Children's Services Authorised Officer

**Overview**:
**Work Type**:Fixed-term - Full-time

**Salary**: $97,955 - $111,142

**Grade**:VPS 4

**Occupation**:Governance and risk management

**Location**:Melbourne

**Reference**:VG/DE/ECE/1874014

An exciting full-time VPS 4 opportunity is available to support with compliance and quality assessment of early childhood education services across Victoria. In this frontline role, you’ll visit services in both metro and regional areas to assess compliance, monitor, support, and conduct assessment and rating visits under the National Law and Child Safe Standards. Key tasks include promoting continuous improvement, using regulatory tools, preparing reports, and supporting quality assurance processes. The role involves travel, independent offsite work, and office-based collaboration, with occasional overnight stays and flexible hours. Training and support are provided.
**9 x 3-year fixed term, full time VPS4 Children's Services Authorised Officer roles available across various locations including**:

- Barwon
- Eastern Melbourne Area
- Gippsland
- Grampians
- Hume
- Loddon
- Northern Melbourne Area
- Southern Melbourne Area
- Western Melbourne Area

**About the Role**
- An exciting opportunity is available for highly motivated individuals with passion for meaningful work to support QARD with the compliance and quality assessment of ECEC services.
- You will play an active frontline role in promoting quality improvement in ECEC services by visiting a variety of services across regional and metropolitan areas to actively monitor compliance, undertake investigations and conduct assessment and rating visits in adherence with the National Law, Children's Services Act and Child Safe Standards. This dynamic and rewarding role will give you the opportunity to promote quality improvement and support practice outcomes, while working in a supportive team-based environment that provides training and upskilling opportunities.
- Key accountabilities will include:

- Undertaking the assessment and rating process for approved education and care services against the National Quality Standard
- Managing and reporting on approved education and care services' compliance with the National Quality Framework
- Supporting and undertaking investigations following notifications of incidents or complaints and preparing evidence to determine the actions required based on nature of non-compliance
- Managing systems and processes for the collection and reporting of information relating to service quality and regulatory issues
- Preparing detailed letters, briefings and reports relating to policy and operational issues
- Communicating legislative and regulatory requirements to licensed and approved education and care services
- Implementing quality assurance frameworks, systems and processes to give effect to legislative and regulatory requirements.
- These are full time, fixed term VPS 4 positions based in various locations across the Victorian region, reporting to the relevant Area Manager. The role involves travel (usually by car) across the relevant area, and to metropolitan and regional areas. In this active frontline role, you will be visiting multiple ECEC services in a day and across the week. Typical work arrangements involve a balance of working offsite independently while visiting ECEC services, with time in an office environment working as part of a bigger inclusive team. The role will at times include planned overnight stays. There may also be some flexible start and finish times to accommodate service visits.

**Attributes**
- Be able to work independently and remain accountable for outcomes
- Possess strong planning and organising skills, including time management and flexibility
- Have knowledge of the ECEC sector and regulation
- Think critically and problem solve
- Be able to analyse and interpret detailed information
- Make sound decisions and provide relevant advice
- Confidently engage with and advise stakeholders
- Manage and communicate through difficult conversations and complaints
- Have strong communication skills, with ability to produce a variety of professional written products
- Have a willingness to learn and be open to feedback
- Possess strong IT skills, navigate a range of computer systems

**Qualifications and Experience**

**Desirable**: Relevant qualifications in early childhood education, teaching, or other human welfare studies, behavioural studies or similar.

**Essential**: Required to hold a valid Victorian Working with Children's Check and Victorian driver's licence.

**How to Apply**
- Applicants are required to submit a **CV** and **cover letter** (max. 2 pages for cover letter) which **clearly identifies their location(s) of interest** and summarises their skills, relevant experience and suitability to the role.

**About the Department**

**About the Division**
- The Department of Education is the Victorian Regulatory Authority for early childhood education and care (ECEC) services under dele