Senior Project Officer

Fixed Term - Full time until 30-Jun-2028

About the Department

The role of the Department of Education is to support Victorians to build prosperous, socially engaged, happy and healthy lives. It does this by supporting lifelong learning and healthy development, strengthening families and helping to equip people with the skills and knowledge for a 21st century economy and society.

About the Group

Schools and Regional Services (SRS) offers central, regional, and local expertise to enhance learning and development outcomes, supported by a diverse and geographically dispersed workforce. It comprises 17 areas within 4 regions, backed by 5 central office divisions, all collaborating to deliver improved outcomes for early childhood services, schools, communities, and learners, in line with Education State commitments. SRS regions serve as a bridge between the central office, schools, and service providers, ensuring smooth transitions for learners and achieving the department's ambitious targets. Each region includes divisions specialising in school performance, student wellbeing and early childhood support, working with area-based teams to tailor local interventions and practices. The 17 areas provide crucial insights into local trends and issues, facilitating effective policy and program development and driving child and learner outcomes across all services and programs.

This role is located in the Health, Wellbeing and Specialist Services Branch, Barwon Area, South West Victoria Region, SRS, and reports to the Manager Health Wellbeing and Specilaist Services. The Health, Wellbeing and Specialist Services Branch is responsible for the delivery of programs and initiatives such as school wellbeing, attendance and engagement, disability inclusion, respectful relationships, and primary and secondary school nursing programs.

About the Role

Working as part of a multidisciplinary area team, the primary responsibility of this role is to contribute to supporting the work of the Barwon Area in relation to student engagement, and working closely with the broader area team, schools and a variety of external service providers who are engaged to support student wellbeing and engagement.

More specifically, this role includes but is not limited to:

• supporting the coordination and implementation of The Geelong Project (TGP) across 7 Geelong Secondary Schools and other place-based approaches to improve student engagement, wellbeing and attendance across the Barwon area, in partnership with community service providers.
• Working with a number of external stakeholders who are funded to deliver various initiatives that support shools in relation to student engagement.
• Facilitating and building effective working relationships between the community, a range of cross Government and service delivery stakeholders and schools
• Supporting various work of the Area team and schools in relation to student attendance and complex cases.

Attributes

The successful candidate will have a strong continuous improvement mindset and demonstrate expertise and skills that indicate an excellent understanding of student wellbeing and engagement in education, and the complexities for schools, young people and families that may present barriers to accessing education.

The successful candidate will:

• Demonstrate the public sector values of Responsiveness, Integrity, Impartiality, Accountability, Respect, Leadership and Human Rights are demonstrated in day to day work.
• Use an understanding of various stakeholders' context to tailor responses and manage complex relationships within a school, regional and community context (customer focus).
• Develop systems and processes for managing multiple elements of the role, manage timelines in relation to the work and incorporate data to track and monitor relevant work (project delivery).
• Collaboratively partner with schools and Area workforces to support responses in relation to student engagement in education, and to implement requirements of the role (partnering and co-creation).

Other attributes of the role include the ability to:

• provide specialist expertise and advice, and incorporate excellent knowledge of DE policies and priorities in relation to student engagement in education, and provide expert advice and guidance to stakeholders in relation to current evidence and good practice.
• deal with complex concepts, and understand multiple data and recording systems to support the work in response to student engagement.
• be confident and successful in working with a variety of stakeholders including school, Area and Regional leadership, principals, teachers, support staff, students, families and the local school community.
• Develop clear project plans that support the work, and implement projects in partnership with Area workforces and schools.

Qualifications and Experience

• Essential: A relevant tertiary qualification in a related field, e.g. Education, Nursing, Allied Health.
• The successful applicant will be required to provide a current Working With Children Check.

How to Apply

• Applicants should keep a copy of the position description and the advertisement text as it can not be accessed once the job has closed.
• Applicants are encouraged to submit a resume and detailed cover letter that addresses the attributes outlined above, aligned to the key selection criteria in the position description.

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 the nominated contact person.

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

For further information pertaining to the role, please contact Louise Medler, Manager Health Wellbeing and Specilaist Services, Barwon via

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 03-Nov-2025