Manager, Policy and Strategy

Ongoing full-time opportunity to join Aboriginal Youth Justice
- Lead the coordination and delivery reforms to reduce Aboriginal over-representation in the youth justice system
- Attractive salary between $129,379 - $173,138 + superannuation

This is a prioritised role for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples, who will be given priority consideration as per the special measures provision of the Equal Opportunity Act 2010.

About us
The Aboriginal Youth Justice unit at the Department of Justice and Community Safety (DJCS) is responsible for the design and development of policy, strategy and program responses for young Aboriginal people in contact with or at risk of contact with the Youth Justice system. The Aboriginal Youth Justice team has worked in partnership with the Aboriginal Justice Caucus to develop Wirkara Kulpa, the first Aboriginal Youth Justice Strategy as a key initiative under the Aboriginal Justice Agreement, Burra Lotjpa Dunguludja. The unit is also responsible for the delivery of the Aboriginal Youth Justice Program which is focused on providing culturally responsive service delivery for Aboriginal young people in the community to assist them to remain connected to family, culture and community.

What does Aboriginal Youth Justice Policy and Strategy team do?
A key focus of the Aboriginal Youth Justice Policy and Strategy team is to drive the implementation of Wirkara Kulpa in partnership with the Aboriginal Justice Caucus and under the governance of the Youth Collaborative Working Group of the Aboriginal Justice Forum. Wirkara Kulpa is a 10 year strategy with 75 actions designed to further Aboriginal self-determination and close the gap in justice outcomes by 2031. Wirkara Kulpa also directly responds to 56 of the 75 recommendations of the Our Youth Our Way Inquiry. The Aboriginal Youth Justice team is also responsible for coordinating the monitoring and reporting on the government response to Our Youth Our Way through the Youth Collaborative Working Group.

What does the Manager, Policy and Strategy do?
As the Manager, Policy and Strategy, you will work in partnership with the Aboriginal Justice Caucus to drive the implementation, monitoring and evaluation phases of Wirkara Kulpa to ensure innovative and human centred responses under pinned by the Aboriginal social and emotional wellbeing approach.
You will work in conjunction with several stakeholders including the Aboriginal Justice Caucus and the Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCO), as well as providing specialist advice and support to Youth Justice and DJCS more broadly on Aboriginal youth justice issues.
You will manage a small team of policy staff and represent the work area with external stakeholders and effectively manage feedback to maintain positive relationships, proactively developing and maintaining effective working relationships with the Aboriginal Community and key internal and external stakeholders.

What skills should a Manager, Policy and Strategy have?
To be successful in this role you will have capacity to exercise sound judgement, and the ability to proactively develop and maintain effective relationships with the Victorian Aboriginal Community and key stakeholders, using influence and negotiation skills to support the provision of clear advice to support effective, timely actions.
- excellent knowledge of Aboriginal culture and society and understanding of historical and contemporary issues relating to Aboriginal Victorians
- strong knowledge of, and demonstrated experience, working with Aboriginal communities and advisory groups, including sophisticated and culturally aware stakeholder engagement
- experience and strong understanding of, Victorian Government administrative processes.

Understanding of the impact of justice involvement on Aboriginal children and young people and Aboriginal programs and services in the youth and/or criminal justice system, and/or a tertiary qualification in criminology, social sciences or related field is also desirable.
You will be required to obtain a Working with Children Check (WWCC) to be maintained by the employee for the period of employment.
To learn more about the type of skills you will need to thrive in this role, please read the position description.

What's in it for you?
You will be working for the Department of Justice and Community Safety, which is one arm of the Victorian State Government, a recognised top employer of choice nationally. All our staff work to the vision of a safe, just, innovative and thriving Victoria.
There are many advantages in working for the department, including:

- Job stability - position as a member of the Victorian Public Service (VPS).
- A fair salary- enjoy great work conditions and salary sacrificing options.
- Transparent performance framework- approach your work with confidence in how you're tracking, working to professional development plans agreed on by you and your manager.
- Generous leave entitl