Baird pledges flexible NSW public service

More flexible working hours for senior executives in the NSW public sector will kick-start a culture change to create more opportunities for women.

NSW Premier Mike Baird has announced all senior positions in the state's public service will be open to flexible working hours by 2019.

"We're changing our default position on the 8-6 desk-bound job," Mr Baird said during a Sydney breakfast marking International Women's Day on Tuesday.

He said the culture change, which he believes will come with greater flexibility, will create more opportunities for women.

"At the moment about one to two per cent of our senior managers in the public sector have formal flexible arrangements," Mr Baird told reporters.

"Now they can be varied, whether it be starting early or leaving early.

"In simple terms, the more flexible the arrangements, the more opportunities ... that you've got to keep women in the workforce, to keep them in senior positions and that produces great outcomes," he said.

Mr Baird also reiterated his pledge to increase the number of women in senior leadership roles in his government.

"At the moment it's less than 40 per cent, we want to that to go up to 50 per cent," he said.

The state government will establish a register to enable job-sharing across its bureaucratic ranks by 2019.