Assistant Director

Executive Level 1
- Canberra, ACT; Adelaide, SA; Brisbane, QLD; Melbourne, VIC;
- $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're 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.

**Please note, this opportunity is for Ongoing APS employees only.**

**Please discuss the possibility of release with your manager before applying.**

**The Role**
The First Nations and Inclusion Branch is made up for four teams. The **First Nations Partnership** and **First Nations Policy Team** work jointly to strengthen relationships with First Nations partners, state and territory governments and commonwealth government departments and agencies. Together these teams also aim to influence and assist the Skills Group’s internal and external efforts towards Closing the Gap priority reforms one to four. The **Place-based Delivery and Data Access team** leads and implements a place-based measure under the Whole-of-Government Central Australia response, the Remote Training Hubs Network. These teams work with the **Student Pathways and Inclusion Team** who leads and influences policy and advice for VET delivered to Secondary Students.
There are positions available across multiple teams. Each Assistant Director role outlined below, is responsible for supervising staff and fostering a supportive and culturally safe work environment.

First Nations Policy
Reporting to the Director, the Assistant Director is responsible for designing and delivering Closing the Gap policy initiatives in partnership with First Nations organisations and communities. They will collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to inform policy advice and support delivery of the Closing the Gap skills policy reform agenda. The Assistant Director will contribute to planning, evaluation, and stakeholder engagement strategies, particularly in the context of Closing the Gap components of the new National Skills Agreement (NSA). They will draft briefings and papers to support the Minister and Executive on Closing the Gap matters at senior governance meetings including the Skills and Workforce Ministerial Council (SWMC), Skills Senior Officials Network (SSON) and cross-agency forums.

As part of the team, they will lead key workstreams and projects to support priority reform areas in the National Agreement on Closing the Gap relative to skills and training, with a particular focus on:

- Leading policy development, complex problem solving and options to support the First Nations VET workforce.
- Overseeing and analysing how interrelated Commonwealth government Closing the Gap policy initiatives support the Closing the Gap skills policy reform agenda.
- Managing and overseeing the delivery and evaluation of the following First Nations led projects:

- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander RTO Community of Practice
- First Nations Trainer and Assessor Demonstration Project

First Nations Partnership
Reporting to the Director, the Assistant Director is responsible for working in partnership with the Coalition of Peaks to provide joint secretariat support for the First Nations Skills and Vocational Education and Training (VET) Interim Partnership Committee (the Interim Committee). They will collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to develop a program of work for the Interim Committee to deliver on the Commonwealth Closing the Gap priorities outlined under the National Skills Agreement (NSA), including the design and establishment of the nationally networked VET policy partnership.

They will draft and maintain Terms of Reference (TOR), prepare communications for members and stakeholders, develop agendas, collate and circulate papers, prepare and circulate minutes, maintain accurate records and registers, organise meetings including all logistics and provide briefing support for government representatives and Co-Chairs.

As part of the team, they will enable new ways of working in partnership with First Nations organisations in VET to provide genuine engagement and agency in policy making (Closing the Gap Priority Reform 1) to improve skills and training outcomes with a particular focus on:

- Establishing good governance mechanisms, policies and p