Senior Policy Officer

• Utilise your expertise in Policy to provide support and advice to the Ministerial Services, Policy Reform and Programs branch
• A Fixed-Term, Full-Time opportunity to work with a high-performing and passionate team in the Victorian Public Service until November 2026
• VPS Grade 5: $113,022 - $136,747 plus superannuation.

About the Business Unit:

Police, Racing, Victims and Coordination (PRVC) group is responsible for leading key policy reform and programs across the Department of Justice and Community Safety (DJCS). It enhances community safety and wellbeing through public policy, governance, legislative advice, reform and grants, bringing together all policy and reform functions aligned to the Police, Crime Prevention, Victims and Racing portfolios.

Ministerial Services, Policy Reform and Programs (MSPRP) comprises several business units, including: Policy Reform and Programs (PRP), Ministerial Services and Coordination, and Redress Design.

PRP leads and partners on cross-cutting initiatives that join up services to improve outcomes, transform the justice system to reduce risk and ensure responsiveness, and build on place-based strengths and opportunities. Within this context, PRP delivers priority justice policy reforms and provides critical departmental, Ministerial and cross-portfolio policy advice, project delivery and coordination in line government priorities. Specifically, it leads on crime prevention, family violence and harm reduction reforms. PRP teams work in a dynamic environment, requiring agility and responsiveness to key priorities as they arise.

About the Role:

As the Senior Policy Officer, you will be responsible to ensure sound policy and strategy advice is provided to senior departmental executives on priority justice policy issues.

Some of your duties will include:

• Providing high-level policy and technical advice to Ministers and Departmental Executives on a wide variety of priority justice policy issues
• Leading, with limited direction, in the development and implementation of policy and legislative proposals, including through consultation and negotiation in relation to options for reform and the preparation of relevant documentation
• Undertaking complex, sensitive research, analyse policy development and delivery including the identification and resolution of emerging issues, risks and trends impacting on the achievement of key government and departmental objectives.

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

About You:

As our ideal candidate, you will possess:

• Strong conceptual and analytical skills.
• Ability and experience in providing advice on complex policy issues, considering available evidence research, data and evidence.
• Stakeholder leadership in engagement and policy design.
• Sound knowledge of Government and of Cabinet and Parliamentary processes.

Qualifications/Requirements:

• A tertiary qualification in a related discipline would be highly desirable.

How to Apply:

Please click the Apply button on this advertisement. Applications should include a resume and covering letter. Attachments can be uploaded in .doc, .docx, .pdf, .txt or .rtf formats.

The successful candidate will be required to undergo pre-employment checks which may include reference checks, national police checks and misconduct screening. Dependant on the role, other checks may include VicRoads checks, drivers licence checks, medical checks, Working with Children Checks, and Declaration of Private Interests (for executive and responsible officer roles).

If you require adjustments to the recruitment and selection process, or require an alternative format to any of the application material, please don't hesitate to get in touch with the contact person listed on this ad.

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, and their concerns acted upon. We aim to foster a culturally safe, child safe and child friendly environment for all children and young people we have contact with, deliver services to, or are impacted by our work.