Principal Legal Policy Officer

Lead the development and delivery of legal policy projects and legislative reform for Corrections and Justice Services
- Ongoing full time opportunity to develop and coordinate new legislative and policy proposals
- VPS Grade 6: $129,379 - $173,138 plus superannuation.

The Department of Justice and Community Safety is seeking to provide a Principal Legal Policy Officer critical role within Corrections Victoria.

About the Business Unit
The Department of Justice and Community Safety is responsible for promoting community safety through the effective management and provision of rehabilitation and reparation opportunities to prisoners and offenders under custodial and community-based supervision.
The Corrections and Justice Services Policy, Strategy and Service Design Group (PSSD) is responsible for policy reform, program development and design, and strengthening engagement with service sector partners. PSSD works closely with other CJS business units to deliver a modern corrections system that is focused on human rights, rehabilitation and community safety. PSSD lives the DJCS values in its work, with an emphasis on improving outcomes for people in contact with the system, and fostering a workplace culture that is kind, respectful and effective.
About the Role
The Principal Legal Policy Officer, Legal Policy Team will be responsible for leading legal policy projects and legislative reform for Corrections and Justice Services, developing and coordinating new legislative and policy proposals, and the preparation and coordination of detailed and complex reports and briefings.
Key priorities include developing and delivering critical reforms recommended by the Cultural Review into the Adult Custodial Corrections System, ensuring human rights are embedded in corrections policy and practice, contributing to upcoming legal and regulatory reforms and providing strategic legal policy advice to the Minister and our executive on key issues and priorities within the corrections system.

**Some of your duties will include**:

- Support the Manager by mentoring and advising the team to deliver advice to senior departmental executives and Ministers on legal policy relating to corrections and justice services.
- Provide high level, technical and authoritative strategic and innovative legal policy advice to departmental executives and Ministers on highly complex and potentially sensitive matters.
- Lead the development of legal policy to support operational service partners within Corrections and Justice Services.

To learn more about this role before applying, please read the attached position description.
About you

**To be successful in this role, you will have**:

- Sound knowledge of and/or experience in Victorian government administrative processes, including Cabinet and legislative processes.
- Previous experience in providing public sector policy advice, legal policy advice, legal practice or law reform
- Knowledge of current policy direction, research and issues within corrections and the criminal justice system more broadly, or the ability to understand these issues quickly.
- Strong conceptual and analytical skills with ability to analyse complex operational, policy and legal issues, interpret legislation and provide appropriate legal or regulatory options.

How to Apply

**FOR INTERNAL VPS EMPLOYEES**:
**IMPORTANT INFORMATION**:
**CHILD SAFE STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT**:
The Department of Justice and Community Safety is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. We seek to prevent harm of any kind impacting children and young people and have zero tolerance for racism, child abuse and inequality. Children and young people's rights, relationships, identity, and culture must be recognised and respected, their voices heard, and their concerns acted upon. We aim to foster a culturally safe, child safe and child friendly environment for all children and young people we have contact with, deliver services to, or are impacted by our work.