Principal Project Officer

The Safer Schoolies Initiative (SSI) delivers the Safer Schoolies Gold Coast Response which aims to manage the influx of tens of thousands of predominantly underage and unsupervised, Year 12 school leavers who choose to book their end-of-year holidays on the Gold Coast.

In addition to operational delivery of the Gold Coast Response, the SSI:

• Provide state-wide coordination support to other key Queensland Schoolies holiday destinations.

• Deliver a year-long education program and communication campaign to engage Year 12 school leavers and their parents about safe, respectful, and responsible behaviour whilst at Schoolies.

As the Principal Project Officer, you will plan and coordinate operational requirements and support services for the Safer Schoolies response and assist in the delivery of the response which aims to ensure the safety of young people while minimising disruption to local communities. The Gold Coast Safer Schoolies response is delivered in partnership with nine Queensland Government agencies, seven community partners and the City of Gold Coast.

It is a requirement of the role to be available to work on-the-ground during Schoolies week (Gold Coast) outside of normal business hours, and in the lead-up to Schoolies, work across multiple functions of the team, as part of cross-team collaboration.

What you will be doing:

• Plan, coordinate and oversee key aspects of the Safer Schoolies event, ensuring it meets government and stakeholder expectations and budget.

• Provide project management and support to ensure agreed outcomes are achieved for the Safer Schoolies Initiative, specifically in the areas of operations and support services.

• Provide strategic advice on event management including logistics and planning, risk and safety governance.

• Develop a suite of comprehensive event planning documents including detailed logistics plans and schedules; operational plans; risk registers; manuals and procedures.

• Implement contingency plans to mitigate risks.

• Coordinate with internal teams and external vendors / stakeholders to ensure timely delivery of all logistical elements.

• Coordinate on-site logistics and operations during the Safer Schoolies response period and troubleshoot issues as they arise, in consultation with the Safer Schoolies management.

• Develop, maintain and lead effective working relationships with government partners, community organisations, vendors and contractors that are effective, collaborative and strategic.

• Develop Safer Schoolies stakeholder presentations, training materials and evaluation reports.

• Facilitate and coordinate stakeholder meetings and provide strategic recommendations to improve and maintain quality assurance.

• Manage and track project budget and ensure payment milestones are met.

• Foster collaboration and communication among colleagues and cross-functional areas to ensure alignment and cohesion.

The skills you will need include:

• Proven experience in project or event management.

• A record of success in defining, planning and implementing strategies for complex projects and demonstrated strong influencing and positioning skills to effectively manage these.

• High level communication (written and oral), consultative, interpersonal and negotiating skills with a demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with stakeholders at strategic and operational levels.

• The ability to adapt quickly to changing priorities and make judgement calls within sometimes uncertain environments.

• Demonstrated ability to collaborate and contribute to a positive team culture and support all colleagues to succeed.

Mandatory Requirement:

This role will require an Blue Card.

Applications to remain current for 12 months.Job Ad Reference: QLD/662138/25Closing Date: Wednesday, 08 October 2025