and promoting benefits and member rewards
- Organising and coordinating member information evenings, community fundraisers and challenges and award nights
- Develop a positive club environment by building relationships with members & ensuring all staff are providing the best member experience
- First point of contact for all member complaints and dispute resolution
- Creating member experience surveys, analyzing results and implementing process improvements
- Managing the clubs social media channels
- Weekly management reporting
- Manage all overdue accounts and working with our Third-Party Provider – Debit Success
Office Manager - Secondment
HealthShare NSW
09.2015 - 06.2018
- During this secondment, I was responsible for ensuring a range of business support functions were delivered efficiently and effectively
- These responsibilities ranged from:
- Managing Health Rosters
- Managing service relationships with internal and external providers
- Documenting and improving existing processes
- Raising purchase orders for various services and supplies
- Creating and receipting requisitions in iprocurement
- Organising and managing security access card for all staff
- Arranging meetings, including booking rooms, minute taking and distribution of actions
- Providing support to the various Managers and Business Units in the Services Centre
- Booking pool cars with Fleet through SmartPool
- Ordering of stationery and consumables through Office Max
Accounts Receivable Officer - Secondment
HealthShare NSW
09.2015 - 06.2018
- This role was a short term secondment, taking on a new challenge and gaining new skills and experience
- Responsibilities included:
- Processing pensioner and health fund payments
- Processing data files received through PowerBilling & Revenue Collection
Administration Assistant – ICT Secondment
HealthShare NSW
09.2015 - 06.2018
- Manage and monitor ICT audit email inbox
- Undertake data cleansing and merging patient records within Siebel
- Co-ordinate with IPTAAS staff and Accounts payable branch to resolve payment issues
- Running IPTAAS supplier and Invoice interface requisitions
- Updating records within Siebel relating to Suppliers and Bulk Billers
- Member of Culture Champions team
Master File Maintenance Officer
HealthShare NSW
09.2015 - 06.2018
- Create and update vendors and customers in Oracle as well as maintain the Master File
- Answering phone calls in professional manner, assisting with enquiries, screening and directing phone calls to appropriate person
- Screening, identifying and preventing fraud
- Through investigation and clarification processes
- Reviewing, investigating and updating exceptions on the Caseware reporting
- Quality monitoring and auditing of peers work
- Member of the Health Share Expo committee for Westmead Service Centre
Operations Officer – Casual role
Australian Taxation Office (ATO)
05.2015 - 09.2015
- Data entry and verification of ATO documents
Maternity Leave
10.2014 - 05.2015
Reception / Admin Assistant
Geotech Pty Ltd
04.2014 - 10.2014
- Providing quality customer service to clients and suppliers
- Providing administration support to office managers
- Creating invoices, assisting with admin tasks and working to deadlines
- Answering phone calls in professional manner, assisting with enquiries, screening and directing phone calls to appropriate person and taking detailed messages
- Experienced in using Microsoft Office, including intermediate knowledge of Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Outlook
Reception / Admin Assistant
Finlease Pty Ltd
04.2013 - 03.2014
- Providing quality customer service to clients and internal finance brokers
- Providing administration support to office managers, brokers and the marketing manager
- Organising staff travel and accommodation arrangements
- Assisting with admin tasks and working to deadlines
- Data entry of new clients and finance applications into the finance broking system
- Answering phone calls in professional manner, assisting with enquiries, screening and directing phone calls to appropriate person and taking detailed messages
- Experienced in using Microsoft Office and MAC software, including intermediate knowledge of Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Outlook
Education
Capability Building Model - Project Management Fundamentals
MyPL
01.2024
LIFT - Brief Writing
MyPL
01.2022
Organisational Behaviour and Wellbeing -
Griffith University
01.2021
Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Practitioner -
Your Future Now Pty Ltd
01.2019
Goal Setting to Success -
Udemy
01.2019
Sales Training - Fitness Industry
Genesis Fitness
01.2018
Core Values and Culture -
Health Education and Training Institute
01.2018
People Management Skills -
Health Education and Training Institute
01.2017
Skills
- Project Management
- Critical thinking
- Problem-solving skills
- Deliver Results
- Interpersonal skills
- Policy writing
- Program Management
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Senior Policy and Program Officer – Secondment
Department of Education
09.2019 - Current
Program Officer - Secondment
Department of Education
09.2019 - Current
Recognition and Awards Senior Advisor - Secondment
Department of Education
09.2019 - Current
Senior Policy and Program Officer - Secondment
Department of Education
09.2019 - Current
Administration Support Officer - Substantive
Department of Education
09.2019 - Current
Operations Support Officer
Department of Education
09.2019 - Current
Manager, Member Services
Genesis Fitness
07.2018 - 06.2019
Office Manager - Secondment
HealthShare NSW
09.2015 - 06.2018
Accounts Receivable Officer - Secondment
HealthShare NSW
09.2015 - 06.2018
Administration Assistant – ICT Secondment
HealthShare NSW
09.2015 - 06.2018
Master File Maintenance Officer
HealthShare NSW
09.2015 - 06.2018
Operations Officer – Casual role
Australian Taxation Office (ATO)
05.2015 - 09.2015
Maternity Leave
10.2014 - 05.2015
Reception / Admin Assistant
Geotech Pty Ltd
04.2014 - 10.2014
Reception / Admin Assistant
Finlease Pty Ltd
04.2013 - 03.2014
Capability Building Model - Project Management Fundamentals
MyPL
LIFT - Brief Writing
MyPL
Organisational Behaviour and Wellbeing -
Griffith University
Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Practitioner -
Your Future Now Pty Ltd
Goal Setting to Success -
Udemy
Sales Training - Fitness Industry
Genesis Fitness
Core Values and Culture -
Health Education and Training Institute
People Management Skills -
Health Education and Training Institute
Similar Profiles
Cameron BrenchleyCameron Brenchley
Classroom Teacher at Department Of EducationClassroom Teacher at Department Of Education
Machi KanjoMachi Kanjo
Primary School Teacher at Department Of EducationPrimary School Teacher at Department Of Education
JAMI GAGNEJAMI GAGNE
Kindergarten Teacher at Department of EducationKindergarten Teacher at Department of Education
Barry WatsonBarry Watson
Elder in Residence at Department Of EducationElder in Residence at Department Of Education
Holly MerryfullHolly Merryfull
Receptionist at MD ImagingReceptionist at MD Imaging