Appointing an Executive Director & Chief Procurement Officer for the Department of Education

Gerard Kerr

About The Department of Education


The Department of Education required an Executive Director and Chief Procurement Officer to provide strategic leadership across procurement and facilities functions within one of Queensland's largest and most complex public sector environments.


The role sat within the Finance, Procurement and Facilities Branch and required an executive capable of leading large-scale procurement strategy, influencing stakeholders across a decentralised operating environment and delivering commercial outcomes aligned with government priorities.



Kingston Human Capital was engaged to deliver an end-to-end executive recruitment and selection campaign, including executive search, market mapping, assessment, panel facilitation, reference checking and selection reporting


Recruiting a Chief Human Resources Officer for the Department of Housing and Public Works Queensland Government
The Hiring Requirement


The department sought an executive leader capable of:

  • Leading procurement strategy across a large public sector environment
  • Managing complex stakeholder relationships
  • Driving organisational change and capability uplift
  • Influencing outcomes without direct authority
  • Providing commercial leadership and supplier oversight
  • Delivering procurement governance and risk management


The successful candidate needed to combine executive leadership capability with deep procurement expertise and the ability to operate effectively across a highly distributed education system.


Role We Hired

Executive Director and Chief Procurement Officer 

Channels We Used

Executive Search and Targeted Advertising

The Challenge

The assignment involved several market and recruitment complexities.


Key challenges included:

  • Accessing passive executive talent in a highly specialised market
  • Competing against significantly higher private-sector remuneration
  • Interstate relocation barriers
  • Attracting executives capable of operating in a decentralised environment
  • Maintaining candidate engagement throughout a lengthy executive recruitment process



The market intelligence gathered by Kingston Human Capital indicated remuneration was one of the most consistent barriers to candidate conversion, particularly for senior private-sector executives.


Our Objective

Kingston Human Capital was engaged to identify and recommend an executive procurement leader who could thrive within the department's operating environment and provide leadership across strategic procurement, stakeholder engagement and organisational change.



The objective extended beyond generating applications. The department required a robust executive search process capable of reaching passive talent markets, providing market intelligence and delivering a defensible recommendation to the selection panel.


Our Strategy

Executive Search and Market Mapping

Kingston Human Capital conducted a targeted executive search campaign that combined:

  • Proactive market mapping
  • Direct executive outreach
  • Professional networks
  • Referrals
  • Executive talent identification
  • National advertising


Within the first week, 98 executive profiles had been identified and assessed for suitability



Market Engagement and Candidate Conversion


The executive search process generated:

  • 72 candidate contacts
  • 32 meaningful candidate conversations
  • 16 positive candidate engagements
  • 4 applications directly generated through outreach


This approach significantly expanded the available talent pool beyond traditional applicants.



Rigorous Executive Assessment


Candidates progressed through a structured assessment process comprising:

  • Written application review
  • Screening interviews
  • 1.5-hour executive interviews
  • Digital footprint review
  • Panel interviews
  • Targeted reference checks



Structured interview frameworks ensured all candidates were assessed consistently against the same executive capability requirements.


The Appointment

The final recruitment process narrowed 88 applicants to a shortlist of four candidates.


Three candidates attended panel interviews after one shortlisted candidate withdrew for remuneration-related reasons.


Of the final interviewees:

  • Two candidates were assessed as suitable
  • One candidate was identified as the strongest overall fit
  • The preferred candidate was recommended for appointment
  • The delegate subsequently approved the recommendation



The panel determined that the successful candidate demonstrated the strongest alignment to the department's operating environment, stakeholder requirements, procurement responsibilities and leadership expectations.


Key Results Achieved

Applications Received

Suitable Candidates Identified

Shortlisted Candidates

Executive Candidates Identified

Executive Candidates Contacted

Appointment Recommended

88

4

2

98

72

1

What the client valued most?

The assignment demonstrated several key strengths:

  • Extensive executive market reach
  • Proactive access to passive talent
  • Detailed market intelligence
  • Rigorous executive assessment methodology
  • Structured and defensible selection processes
  • Comprehensive panel support
  • Strong governance and documentation



The final process was certified by the panel as fair, transparent and compliant, with the delegate approving the final recommendation


Impact Delivered

✅ 88 applications received

✅ 98 executive candidates identified and mapped

✅ 72 executive candidates directly engaged

✅ 16 positive executive search engagements

✅ 4 high-quality shortlisted candidates

✅ 2 candidates assessed suitable for appointment

✅ 1 executive appointment approved

✅ Delivered comprehensive market intelligence, panel support and governance documentation

Ready to Appoint Your Next Executive Leader?

Gerard Kerr, Co Founder and General Manager of Search and Selection at Kingston Human Capital, Queensland Government Executive Recruitment Services

Meet Gerard Kerr

Gerard Kerr is Co-Founder and General Manager of Search and Selection at Kingston Human Capital.


With more than 20 years’ experience in recruitment, Gerard has deep networks and extensive expertise managing complex search and selection projects across a range of sectors including local state and federal government, statutory authorities, government-owned corporations and ASX-listed companies.

We work as an agile team across retained recruitment projects, ensuring we can commit the time and effort of our entire search team. This allows us to reach further into the market, which means we get to evaluate more candidates and get high-quality results.

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