Assistant Director, Policies and Programs

Department of Education; Sydney; On-site; AUD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

The Department of Education, Office for Youth, is seeking an Assistant Director to lead the redesign and delivery of key youth engagement initiatives under the Government’s Youth Strategy. The role will train and support capability in youth engagement, assess progress, and uphold child safeguarding protocols across a dynamic team.

You will shape how government engages with young people, ensuring diverse voices inform policies and decisions affecting them.

Qualifications

• Citizenship: Australian citizen required to be employed in the APS unless the Agency delegate has approved in writing.

Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of key youth engagement initiatives through the Australian Government’s Youth Engagement Model.
• Oversee Youth Meets Parliament event planning and logistics.
• Manage procurement and delivery requirements for programs and activities.
• Coordinate across the branch and with the National Youth Forum team.
• Manage procurement and contractual requirements.
• Build and maintain relationships with stakeholders across the Australian Government.
• Lead strategic policy development and evaluation activities to inform priorities.
• Supervise a small team and manage performance.
• Provide child safeguarding support for meetings.

Job description

Assistant Director, Policies and Programs

At the Office for Youth, we’re all about putting young people front and centre in shaping Australia’s future. We work with the whole of Australian Government to make sure the voices and perspectives of a broad and diverse range of young people, including First Nations young people, are heard in the development of policies and programs that affect them. From Youth Advisory Groups to a National Youth Forum, we’re creating spaces where young Australians can have a real say. Plus, we help the government get better at engaging with youth through toolkits, training, and expert advice.

If you’re passionate about making change and want to help amplify youth voices across the nation, come join us and be part of something exciting!

As an Assistant Director in the Office for Youth, you will be an integral part of the leading the redesign and delivery of key youth engagement initiatives under the Australian Government’s new Youth Strategy. You will also lead training and support to build capability of youth engagement across the Australian Government, measure and evaluate the Office for Youth’s progress and support and lead child safeguarding protocols. Working closely with a dynamic team, you’ll shape how government engages with young people and ensures their voices inform the policies and decisions that affect them.

Key duties of the position include:

Assistant Directors in the Office for Youth are responsible for leading the delivery of key youth engagement initiatives through the Australian Government’s Youth Engagement Model, including:

• Lead the planning and delivery of Youth Meets Parliament, including:
  
  
  
  • Overseeing event planning and logistics
  
  
  • Managing procurement and delivery requirements
  
  
  • Leading coordination and collaboration across the branch, including with the National Youth Forum team
  
  
  • Managing procurement and associated contractual requirements
  
  
  • Building and maintaining productive relationships with key stakeholders across the Australian Government
  
  
  
  


• Leading the strategic oversight and management of the Youth Advocacy and Support Grant partnership, including:
  
  
  
  • Overseeing the Youth Steering Committee and its engagement across the Australian Government and with external stakeholders
  
  
  • Strategic engagement and coordination with young people and youth sector stakeholders, enabling broad youth engagement across a range of Australian Government priorities
  
  
  
  


• Leading strategic policy development and evaluation activities to inform future youth engagement priorities, including reviewing existing approaches, identifying opportunities for reform, undertaking stakeholder consultations and development implementation and performance measurement frameworks.


• Manage and build collaborative relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders including Commonwealth agencies, state and territory governments, youth sector stakeholders and young people.


• Lead and support culturally safe engagement with a broad and diverse range of young people, including First Nations young people, communities and sector stakeholders, building trusted relationships and ensuring diverse perspectives inform the design and delivery of Australian Government youth engagement initiatives.


• Lead a small team to deliver on the priorities of the Australian Government’s youth engagement strategy, while building team capability and managing performance.


• Provide child safeguarding support for in-person and virtual meetings.


• Support other youth initiatives across the branch as required, including but not limited to youth meetings, consultations and ad-hoc support of Australian Government initiatives.

Eligibility

Employment at the Department of Education is subject to conditions prescribed within the Public Service Act 1999 including:

• Citizenship: Under section 22(8) of the Public Service Act 1999, employees must be Australian citizens to be employed in the APS unless the Agency delegate has agreed, in writing.


• Security Clearance: This is a designated security assessed position. The successful candidate will have the ability to obtain and maintain the required security clearance.

Getting to know the Department of Education

The Department of Education contributes to Australia's economic prosperity and social wellbeing by creating opportunities and driving better outcomes through access to quality education and learning. A strong early childhood education system built around early learning and child care gives children the best start in life—supporting them to build social and behavioural skills to help prepare them to transition to school. For parents and carers, affordable child care enables them to participate in the workforce, pursue further education or other opportunities to contribute to their community — bolstering the social wellbeing and economic prosperity of the nation. As children continue their journey through school, access to quality education creates the foundation for a bright future – it opens a world of possibilities and equips children and young people with the skills, knowledge, and career advice to prepare them for further work or study to fulfil their dreams. An affordable, and accessible higher education sector allows Australians and international students to pursue their passion in life or reskill for the jobs of the future. A strong higher education and research sector in step with national priority areas provides people with an opportunity to choose a career path that addresses skill shortages or the challenges of the future including, clean energy, advanced manufacturing, health, and education. Through education and learning, we change lives, create opportunities, and support Australia's economic success and social wellbeing.