El1 Workforce Strategy Manager

Executive Level 1
- Canberra, ACT
- $125,220 - $138,394

**About the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations**
We are committed to empowering futures, ensuring rights and enriching lives. We support people to have safe, secure and well-paid work with the skills for a sustainable future as we ourselves strive to be a model employer.

We provide the framework for fair and productive relationships between employers and employees. We also oversee skills development and training initiatives to support those entering the workforce or re-training to take advantage of emerging employment opportunities.

With us, your work directly contributes to shaping the employment landscape. Whether you are engaging in policy development, program implementation, or direct support services, your efforts will have a tangible impact on job seekers, employees and the economy by giving them a framework to build a future anchored and realised through employment.

It is our ambition to do things differently, to create the ‘department of great jobs’- where our people reflect our purpose.

**The Role**
As Workforce Strategy Manager, you will lead the development and delivery of a workforce strategy that aligns with the Division’s goals and supports the Department’s broader strategic planning. Your role is pivotal in helping the Division meet its current and future workforce needs through data-driven, people-focused initiatives.

A key part of the role involves managing Entry Level Programs, helping junior staff gain on-the-job experience alongside formal education and training. You’ll understand how career pathways strengthen talent pipelines and contribute to building future capability.
You will bring strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills, identify skill gaps and drive action. Your ability to influence, negotiate, and resolve issues will ensure alignment and commitment to the workforce strategy.

Working independently under broad direction, you’ll report on progress, manage risks, and coach junior staff. You’ll contribute to a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.

This role offers high-impact, meaningful work and opportunities to develop your career within the APS. Support, mentoring and professional development will be provided to help you succeed and grow as a strategic workforce leader.

**Duties and Responsibilities**

As an Executive Level 1 Workforce Strategy Manager, your responsibilities may include:

- Leadership: Lead, manage, and mentor a small team of workforce planning staff, fostering capability development and collaboration.
- Data-Driven Insights: Analyse workforce data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities. Provide evidence-based advice on workforce planning, market trends, and best practices.
- Innovative Way to Recruit: Collaborate with external providers to design and implement modern recruitment approaches, including social media campaigns and direct recruitment strategies.
- Entry-Level Program Management: Manage one or more of the Division’s Entry Level Programs, supporting junior talent through structured work and learning experiences.
- Strategic Thinking: Draft and contribute to workforce strategies, decision papers, roadmaps, executive briefs, and stakeholder communications.
- Career Pathways: Design and maintain career pathways across the Division. Assess learning and development needs and work with business units to close skill gaps.
- Continuous Improvement: Identify and lead opportunities to improve workforce strategy and planning processes using both quantitative and qualitative analysis.
- Policy and Strategy Development: Contribute to policy and strategic planning, with awareness of the organisational context and sensitivities.

**Qualifications and Education**

**Essential**
- Knowledge of HR in a large organisation
- Knowledge of one of the following in a large organisation:

- workforce strategy
- organisational design and capability development
- employee experience,
- people and skills management.

**How to Apply**
To apply, please answer the following questions:

- Please use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, and Result) method when responding to the questions (Where possible include specific relevant examples of your work):_
- Provide an example of how would you align a divisional workforce strategy with both department-wide strategic plans and Whole of Government initiatives, while ensuring it remains practical and people-focused?
- Provide an example of how you have used workforce data and evidence-based research to drive a significant change in workforce planning or strategy. What challenges did you face, and how did you overcome them?
- Provide an example of how you build and maintain effective cross-agency relationships to support workforce strategy initiatives, and how do you ensure continuous improvement in your approach?

The APS work level standards accommodate the diversity of roles across the APS and are structured to clearly differentiat