(23/9/2025) Senior Policy Advisor

Overview

Location: Melbourne - CBD and Inner Metro suburbs

Reference: VG/DE/ECE/1885920

The department provides a wide range of learning and development support and services. The department provides policy leadership, plans for the future of education in Victoria and leads key cross-sector collaboration. The department plays an important system steward role by providing support, guidance, oversight and assurance across early childhood and school education systems, as well as directly providing school education and 50 new early learning centres.

An exciting opportunity exists for a passionate and driven Senior Policy Advisor to join the School Readiness Funding unit on an ongoing basis.

Role and responsibilities

The Senior Policy Advisor leads policy reforms to improve the design and delivery of the School Readiness Funding program in the School Readiness Funding (SFR) unit. The Senior Policy Advisor leads a range of work to progress policy reforms, shaping policy design and policy delivery work for SRF. This includes leading work to review and improve several key areas of SRF in line with the policy reform commitments made in ‘School Readiness Funding: Future Directions', a statement made by the then Minister of Early Childhood and Pre-Prep in September 2022. The Senior Policy Advisor will engage across the Department and the sector to inform policy work on School Readiness Funding. Stakeholder management and engagement will be critical to ensure policy reforms are well informed and roll-out is effective.

This is an exciting time to join the SRF team as we continue to reform, improve and evaluate the SRF policy. We are looking for a passionate individual who will help drive SRF policy reforms for maximum impact.

About the Division and Unit

The Early Learning Practice and Participation Division (ELPAP) guides, supports and inspires high quality educational practice that improves the learning and development outcomes of Victoria's young children. ELPAP leads the development and implementation of participation and inclusion supports for all children, particularly those experiencing vulnerability and disadvantage. School Readiness Funding (SRF) is a permanent and ongoing part of the Victorian kindergarten funding model and is a key policy that contributed towards ELPAP's participation agenda. It funds a range of programs and supports that aim to build the capacity of services, educators and families to support children's learning and development. SRF provides additional resources for kindergarten services to enhance the practice and programs to better support children – especially those facing educational disadvantage – so they start school developmentally on track.

Attributes

The successful candidate will demonstrate proficient skills in policy development and design, project management, problem-solving, and teamwork. With a significant policy reform agenda on the horizon, strong planning skills will be needed to effectively manage the multiple workstreams and policy priorities that need to be delivered. Your capacity for collaboration, driving continuous improvement, and cultivating genuine relationships will also be pivotal for your success.

Qualifications and Experience

- Desirable: a bachelor level degree
- Desirable: qualifications include those related to economics, public policy, political science, early childhood education.
- Required: experience in the following key duties:
- developing and/or designing policies and programs.
- project management and planning to support policy design, analysis and development.
- ensuring evidence, data and insights are embedded into policy design.
- close collaboration with other teams to enable policy delivery and implementation translation.
- collaborative team work to meet shared goals and activities.
- planning and preparing a range of written and verbal communication materials.
- briefing team manager, executives and Ministers as required.

How to apply

To apply, please submit a CV and a cover letter (up to 2 pages) that addresses the key selection criteria.

Further Information

Work location: 200 Victoria Parade, East Melbourne; hybrid/flexible arrangements apply

For more details regarding this position please see attached position description for the capabilities to address in application.

For further information pertaining to the role, please contact Sam Lindley – Manager, School Readiness Funding via (03) 9084 8709 or samantha.lindley@education.vic.gov.au.

The department values diversity and inclusion in all forms - gender, religion, ethnicity, LGBTIQ+, disability and neurodiversity. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. For more information about our work, working for the Department, diversity and inclusion, and our employment conditions visit the Department website and our Diversity and Inclusion page

Applicants requiring adjustments can contact the nominated contact person.

Information about the Department of Education's operations and employment conditions can be located at www.education.vic.gov.au.

Preferred applicants may be required to complete a police check and may be subject to other pre-employment checks. Information provided to the Department of Education will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Please let us know via phone or email if you require any adjustments to ensure your full participation in the recruitment process or if you need the ad or any attachments in an accessible format (e.g large print) due to any viewing difficulties or other accessibility requirements.

Applications close 11:59pm on Thursday 2 October, 2025.

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