Project Officer

**About the Department**

The role of the Department of Education is to support Victorians to build prosperous, socially engaged, happy and healthy lives. It does this by supporting lifelong learning and healthy development, strengthening families and helping to equip people with the skills and knowledge for a 21st century economy and society.

**About the Victorian School Building Authority**

The Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA) is part of the Department of Education. Established in 2016, it oversees Victoria's largest school building program since the state introduced free public education in the 1870s.

The VSBA upgrades and expands existing schools and plans, designs and builds new schools to meet enrolment demand. We also support schools to maintain their buildings and grounds by offering expert advice and coordinating maintenance programs and grants.

With Victoria recently introducing two years of funded kindergarten, the VSBA is also working with the early childhood sector on a massive kindergarten construction program.

**About the Division**

The Major Projects & Property Division is responsible for delivering educational infrastructure projects and programs, including the acquisition and management of land as well as delivery of capital infrastructure projects.

The Major Projects branches are responsible for the management and delivery of major infrastructure projects including new schools, upgrade and modernization initiatives, kinder on school sites and learning centres. Projects are normally high value and high risk (typically more than $25 million). Complexities range across design, procurement and construction, including vertical schools. Types of projects include 'stand-alone' schools and 'bundles of schools' for growth areas. Programs for delivery are time critical, based on enrolments and the school year. We consider successful project delivery to include strong stakeholder relationship management, effective risk and issues management, quality communications strategy and implementation and excellent customer service to all stakeholders.

**About the Role**

The Project Officer role in the Major Projects Branches assists in the delivery and administration of education infrastructure capital works projects.

The key accountabilities for the Project Officer (Major Projects) are to:

- provide administrative and project coordination support to a larger team of project managers and/or project officers across all aspects of project execution, ensuring expectations and communications are clear, unambiguos and are understood and agreed between all stakeholders.
- support project officers and managers in ensuring the works program is administered, key program or contractual milestones are achieved and that delivery, performance and financial targets are met.
- collaborate with internal and external stakeholders on a range of matters including the planning, design, legal and communications aspects related to a project site.
- collect and maintain effective and meaningful data and information for the preparation of reports and memoranda and updating the corresponding organisational IT systems
- update project files, databases and project management systems to ensure the data and information collated is relevant and readily available throughout the development of a project and until its completion
- assist with the coordination and preparation of meeting and on-site inspection agendas, minutes. Ensure its timely distribution to all involved stakeholders, following-up on identified action items and issues.
- liaise with DE/VSBA's internal teams as well as other governmental (state, federal or local) agencies. Develop effective working relationships to identify and manage risks and assist to resolve issues that may impact project delivery. This is likely to include management of sensitive negotiations with stakeholders with competing priorities.
- provide clear and timely advice and reports on project planning, delivery, benefits and outcomes for a range of stakeholders, including Ministers, the Secretary, senior officers and project teams.
- identify, coordinate and produce reports and written communication that support effective decision-making by VSBA Executive, the Department and Government.
- analyse data to articulate trends, provide rationale for variances and develop recommendations for insights to be embedded from analysis to drive action
- work collaboratively across the VSBA and broader Department to manage information and processes across the portfolio, acting as a key point of contact for multiple teams and stakeholders
- contribute to continuous improvements for delivery through automation and process improvement

All VSBA staff have a shared responsibility to meet the same service standards outlined in the _VSBA Customer Service Charter_. Our goal is to make every interaction with the VSBA a positive one for our customers, colleagues and key partners regardless of our individ