Policy and Program Officer

APS Level 5
- Canberra, ACT | Brisbane, QLD | Sydney, NSW | Melbourne, VIC| Adelaide, SA | Perth, WA | Hobart, TAS | Darwin, NT
- $83,908 - $89,706

**About the Department of Education**
We contribute to Australia's economic prosperity and social wellbeing by creating opportunities and driving better outcomes through access to quality education and learning.

**The Role**
The Higher Education Access and Equity Branch is responsible for delivering high impact policy and programs to improve higher education outcomes for students from under-represented backgrounds. There are multiple roles available across new and existing teams within the Branch, encompassing policy implementation, stakeholder engagement and program management.

Reporting to the Assistant Director, the Policy and Program Officer is responsible for supporting delivery of work within one of the below teams.

Suburban University Study Hubs team
As a new function, the Suburban University Study Hubs team is responsible for delivery of one of five of the measures announced by the Australian Government in response to the Australian Universities Accord process. Based on the existing Regional University Study Hubs model, the new suburban hubs will support students to access tertiary education in their local communities. The team will manage policy development and program implementation including delivering competitive grant processes, Ministerial briefing and media opportunities, and establishment and ongoing management of funding arrangements for new hubs.

Higher Education Program Management team
The Higher Education Program Management team delivers a range of programs and projects to support students from low socio-economic status areas, regional and remote backgrounds, First Nations students and students with disability to access, participate and succeed in higher education. The team’s workload is diverse with programs operating at different stages of implementation, delivery and evaluation. The team works closely with universities, peak organisations and Services Australia to undertake program improvement and monitoring activities. The team also manages a range of other higher education projects including capital infrastructure, Prime Ministerial libraries, and teaching and learning initiatives.

Equity Policy team
Th Equity Policy team works closely with stakeholder groups, experts and other Commonwealth agencies to reduce the disparity in education outcomes for under-represented students, which includes students with disability. The team drives strategic research and translation projects that are building the evidence base for successful equity initiatives. Our strategic research agenda supports delivery of the Australian Universities Accord process and the new National Agreement on Closing the Gap. We provide policy and secretariat support for the Equity in Higher Education Panel and manage the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education.

**Duties and Responsibilities**
Responsibilities of the Policy and Program Officer may include:

- Developing program design and materials with guidance from senior team members
- Organising workshops and meetings to support stakeholder engagement
- Supporting delivery of grant rounds in line with legislative, policy and probity requirements.
- Program management including stakeholder liaison, finance, progress monitoring and reviewing milestone reporting.
- Contributing to broader monitoring and reporting activities to ensure program objectives are met.
- Undertaking research and data analysis to identify trends and issues relevant to both programs and policy.
- Producing written briefing papers and correspondence for the Minister, departmental officers and working groups.

**How to Apply**
- Provide a summary (**no more than 500 words**) that outlines your skills, knowledge, and experience and why you should be considered for this vacancy. You should take into consideration the position overview (including any detailed position specific requirements) when drafting your response. Where possible include specific relevant examples of your work.
- Upload your Resume
- Provide contact details for 2 Referees.

**Eligibility**

**Citizenship** - to be eligible for employment with the Department, you must be an Australian Citizen or, in limited circumstances, in the process of obtaining it.

**Baseline** security clearance.

Please refer to the
**Job Information Pack** for more information about the role.

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