Principal Case Management Officer

About us
The Queensland Fire Department (QFD) provides fire prevention, preparedness and response services to fire in the built and landscape environments, as well as scientific and specialist capabilities to Queensland communities. The QFD provides a multi-hazard emergency response, including road crash rescue, bushfire, hazardous material, technical and vertical rescue, severe weather incidents, remote and swiftwater rescue, and provides a number of functions supporting community safety outcomes.
The department encompasses Queensland Fire and Rescue (QFR), Rural Fire Service Queensland (RFSQ), as well as the broader department which work together to pre-empt, prevent, mitigate and manage the consequences of fires and other emergencies on Queensland communities and support our large volunteer membership across the state.
The QFD is an organisation that is focused on reframing the department's relationship with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, communities, and organisations through the Path to Treaty, Closing the Gap and building our cultural capability.
Purpose of the role
The Industrial and Employee Relations I&ER Branch has three specialist areas, Industrial Relations; Employee Relations; and Discipline. The branch covers matters such as advocacy and tribunal representation, enterprise bargaining, policy development; legislation, consultative committees, advice and assistance, mediation, Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), tribunal representation, discipline, and suspension.
The Discipline team undertakes complex case management of disciplinary matters, provides expert advice to senior executives on discipline and suspension as they relate to performance and conduct matters, and supports management and employees to enable resolution of matters at the workplace level without the parties having to resort to formal proceedings or litigation, including undertaking research and analysis to develop advice, policy and strategic documents to support managers and employees regarding their respective entitlements, rights and obligations in the context of public sector employment in accordance with legislation and employment frameworks.
Reporting to the Executive Manager, Discipline, you will support and contribute to the functions of the team and develop advice for senior leadership to share knowledge and interpretation of legislative change and directives to identify and convey risks and issues, in the development of systems, processes, procedures, product and services in highly complex case management matters. You will provide expert advice on all complex employee relations cases for staff and volunteers, and liaise on individual employee matters, including performance management, suspension, and discipline issues to ensure expectations and processes are managed appropriately in a fluid and sometimes emotionally charged environment requiring diplomacy, confidentiality, and sensitivity on critical issues to facilitate agreed outcomes and meet organisational objectives.
Key requirements
Highly desirable requirements
- Knowledge and experience in the discipline and industrial frameworks within the Queensland jurisdiction and ability to advise on complex employment matters including, but not limited to, dismissal, discipline, suspension, and medical assessment of employees.
- Relevant tertiary qualifications in industrial relations, law, human resources or a related field will be highly regarded.

Your key accountabilities
Your part in our vision, will see you lead by example and model QFD values and behaviour's, while you (non-exhaustive list):

- Prioritisation and responses to discipline and suspension matters where there are multiple concurrent employee and volunteer cases relating to serious integrity, Blue Card default, conduct and performance matters including effective research, analysis, and consideration of information.
- Provide expert advice to delegates and senior executives on all matters relating to complex case management and public sector legislation to influence decision marking and achieve business objectives.
- Advocate on behalf of the department on disciplinary matters and appeals brought before tribunals in the state jurisdiction.
- Represent the department at internal and external meetings and forums relating to legislative change, issues, and solutions to support the development and review of policies and practices for managing performance, conduct and various other employment matters.
- Develop and maintain effective working relationships with key internal and external stakeholders to share information, identify risk and develop an integrated approach to case management and best practice performance management.
- Prepare complex briefing material, cabinet submissions and correspondence in relation to individual case-based employee relations and discipline in accordance with organisational guidelines and governance.
- Collate and compile reports in relation to the activity an