Strategic Advisor

About the Department

The department provides a wide range of learning and development support and services.

The department provides policy leadership, plans for the future of education in Victoria and leads key cross-sector collaboration. The department plays an important system steward role by providing support, guidance, oversight and assurance across early childhood and school education systems, as well as directly providing school education and 50 new early learning centres.

Schools and Regional Services (SRS)

The Schools and Regional Services (SRS) Group is the face of the department across Victoria. Successful outcomes for children and young people are at the centre of everything we do.

There are Regional and Area teams in locations throughout the state. The Area teams lead our place-based approach to service delivery and are responsible for managing this delivery through our schools and early childhood providers in local communities right across Victoria.

SRS provides an interface between the department's central office and our service providers, ensuring that policy intent and outcomes are delivered on-the-ground.

SRS promotes and supports partnerships across our system, regional early childhood services, schools and other education providers to deliver high-quality services and outcomes.

SRS has a strong focus on driving operational performance, accountability, workforce leadership and policy implementation.

Teaching, Learning and School Performance Sub-Group

The Teaching, Learning and School Performance sub-group is a relatively new area of the department. It is led by the Assistant Deputy Secretary and has two divisions:

• Curriculum and Teaching Practice and Teaching and Learning Reform Divisions: focused on providing curriculum, teaching and learning services and resources to government schools; and
• Schools Performance Division: responsible for the frameworks and programs relating to government school performance at the student, teacher and school level.

It works with other key areas of the department, including Policy Strategy and Performance, School Education Programs and Support, and the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) and the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership (the Academy) on matters related to the curriculum, teaching, learning and school performance.

About the role

Reporting to the Assistant Deputy Secretary and as part of a job-share arrangement, this role (0.8) leads planning, coordination and priority projects across Teaching, Learning and School Performance's high-profile, dynamic and diverse portfolio of work.

Specific responsibilities of the role include leading projects or work activities that are time-limited, high-priority, and require surge capacity. The role will involve developing, leading and supporting organisational culture reform and activities to promote a positive workplace environment. The role will also support establishing and maintaining workflow processes, business planning, risk management, workforce planning, financial coordination, reporting, internal communications and quality assurance of briefings and correspondence. The Strategic Advisors will lead the continuous improvement of processes in each of these domains.

The role requires strong interpersonal skills to work effectively within and across the group and to represent the Assistant Deputy Secretary across the Department and with senior stakeholders. Flexibility is fundamental to this role, as is the ability to proactively manage multiple and competing priorities and streams of work.

This is a job share arrangement working alongside another Strategic Adviser who works 0.6 FTE.

Desirable Qualifications and Experience

Relevant tertiary qualification in a related discipline

Further Information

For more details regarding this position please see attached position description for the capabilities to address in application.

The department values diversity and inclusion in all forms - gender, religion, ethnicity, LGBTIQ+, disability and neurodiversity. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. For more information about our work, working for the Department, diversity and inclusion, and our employment conditions visit the Department website and our Diversity and Inclusion page

Applicants requiring adjustments can contact Geoff Laws, A/Manager, Assurance

Information about the Department of Education's operations and employment conditions can be located at

Preferred applicants may be required to complete a police check and may be subject to other pre-employment checks. Information provided to the Department of Education will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Please let us know via phone or email if you require any adjustments to ensure your full participation in the recruitment process or if you need the ad or any attachments in an accessible format (e.g large print) due to any viewing difficulties or other accessibility requirements.

Applications close 11:59pm on October