James Young

James is a Canberra-based facilitator, career coach, and organisational development specialist with more than 15 years of experience and over 1,500 workshops delivered across government and private sector organisations. He specialises in strategic facilitation, leadership development, and career coaching, working with clients ranging from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to the Australian Federal Police and Apple.

Prior to facilitation he held senior policy and program management roles at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, where he led the relaunch and ongoing management of a weekly Public Seminar program and managed complex stakeholder negotiations across government, industry, and research sectors. Earlier in his career, James worked as a Research Scientist at the Australian Museum Sydney, contributing peer-reviewed publications to leading international journals and presenting at conferences across Australia, Japan, and Costa Rica. He holds an IECL Level 1 Organisational Coaching Certification, a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, and a Master of Science in Entomology. He is also a certified HBDI Practitioner.

James has a coaching style that is thoughtful, engaging, and practical. He asks considered questions, listens deeply, and creates a space where clients feel supported while also being constructively challenged. He helps leaders strengthen strategic thinking, communication, decision-making, and personal effectiveness, always with an eye on what will make a meaningful difference in their day-to-day leadership.

Having spent more than two decades across research and federal government, James brings both strategic insight and practical understanding of complex operating environments. He understands the pressures of public sector leadership and partners with senior leaders, emerging leaders, and technical specialists to help them think clearly, communicate effectively, and lead with confidence in dynamic and often ambiguous contexts.

James is passionate about empowering individuals and teams to achieve their full potential.  His approach is designed to inspire individuals and teams to embrace challenges, grow through experience, and lead with purpose

Career starters, people moving from technical to leadership roles, Middle to Senior Leaders/Managers with planning and staffing challenges.

Attorney Generals Department, Australian Border Force, Australian Communications and Media Authority, Australian Federal Police, Australian National Audit Office, Australian Public Service Commission, Australian Sports Commission, Australian Taxation Office, Canberra Institute of Technology, Clean Energy Regulator, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Department of Defence, Department of Education, Department of Finance, Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Department of Home Affairs, Department of Parliamentary Services, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Department of Social Services, National Indigenous Australians Agency, National Library of Australia, Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications and Arts, Access Canberra, ACT Government, Health and Community Services Directorate, ACT Health Directorate, Geoscience Australia, Apple, Evolve Capabilities, Projects Assured