Principal Policy Advisor

Role purpose
The Principal Policy Adviser reports to the Manager, North and West System Management. The role provides high-level coordination, advice and project management across the MHAOD System Management North West System Management Team. This role supports strategic management of branch activities focusing on AOD reforms to ensure we deliver our core business and are responsive to policy priorities.
Working closely with the Director, the MHAOD System Management Branch Executive, North West unit team and wider team, this role enables high quality responses to system and government priorities. In this role you will be required to work effectively and efficiently in a complex and demanding environment, exercise sound judgement, build positive relationships with key people, and operate with a high level of professionalism, initiative and collaboration.
Are you
- An excellent communicator with high level written and verbal communication skills?
- Able to deliver high quality work in a complex and time-pressured environment?
- Able to build successful relationships with people working at all levels and parts of DH?

Knowledge and skills
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- Policy skills: formulates and communicates public policy options and recommendations; keeps up-to-date with a broad range of contemporary issues; scans for links and potential implications of proposed policy options; liaises with stakeholders.
- Problem solving: seeks all relevant information for problem-solving; liaises with stakeholders; analyses issues from different perspectives and draws sound inferences from information available; identifies and proposes workable solutions to problems; implements solutions, evaluates effectiveness and adjusts actions as required.
- Systems thinking: diagnoses trends, obstacles and opportunities in the internal and external environment; understands the linkages between natural systems and communities to inform policy; conceptualises and defines the systems working within the organisation.
- Self-management: invites feedback on own behaviour and impact; uses new knowledge or information about self to build a broader understanding of own behaviour and the impact it has on others; understands strong emotional reactions and seeks ways to more effectively manage them.

Personal qualities
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- Integrity: committed to the public interest; operates in a manner that is consistent with the organisation's code of conduct; inspires trust by treating all individuals fairly.
- Initiative and accountability: proactive and self-starting; seizes opportunities and acts upon them; takes responsibility for own actions.
- Creativity and innovation: generates new ideas; draws on a range of information sources to identify new ways of doing things; actively influences events and promotes ideas; translates creative ideas into workplace improvements; reflects on experience and is open to new ways to improve practice.
- Teamwork: cooperates and works well with others in pursuit of team goals, collaborates and shares information, shows consideration, concern and respect for others' feelings and ideas, accommodates and works well with the different working styles of others, encourages resolution of conflict within the group.

Desirable
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- An understanding of the Victorian mental health service and/or AOD systems and knowledge of current mental health and/or AOD policy development within the State and Commonwealth environments
- Knowledge and experience in data analysis, performance and outcomes monitoring and reporting.
- Knowledge and experience in strategic commissioning and contract management.

**Qualifications**:
A tertiary qualification in fields related to public policy, health administration or business management is highly desirable.
Technical expertise
- An understanding of the Victorian health system, including knowledge of current health policy, funding and operational environment.

Mandatory Vaccination Policy

**HOW TO APPLY**: