Aps 6 Team Leader

Salary Range: $97,735 - $110,982 + plus attractive Superannuation

The Processing Branch sits within the Client Benefits Division and is focused on providing high quality service and determinations on benefits available for Australian Defence Force Members who suffer injuries or contract diseases as a result of their service. An opportunity exists within the Processing Branch for a motivated individual to, in partnership with Ex-Service Organisations, facilitate information exchanges on best practice claims processing and the promotion of available DVA health and wellbeing services nationally.

Team Leaders (APS 6) manage a team of staff who assess and make determinations in relation to compensation claims received from current and former serving Australian Defence Force (ADF) members (including via their advocates or representatives).

Team Leaders focus primarily on providing leadership and support to their teams. They motivate and inspire the team by creating an environment of co-operation, cohesion and strong communication in which roles are clear and staff feel supported in their work.

Team Leaders closely monitor team performance and capability, providing mentoring, coaching and making available development opportunities to address any capability gaps. They schedule their staff to cover the team’s full range of functions, and oversee the prioritisation and allocation of work and of team members’ workloads.

Although not SMEs, Team Leaders have a sound understanding of relevant legislation, policy, payment and compensation schemes, systems and processes, using this to shape their effective management of the team. Team Leaders work in partnership with Senior Delegates to ensure that team members have access to expert advice they need to manage complex or novel cases. They also manage and resolve escalated calls received from clients or their representatives.

Team Leaders work under the limited direction of an Assistant Director and operate with a reasonable level of autonomy. They exercise independent judgement to provide excellent management and development of their staff. Team Leaders must be highly organised, with the ability to manage multiple demands to address the team’s needs and to prioritise work and manage workflow. High level coaching, mentoring, and communication skills are essential, as is the ability to gain the trust and respect of the team and to draw on personal resilience to guide others.

**Duties**
- Provide leadership and direction to a team of staff working within DVA’s Client Benefits Division
- Oversee and monitor the prioritisation and allocation of work across the team, making adjustments to workload as needed
- Schedule staff according to a semi-formal rostering system to ensure that all functions of the team are covered across core hours
- Mentor and coach team members and ensure that capability development needs are identified and addressed, including identifying and addressing areas requiring improvement
- Schedule and provide regular performance and development feedback to all team members, ensuring the establishment of current, clear performance plans and the identification and achievement of development goals
- Monitor the team’s achievement of targets and KPIs and ensure that the team has the resources needed to be productive in their work
- Develop and maintain a positive and mutually supportive culture within the team, and show leadership in building team motivation and cohesion
- Manage escalated client calls, seeking a resolution to the concerns of the client or their representative and ensuring that appropriate action is taken in response, including notifying triage and casework teams where needed
- Provide information to support the preparation of responses to Ministerial requests and for inclusion in Ministerial correspondence, ensuring its accuracy and clarity
- Prepare reports for more senior staff to assist their decision-making, and to allow trends and systemic issues to be identified and addressed
- Seek feedback from staff and make recommendations for changes to DVA’s systems and processes to improve their efficiency, clarity and effectiveness, and provide advice on the impact of proposed system changes
- Maintain an understanding of DVA legislation, policy, payment and compensation schemes, systems and processes in order to understand and support the work of the team

**Eligibility**
- Under section 22(8) of the Public Service Act 1999, employees must be Australian citizens to be employed in the Australian Public Service (APS).
- All applicants external to DVA offered employment will be required to successfully undergo a pre-engagement screening check, even if they have a security clearance. The screening check is conducted in accordance with the Australian Government Protective Security Policy Framework requirements.

The filling of this vacancy is intended to constitute an affirmative measure under section 8(1) of the '_Racial Discriminatio