Principal Program Officer

**About the Department**:
The Department of Education is dedicated to building an inclusive and diverse workforce that reflects the community and schools we support by treating everyone with respect and dignity. This starts with recruitment and selection. The methods of assessing suitability in the recruitment process may vary. This includes making reasonable adjustments to support applicants at all stages of the process and employee lifecycle.
The Darling Downs South West Region is on the western slope of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland and covers an impressive 480,000km2 of land.Our region offers dynamic work environments as well as an affordable and community-oriented lifestyle, with access to essential facilities and diverse experiences for singles and families.
**About the Role**:
The Principal Program Officer - Early Childhood will be responsible for leading the development of evidence-informed early childhood initiatives, including the delivery of funded programs and responsive, place-based approaches. The role will be responsible for demonstrating continuous improvement through evaluation and reporting with a focus on transitions, quality, engagement and wellbeing in the early years.
**Your Opportunity**:As the Principal Program Officer - Early Childhood, you will**:

- Assist in leading the development of bespoke early childhood initiatives that respond to analysis of data and synthesise of early childhood resource.
- Contribute to the development and management of strategic early childhood initiatives to increase the capacity of key stakeholders. The role will deliver outcomes aligned with strategic and place-based priorities, such as inclusion in early learning pathways and access to early learning in rural and remote areas.

**Responsibilities Include**:

- Lead and manage early childhood specific initiatives to support sustained and consistent implementation, prioritising the participation and engagement of all children in development and learning pathways; and in quality transitions, that lead to successful educational outcomes and wellbeing.
- Develop and implement projects, including risk management strategies and key performance measures to ensure outcomes are delivered in a timely and effective manner.
- Identify, develop and maintain professional working relationships with internal and external stakeholders and agencies to collaborate on strategic early years priorities relating to early childhood.
- Develop strategies to identify regional and local early childhood needs including undertaking targeted activities and collaborating with clients and stakeholders.

**Interested? To Apply**:

- Attach a brief resume including contact details for 2 referees (referees should have an understanding of your relevant work history);
- Attach a 2-page response to the below questions:
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- The Principal Program Officer - Early Childhood role involves building intentional and enduring relationships with a range of stakeholders. Share an example of a successful partnership strategy you have implemented, including how you tailored your communication style to suit different audiences, circumstances and urgency. Were the desired outcomes achieved? Why or why not? What did you learn through the process?
- Describe why and how you have planned and delivered an initiative that has improved outcomes aligned with organisational goals, based on data and evidence. Explain why and how you have coordinated support with other partners to deliver outcomes. How did you monitor and report on outcomes?

We welcome all applicants to share any support needed to ensure our recruitment process is inclusive.
Applications remain current for 12 months from the closing date and may be considered for appointment to identical or similar vacancies within the Department.
Applications from recruitment agencies will not be accepted.
When working in regulated employment an employee must have a current Working with Children Clearance (blue card) issued by Blue Card Services.
Salary rate shown is reflective of full-time (1.0 FTE).
The Department of Education is a family inclusive workplace. Click here to find out more about our Inclusion and Diversity strategies. #LI-PRIORITYThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia License.