Principal Legal Policy Officer

Utilise your expertise to provide support and advice to key stakeholders.
- Ongoing, Full-Time Opportunity to work with a high-performing and passionate team in the Victorian Public Service
- VPS Grade 6: $130,673 - $174,869 plus superannuation.

The Department of Justice and Community Safety is seeking a Principal Legal Policy Officer, Legal Policy Team to provide a critical role at Policy, Strategy and System Outcomes.
About the Business Unit
Corrections and Justice Services (CJS) is part of the Department of Justice and Community Safety and is responsible for the direction, management and operation of Victoria's adult corrections system, including both community and custodial corrections.
Policy, Strategy and System Outcomes (PSSO), a business unit within CJS, is responsible for policy reform, program design and development, and strengthening engagement with service sector partners. PSSO works closely with other CJS business units to deliver a modern corrections system that is focused on human rights, rehabilitation and community safety. PSSO lives the Victorian Public Service 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 is responsible for leading legal policy projects and legislative reform for CJS, developing and coordinating new legislative and policy proposals, and the preparation and coordination of detailed and complex advice, reports and briefings.
Key priorities for the Legal Policy Team and PSSO over the next 12 to 24 months include:

- developing and delivering priority reforms across the adult corrections system, including community corrections, parole and post-sentence
- ensuring human rights are embedded in corrections policy and practice
- contributing to upcoming legislative and regulatory reforms, and
- providing strategic legal policy advice to the Minister and DJCS Executives on key issues and priorities within the corrections system.

The role operates within a complex and dynamic environment that requires a capacity to exercise sound judgement, and the ability to proactively develop and maintain effective relationships with key stakeholders, using influence and negotiation skills to support the provision of clear advice to support effective, timely actions.

**Some of your duties will include**:

- Support the Senior 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 CJS.

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.
- 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.

**Qualifications**:

- A tertiary qualification in law is required for this role.

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.