Principal Legal Policy Officer

Location: Melbourne | CBD

Job type: Full time

Organisation: Department of Justice and Community Safety

**Salary**: $129,379 - $173,138

Occupation: Policy

Reference: VG/DJ8227J

At the Department of Justice and Community Safety, we’re looking for people who want to make a difference. People who take pride in their work. People who get things done. People who are committed to making Victoria a safer place.

We embrace diversity and strive to have a workforce that reflects the community we serve. We’re all about recruiting the best people, regardless of gender, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or cultural background. If you think you can do the job and would be a good fit for our department, we’d love to hear from you.

The department is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children and recognises that children’s rights need to be respected, their views welcomed and valued, and their concerns taken seriously and acted upon.

For more information on working with us and our recruitment process, please visit justice.vic.gov.au/careers

We’re proud of the important work we do across Victoria. Want to be part of it?
- ** Lead the development and delivery of legal policy projects and legislative reform for Corrections and Justice Services**:

- **Ongoing full time opportunity to develop and coordinate new legislative and policy proposals**:

- **VPS Grade 6: $129,379 - $173,138 plus superannuation.**

The Department of Justice and Community Safety is seeking to provide a Principal Legal Policy Officer critical role within Corrections Victoria.

**About the Business Unit**

The Department of Justice and Community Safety is responsible for promoting community safety through the effective management and provision of rehabilitation and reparation opportunities to prisoners and offenders under custodial and community-based supervision.

The Corrections and Justice Services Policy, Strategy and Service Design Group (PSSD) is responsible for policy reform, program development and design, and strengthening engagement with service sector partners. PSSD works closely with other CJS business units to deliver a modern corrections system that is focused on human rights, rehabilitation and community safety. PSSD lives the DJCS values in its work, with an emphasis on improving outcomes for people in contact with the system, and fostering a workplace culture that is kind, respectful and effective.

**About the Role**

The Principal Legal Policy Officer, Legal Policy Team will be responsible for leading legal policy projects and legislative reform for Corrections and Justice Services, developing and coordinating new legislative and policy proposals, and the preparation and coordination of detailed and complex reports and briefings.

Key priorities include developing and delivering critical reforms recommended by the Cultural Review into the Adult Custodial Corrections System, ensuring human rights are embedded in corrections policy and practice, contributing to upcoming legal and regulatory reforms and providing strategic legal policy advice to the Minister and our executive on key issues and priorities within the corrections system.

Some of your duties will include:

- Support the Manager by mentoring and advising the team to deliver advice to senior departmental executives and Ministers on legal policy relating to corrections and justice services.
- Provide high level, technical and authoritative strategic and innovative legal policy advice to departmental executives and Ministers on highly complex and potentially sensitive matters.
- Lead the development of legal policy to support operational service partners within Corrections and Justice Services.

To learn more about this role before applying, please read the attached position description.

**About you**

To be successful in this role, you will have:

- Sound knowledge of and/or experience in Victorian government administrative processes, including Cabinet and legislative processes.
- Previous experience in providing public sector policy advice, legal policy advice, legal practice or law reform
- Knowledge of current policy direction, research and issues within corrections and the criminal justice system more broadly, or the ability to understand these issues quickly.
- Strong conceptual and analytical skills with ability to analyse complex operational, policy and legal issues, interpret legislation and provide appropriate legal or regulatory options.

**How to Apply**

**_ FOR INTERNAL VPS EMPLOYEES:_**

**IMPORTANT INFORMATION**:
**CHILD SAFE STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT**:
The Department of Justice and Community Safety is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. We seek to prevent harm of any kind impacting children and young people and have zero tolerance for racism, child abuse and inequality. Children and young people's rights, relationships, identity, and culture must be recognised and respected, their voices heard