Director, Justice Assurance and Review Office

**Lead the Justice Assurance and Review Office.**:

- **Fixed, full time opportunity (Parental leave backfill for 12 months) to work with a high-performing and passionate team.**:

- **STS Grade 7: $188,297 - $256,088 plus superannuation.**

The Department of Justice and Community Safety is seeking a **Director, Justice Assurance and Review Office** to provide a critical role within Integrity, Regulation and Legal Services.

**About the Business Unit**

Integrity, Regulation and Legal Services provides legal, policy, integrity and assurance expertise to the Department of Justice and Community Safety (DJCS) and Justice Ministers. Integrity and Reviews provides integrity and assurance expertise and the DJCS staff supporting the operation of the Post Sentence Authority and the Inspector-General for Emergency Management.

The Justice Assurance and Review Office (JARO) assists the Secretary to ensure that adult prisons and youth justice facilities are safe, secure and humane. It provides high-quality advice on areas of risk and opportunities for improvement in corrections and youth justice. JARO's key activities include:

- reviewing all deaths in adult prisons and youth justice facilities
- reviewing select deaths of offenders in the community
- assessing and reviewing serious and significant incidents in custody
- monitoring and assessing serious incidents which affect the performance of the systems, including youth justice precincts, youth justice community services, prisons, Community Correctional Services and prisoner transport
- administering the Independent Prison Visitor Scheme on behalf of the Minister for Corrections.

**About the Role**

Some of your duties will include:

- Develop and use robust monitoring systems to provide authoritative expert advice to the Secretary on emerging and ongoing high-risk issues across the Corrections Victoria and Youth Justice portfolios.
- Influence departmental, Corrections Victoria and Youth Justice policies by providing strategic advice and leadership, drawing on specialist expertise to oversee JARO's functions, including strategic, financial planning, operations, and workforce professional development.
- Drive the development and implementation of strategic and operational priorities for JARO that respond to emerging systemic issues or other drivers.

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:

- Significant demonstrated specialist experience leading and managing a complex review or research institute or function in a highly sensitive environment.
- Exceptional track record of providing high level expertise on contemporary and innovative assurance, monitoring, and review activities and using complex technical information to inform high quality and timely advice to senior stakeholders.
- Significant experience utilising expertise in identifying critical risks, systemic issues in a custodial or similar environment and developing innovative and practical solutions to address these.
- Significant achievement with a substantial body of demonstrated effectiveness in operating in an environment with a high degree of sensitivity and risk in a way that enhances the standing of the agency/organisation and influences state-wide outcomes.

**Qualifications/requirements**
- Relevant experience in the criminal justice system would be an advantage.
- A relevant tertiary qualification, professional qualification and/or extensive executive experience is highly desirable.

**How to Apply**

**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.