Conciliation Officer

Department of Government Services; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The Department of Government Services (DGS) in Melbourne is seeking a Conciliation Officer to lead complex dispute assessments and support parties toward fair outcomes. You will prepare formal recommendations and maintain case records in a government environment.

This ongoing role requires strong negotiation, impartiality, and collaborative work with DSCV staff, while advancing policy improvements and best-practice approaches within the VPS framework.

Qualifications

• Influence and Persuasion: Tailor messaging to audience and plan objections.
• Interpersonal Skills: See perspectives, understand stakeholders needs.
• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: Analyze guidelines and resolve issues.
• Flexibility and Adaptability: Accept changes and collaborate across teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead the assessment and analysis of complex disputes, diagnose requirements and inform strategies while remaining impartial.
• Provide high-level, expert advice to parties and stakeholders on resolution options; refer to specialist services when needed.
• Facilitate parties toward mutually acceptable outcomes using advanced negotiation techniques and clear issue articulation.
• Exercise expert judgment to determine appropriate actions using documentation from multiple sources.
• Plan, coordinate and lead conciliation conferences with comprehensive briefing materials and recommendations.
• Maintain high-quality case management and accurate records in systems following DSCV policies.
• Mentor, coach and train DSCV staff to build capability and promote best practice.

Skills

Influence and Persuasion

Interpersonal Skills

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Flexibility and Adaptability

Job description

Location: Melbourne - CBD and Inner Metro suburbs

Reference: 13205

About Us

The Department of Government Services (DGS) wasestablishedon 1 January 2023 to improveeveryone’s experience of doing business and interacting with the Victorian government. We bring important day-to-day services together in one department to make things easy and seamless for Victorians and businesses. We are doing this by connecting and digitising our systems and platforms across state and localgovernment as well as streamlining our corporate and procurement services.

DGS upholds and demonstrates the values of the VPS and is the embodiment of VPS leadership. DGS’ values are adopted from the Public Administration Act 2004:

• Leadership
• Integrity
• Impartiality
• Accountability
• Respect
• Commitment to Human Rights.

The DSCV delivers timely, fair, and cost-effective dispute resolution services that reduces pressure on the judicial system and contributes to stronger, more resilient communities across Victoria.

About the Role

The role of a Conciliation Officer is to provide expert guidance and management in the assessment and handling of conflicts between parties, leveraging specialist knowledge to evaluate, advise, and oversee complex cases. Conciliation Officers conduct comprehensive case assessments, identify and clarify key issues, and prepare formal recommendations and notices for parties. They work with parties individually and collectively to resolve disputes, ensuring processes are impartial, fair, and compliant with relevant frameworks. Conciliation Officers also serve as subject-matter experts, supporting less experienced staff, informing policy and procedural improvements, and contributing to the development of best-practice approaches for managing and resolving conflicts.

Key Accountabilities

• Lead the assessment and analysis of complex disputes, diagnosing dispute resolution requirements and identifying risks, trends, and systemic issues to inform organisational strategies, while maintaining impartiality and neutrality.
• Provide high-level, expert advice to parties and stakeholders on resolution options, facilitating efficient and effective resolution pathways, including independent referral to specialist services where required.
• Facilitate and guide parties towards mutually acceptable outcomes using advanced negotiation and facilitation techniques, ensuring clarity of issues and supporting constructive dialogue.
• Exercise expert judgment and decision-making in determining appropriate courses of action, incorporating documentation from multiple parties, stakeholders, and relevant organisational policies.
• Plan, coordinate, and lead complex conciliation conference, including the preparation of comprehensive briefing materials and formal recommendations, as well as ensuring processes meet organisational standards.
• Oversee and maintain high-quality case management practices, including accurate recording of correspondence and case notes in relevant systems, ensuring compliance with DSCV policies and guidelines.
• Provide mentorship, coaching, and training to DSCV staff as required, fostering capability development and promoting best practice across the team.
• Contribute to ongoing program development, supporting team and organisational initiatives to improve dispute resolution services, align with the DSCV vision, and respond to emerging priorities.

About You

We are seeking applicants who have demonstrated experience from the following criteria:

• Influence and Persuasion: Consistently adapts the content, style, message or tone of a presentation to suit the audience and plans how to tackle objections; applies own ideas by linking them to others’ values, needs and goals.
• Interpersonal Skills: Sees things from another’s point of view and confirms understanding; understand motivations, needs and wants of stakeholders and their impact on service delivery; tailor communications according to audience and/or audience preference.
• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: Resolves issues through deep understanding or interpretation of existing guidelines. Where guidelines are not available, analyses ideas available and takes action through self, or in consultation with others to resolve problems. If required, determine additional information needed to make informed decisions. Applies critical thinking and problem-solving concepts in the right context.
• Flexibility and Adaptability: Accept changed priorities without undue discomfort. Responds quickly to changes. Comfortable working in collaboration with teams outside of own organisation.

This role is an ongoing position. This position is only open to applicants with relevant rights to work in Australia.

To be eligible for appointment to this role, applicants will possess corresponding work rights for the advertised employment period. Appointment to an ongoing role is only available to an Australian/New Zealand citizen or an Australian Permanent Resident. Preferred applicants will be required to undertake pre-employment screening. DGS actively promotes diversity, inclusion and an equal opportunity workplace. We welcome applicants from all diverse backgrounds, including people with disabilities and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. All roles at DGS can be worked flexibly, however it may differ from role to role.