Senior Policy Officer

About us

The Department of Treasury and Finance provides economic, financial and resource management advice to help the Victorian Government deliver its policies. We strive for excellence in financial and economic management to improve the lives of all Victorians.

Economic Group

The Economic Group supports the Government in growing employment, material living standards and economic activity through its advice on employment policy, productivity growth, macroeconomic conditions, energy, climate change and decarbonisation, industry development, business innovation, transport and infrastructure policy, and land use planning.

Key tasks include providing advice on inclusively growing jobs and living standards while responding to the challenge of inflation, and reducing the emissions-intensity of the Victorian economy.

The Economic Group hosts the Secretariat that supports the Victorian Independent Remuneration Tribunal (Tribunal).

Victorian Independent Remuneration Tribunal

The Tribunal independently sets and advises on remuneration for Members of Parliament (MPs), local councillors and executives in the Victorian public sector. It consists of up to three part-time Members, led by a Chair.

The Tribunal sets the:

• basic salary and allowances for MPs, including additional salary and allowances for Ministers and other parliamentary officeholders
• remuneration bands for executives employed in the VPS and public entities
• allowances provided to Mayors, Deputy Mayors and Councillors in local governments.

The Tribunal advises public sector employers about requests to pay an executive above the relevant remuneration band. It also conducts reviews and publishes reports on remuneration trends in the public sector, and on other matters as requested or otherwise within its statutory remit.

The Tribunal Secretariat supports the Chair and Members of the Tribunal. It undertakes rigorous and authoritative analysis and provides advice to the Tribunal on matters relating to the remuneration of MPs, local government councillors and public sector executives.

The Secretariat also supports the Office of the Compliance Officer, which hears and determines appeals from MPs in relation to the use of certain work-related parliamentary allowances and the separation payment.

The Secretariat provides a positive, supportive culture and a work environment that enables high performance and personal development.

About the role

As a Senior Policy Officer, you will be responsible for undertaking a range of tasks and delivering products under limited direction. You will work with and provide guidance to more junior staff. You will also be expected to contribute to broader organisational capability and culture.

Key accountabilities are to:

• Provide analysis and expert advice to the Tribunal and senior officers on the policy and strategic implications of remuneration arrangements for occupational groups including Victorian public sector executives, Members of Parliament and local government representatives.
• Prepare documents including Tribunal papers, briefs, presentations, website content and correspondence and assist in the drafting of reviews and Determinations and deliver verbal briefings and presentations to the Tribunal.
• Develop tools for consultation and data collection (e.g. questionnaires), undertake research and analysis on complex, technical issues to support Tribunal reviews and Determinations.
• Provide support and advice to the Compliance Officers in hearing appeals from Members of Parliament.
• Build and maintain collaborative relationships and communicate effectively and professionally with other branches of DTF, the Department of Premier and Cabinet, Victorian Public Sector Commission, public entities, other government departments and with non-government organisations.
• Monitor policy developments and trends in Victoria and other jurisdictions in remuneration matters and analyse potential implications and opportunities for improving Victorian arrangements.
• Demonstrate a commitment to working flexibly as part of a team within the Tribunal Secretariat and contribute to identifying and implementing process and organisational improvements.
• Undertake other tasks relevant to the Secretariat and Branch's roles and responsibilities, including participating in team and Branch corporate development and projects.

Key selection criteria

• Strong policy analysis, problem-solving and/or economic skills, with the ability to critically assess and provide new insights on issues, handle new and complex concepts with ease, and diagnose emerging trends, opportunities and strategic implications of an issue.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex ideas and data from multiple sources in a clear, concise and innovative way to meet audience needs.

• Highly developed influencing and negotiation skills, with the ability to use direct and indirect influencing strategies to gain agreement to proposals and ideas and explore alternatives without foregoing key objectives.
• Proven ability to build strong stakeholder relationships with people at all levels and from different backgrounds and organisations, working collaboratively to deliver on strategic priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to work flexibly across different teams and projects to deliver outputs, with the capacity to adapt to changing circumstances and accept changed priorities.

Experience and qualifications

• A tertiary qualification in a relevant discipline or field (eg, economics, law, human resources) is highly desirable.
• Knowledge of remuneration frameworks will be an advantage.

About our culture

We aim to be a model employer providing an inclusive workplace that is understanding and respectful of differences such as gender, identity, race, disability or age. In addition, we are committed to supporting Aboriginal pathways between education and employment.

The Department strives to create an environment that supports a flexible and adaptive workforce. All requests for flexible working arrangements will be considered in line with operational requirements.

Further Information

For more information about the position and key selection criteria, please refer to the position description. If you have specific questions regarding the role, please contact Lev Gutkin on

How to apply

To apply, select the `Apply Now' button and provide a copy of your resume and cover letter summarising your skills and relevant experience.

Applications close at midnight on 11 January 2026.If you require a copy of this advertisement in an accessible format, please contact the Recruitment team.

Covid-19 Vaccination

DTF is committed to providing and maintaining a working environment which is safe and without risk to the health of its employees and clients and consistent with the department's obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (OH&S Act). To support this DTF has a COVID-19 Vaccination policy which strongly recommends all DTF employees be fully vaccinated.