S121-5 Assistant Director, Attendance Services

**Department for Education**
**Job reference**: 655810
**Location**: 5000 - ADELAIDE
**Job status**: Long Term Contract
**Eligibility**: Open to Everyone

**Why work with us**:
Every child and young person deserves a great education.

We have a strategy that aims to unlock every child’s potential now and into the future, one that in partnership with learners, students, parents and the wider South Australian community will build a world-leading public education system. One that is equitable and prioritises learning and wellbeing.

Together we will make our education system the best it can be.

When our children and young people thrive, so do our communities and our state.

**About the role**:
The Attendance Directorate within the Support and Inclusion Division aims to improve participation, engagement and learning achievement for all children and students. Support and Inclusion prioritises children and students with disability, Aboriginal students, and children in care. This includes improving attendance, particularly for these priority cohorts.

The Attendance Directorate provides student-centred, and evidence informed services and advice to support all students to access their right to an education. We foster shared responsibility for attendance across the system to ensure that schools are supported with universal, targeted and intensive support to manage complex barriers to school attendance. A new Attendance Hub launching in 2025 will play a crucial part in supporting schools.

The Assistant Director, Attendance Services is responsible for strategic oversight, direction and functioning of the Attendance services consistent with Departmental priorities. Reporting to the Director, Attendance, requires the incumbent to provide strategic and operational leadership in the ongoing development and review of service models and delivery types that supports the provision of integrated, proactive and targeted services to sites effectively and efficiently.

The Assistant Director, Attendance will:

- Provide line management to Attendance Outreach, Education Family Conference, Social Work Attendance Consultation and Attendance Hub teams.
- Undertake advanced high level operational support and coordination for the Director, Attendance, to analyse, develop and implement clear and effective plans and processes for the development and delivery of operational attendance services that reflect continuous improvement, cultural responsiveness, business excellence and evidence-based principles.
- Lead the development, implementation and evaluation of a high performing and coordinated suite of services to respond to emerging needs of a complex and critical nature.
- Provide advanced and strategic operational advice and direction to team leads, including managing complex operational issues and resources.
- Establish a seamless interface within the Department, other jurisdictions and agencies to lead and develop mechanisms to identify common trends, issues and needs across the state with a collaborative partnership approach that contributes to effective improvements and cultural sensitivity within service delivery.
- Consult and collaborate with other leaders in the directorate to ensure that the services align with department policy and procedure and have a culturally inclusive approach.

The Attendance Directorate is on a cultural response journey. As such, we value and prioritise Aboriginal ways of knowing, doing and being.

**Qualifications**:
**Essential**: Appropriate tertiary qualification in one or more of the following fields: education, social work, allied health or other relevant area.

**Desirable**: Relevant experience in service delivery for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

**Special conditions**:
The successful applicant is required to gain a Department for Human Services (DHS) working with children check (WWCC) prior to being employed which is required to be renewed every five years before expiry. The incumbent will be required to undertake RRHAN -EC (Responding to Risks of Harm, Abuse and Neglect - Education Care) Facilitator Lead (Masterclass) extended course or the online (Fundamentals) course which will be required to be updated every three years.

For all other Special Conditions please refer to the attached Position Description.

**Remuneration**:
S121 6 $163,722 per annum (1.0 FTE) + superannuation (11.5%).

**Enquiries**:
**Application instructions**:
Applications should be made through the IWorkForSA website.

Applicants are required to submit a CV, the Application Cover Sheet, Employment Declaration, and a cover letter of no more than two pages addressing the key competencies in the attached position description.

People of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent and/or those who have a disability are strongly encouraged to apply.

**Additional note**:
This is a full-time contract role (1.0 FTE), until end June 2026 with the po