The cover letter a panel actually reads

Panels review many letters quickly and are looking for reasons to shortlist: does this person understand the mandate, do they meet the hard requirements, and is there evidence of comparable work at similar scale.

• Paragraph one — the post, the vacancy number, and where you saw it.
• Paragraph two — the hard requirements, answered explicitly, with the exact qualification and the number of years.
• Paragraph three — one or two achievements with numbers, in the language of the notice's competencies.
• Paragraph four — why this mandate, then a clean close with availability and notice period.

Never use a template that could be sent anywhere. Panels read dozens each week and spot the interchangeable ones instantly. A specific sentence about the programme's context is worth more than a paragraph of enthusiasm.