Career Guide
SES Bands 1–3 explained
Understand how SES Band 1, Band 2 and Band 3 roles differ in strategic scope, accountability, stakeholder influence and whole-of-government impact.
The quick answer
SES Band 1 roles usually lead a significant function, program or specialist area; Band 2 roles integrate major functions and influence agency-wide outcomes; Band 3 roles provide enterprise or whole-of-government leadership on the most complex, sensitive and consequential issues. Titles vary, so assess the work value and accountabilities rather than relying on labels such as Assistant Secretary or Deputy Secretary.
Show the scale of your leadership through evidence
A strong SES application does not merely claim strategic leadership. It demonstrates the breadth of the environment, the decisions made under ambiguity, the interests influenced, the resources or systems stewarded and the enduring impact on the agency, government or community.
What the three SES bands mean
The Senior Executive Service provides strategic leadership within agencies and across the APS. All three bands carry high accountability and must model the APS Values and Code of Conduct. The difference is not simply seniority: it is the scale, complexity and consequence of the role.
The APSC standards consider leadership, accountability, span, stakeholder management, operating environment, judgement and independence. Read the classification in its entirety.
SES Band 1
Band 1 roles commonly lead a substantial branch, program, regulatory function or specialist discipline. They translate government and agency direction into strategy and delivery, advise senior executives and Ministers, manage significant risks and build capability.
Useful application evidence may include leading a major reform, recovering a complex program, shaping high-level advice, resolving a contested stakeholder issue or building a function that delivered measurable agency outcomes.
SES Band 2
Band 2 roles generally have broader integration and enterprise responsibilities. They may lead a division or group, coordinate several functions, set major priorities and provide authoritative advice with agency-wide or cross-government significance.
Evidence should reveal how you established direction across competing interests, influenced senior decision-makers, managed interconnected risks and resources, and delivered outcomes beyond one branch or profession.
SES Band 3
Band 3 roles operate at the highest levels below an agency head. Their focus is commonly whole-of-agency or whole-of-government strategy, the integration of major functions, long-term stewardship and issues of exceptional complexity, ambiguity, sensitivity or risk.
The strongest examples show enterprise leadership: defining a problem without a clear precedent, setting direction across systems, advising Ministers or agency heads, negotiating with stakeholder leadership and being accountable for consequences of national significance.
Choosing evidence for an SES application
Select examples that make the required scale visible. For each example, clarify:
- the strategic context and why it mattered;
- your formal accountability and decision authority;
- the ambiguity, risk or competing interests involved;
- how you led through others and across boundaries;
- the quality of your judgement and advice; and
- the sustained impact on capability, policy, delivery or public trust.
Do not inflate language to make an operational example sound strategic. Use evidence whose genuine scope matches the advertised band.
Official guidance used for this page
Guidance last reviewed: July 2026
This Professional Resumes Australia guide interprets public recruitment guidance for applicants. Always follow the instructions in the specific job advertisement and candidate information pack.
Questions about SES classifications
Are SES job titles consistent across agencies?
No. Titles differ considerably. Use the advertised duties, SES Work Level Standards and agency context to understand the role's actual scope.
Is managing a large team enough to demonstrate SES capability?
Not by itself. Team size can indicate scale, but panels also assess strategic judgement, stewardship, influence, outcomes, integrity and leadership across organisational boundaries.
Applying for an SES Band 1, 2 or 3 role?
Professional Resumes Australia can help you assess the band, select evidence with the right strategic scale and present your leadership, judgement and impact clearly.