El1 Policy Officers

**Responsibilities**:
**Overview of the Division**

Immigration Programs Division (the Division) delivers permanent and temporary immigration programs. Immigration contributes to Australia’s prosperity, security and unity though the entry of migrants and visa holders who will support economic growth, increase social cohesion and enrich the nation. The Division’s focus is on improving efficiency, accuracy and transparency in our visa decision-making to support delivery the Government priorities for immigration.

The Division is made up of:

- Immigration Network Operations & Governance Branch
- Skilled Visas Branch
- Family Visas Branch
- Temporary Visas and Travel Exemptions Branch
- Global Australia and Immigration Program Outreach and Engagement

**Overview of the Branches/Sections**:
Are you interested in contributing to Australia’s economic recovery, and supporting the reunification of family members post COVID-19?

Skilled Visa Branch has the end-to-end responsibility for all skilled visa settings, program management and delivery across the Department. The policy Sections in the Branch lead policy development for the entry of people to contribute to Australia’s prosperity through well-designed temporary, provisional and permanent skilled visa programs. Our policy supports the economy and ensures Australia continues to be globally competitive

Family Visas Branch is responsible for the design, implementation and management of the Family Stream of Australia’s Migration Program, as well as the Resident Return visa program. The Family and Permanent Resident Policy Section leads the development of policy and legislative reforms to support family reunification and to strengthen Australia’s social cohesion. The section also leads the development of policy initiatives to support visa holders experiencing Domestic and Family Violence within the migration law framework.

**About the role (s)**

Policy officers in Skilled Visa Branch lead policy development and provide advice to the Senior Executive and Government for the full range of skilled visa programs which deliver overseas workers to critical sectors and occupations across Australia including regional Australia. The policy roles within the Regional Mobility Policy and Employer Sponsored Policy Sections give you the opportunity to shape and influence Government policy which will have a direct and significant impact upon the future prosperity of Australia.

Policy officers within the Family Visas Branch lead policy development and provide advice to Senior Executive and Government in relation to the Family Stream of Australia’s Migration Program, which seeks to reunite immediate family members with their Australian sponsors. This includes the Partner, Child, Parent and Other Family visa categories. Policy officers in Family Visas Branch also work across all of Australia’s visa programs to design policy and legislative reforms to support visa holders experiencing Domestic and Family Violence.

**Policy Officers**:
Policy Officers at this level operate under broad direction and may manage small teams to develop and implement complex policies aligned to Government and Departmental strategic priorities. They anticipate and identify policy issues, undertake research, analysis and modelling, and consult with stakeholders to develop and implement policies and programs. They design criteria to monitor and evaluate policy effectiveness and are also responsible for identifying and mitigating risks to the development and implementation of effective policy.

Policy Officers at this level undertake complex research and analysis to develop high quality submissions and business cases containing evidence-based recommendations for Government consideration. They represent the Department and lead stakeholder engagement in relation to policy issues and also develop and implement processes, procedures and tools that support the delivery of new policies.

We are looking for people with strong writing skills who enjoy working in a high tempo environment, and have a passion for achieving positive outcomes. They will have a strong collegiate approach to their work. They will possess a good understanding of policy development processes, our regulatory and policy frameworks and how these align with program management and delivery arms. They will be able to liaise effectively with internal and external stakeholders to deliver the Government’s skilled and family visa policy priorities.
- Strong analytical thinking and evidence based decision making
- Attention to detail to ensure consistency and accuracy of policy documentation
- High level interpersonal and representational skills
- Innovative thinking to develop alternative solutions
- Politically astute and ability to understand and operate within the current environment
- Resilience to maintain and meet performance standards in pressured and unpredictable environments
- Ability to deal with ambiguity and a constantl