- Review and lead change to ensure delivery on Government’s policies
- Operate decisively under pressure & build trust across complex stakeholders
- Brisbane location
The Northern Territory Government is seeking an exceptional and nationally regarded executive to serve as Chief Executive Officer of the Department of the Attorney-General and Justice. This is a role of significant authority, influence and public trust, leading the delivery of legal, regulatory and justice services across one of Australia’s most unique and complex operating environments.
The CEO will be responsible for stabilising, assessing and progressively reforming a justice system operating under sustained pressure: Driving meaningful change while maintaining the continuity and integrity of essential services.
The Role
Appointed as Chief Executive Officer and serving as the Solicitor for the Northern Territory under the Law Officers Act 1978 , the CEO leads a department of approximately 600 staff with a budget of around $237 million. The CEO provides strategic leadership across the justice portfolio, ensuring the delivery of high-quality legal, policy and regulatory services to government and the community, while supporting independent statutory bodies and commissions.
Operating at the centre of government, the CEO must navigate a highly visible and politically sensitive environment providing clear, frank and fearless advice to Ministers while maintaining the confidence of the judiciary, stakeholders and the community. In the first 12 months, the CEO will be expected to establish a clear diagnosis of system performance and constraints, mobilise the organisation around key priorities, and deliver early, tangible progress against the Government’s reform agenda.
Operating within a culturally rich, geographically vast and highly complex jurisdiction, the CEO must balance strategic leadership with operational excellence, guiding a system that has both immediate and long-term impact across all Northern Territory communities.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the Department of the Attorney-General and Justice as a high-performing, multi-disciplinary organisation
- Provide strategic legal and policy advice to Government across the justice continuum
- Deliver effective justice services, including courts, tribunals, prosecutions and regulatory functions
- Exercise the statutory responsibilities of the Solicitor for the Northern Territory
- Drive organisational performance, robust governance, sound financial management and corporate accountability
- Lead system-wide reform while maintaining operational stability and a performance culture in a high-demand environment
- Build and sustain trusted relationships with government, judiciary, legal profession, stakeholders and the community
- Lead cross-agency collaboration to deliver connected, whole-of-government outcomes
- Promote a culture of integrity, inclusion, innovation and continuous improvement
The Person
The Northern Territory seeks a leader of exceptional calibre, with the credibility, judgement and resilience to operate at the highest levels of public administration.
You will bring:
- Extensive senior executive leadership experience within complex, multi-disciplinary organisations
- Proven ability to lead large, high-pressure systems and deliver outcomes in demanding environments
- Demonstrated experience balancing operational delivery with reform
- Strong political judgement, with the ability to operate effectively in sensitive and high-profile environments while maintaining independence
- Deep understanding of contemporary justice or adjacent system challenges, and the ability to translate strategy into action
- Strong financial and commercial acumen, including management of significant budgets and assets
- Highly developed stakeholder engagement capability across politically, culturally and geographically complex environments
- A reputation for integrity, sound judgement and values-based leadership
You must be admitted (or eligible for admission) as a legal practitioner in an Australian jurisdiction and able to hold an unrestricted practising certificate.
You are not a caretaker. You are a leader who can step into complexity, establish clarity, and mobilise people to deliver outcomes quickly and confidently.
You bring energy, curiosity and a willingness to challenge how the system currently operates, coupled with the discipline to deliver change without destabilising essential services.
Why the Northern Territory
The Northern Territory presents one of Australia’s most distinctive operating environments: Culturally rich, geographically vast and nationally significant.
With around 30% of the population identifying as Aboriginal and many communities located in regional and remote areas, this role offers a rare opportunity to shape justice outcomes in ways that are both impactful and enduring.
This is a career-defining leadership role with the opportunity to influence policy, systems and services that directly affect communities across the Territory.
To view the microsite for this opportunity, please copy and paste the below link into your browser: https://www.davidsonwp.com/chief-executive-officer---northern-territory-government
Confidential Enquiries & Applications
For a confidential discussion call Sam Wallace (0437 313 130) or Ash Stewart (0408 856 689) from Davidson Executive Search & Advisory or, to request further information, please email Sam.Wallace@davidsonwp.com or Ashleigh.Stewart@davidsonwp.com
Applications close 19 April 2026.
All enquiries will be treated in strict confidence.
