Manager, Workplace Psychosocial Safety Service

Department of Education; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Department of Education in Melbourne is seeking a Manager, Workplace Psychosocial Safety Service NWVR and SWVR to provide strategic leadership and policy guidance for psychosocial safety in Victorian schools. The role requires directing a team, managing stakeholder relations, and ensuring compliance with OHS obligations across NWVR and SWVR.

The fixed-term, full-time position runs until 30 June 2028, with travel across the North West and South West regions.

Qualifications

• Experience leading complex programs.
• Ability to develop policy and resources.
• Experience managing stakeholders.
• Ability to drive organisational change.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and direction for a team delivering psychosocial policy advice and specialist support services to schools in NWVR and SWVR.
• Drive a coordinated approach to psychosocial risk management and supporting schools to meet psychosocial health and safety requirements.
• Act as senior escalation point for complex psychosocial safety issues and ensure risk-based decision making.
• Collaborate with the Director, Employee Mental Health Reform and other managers; travel within North West and South West Victoria regions.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Policy development

Stakeholder engagement

Risk management

Job description

Provide strategic leadership and direction for a team delivering psychosocial policy advice, and specialist support services to schools in North West and South West Victoria Region as the Manager, Workplace Psychosocial Safety Service.

This is a fixed term full time position until 30 June 2028.

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.

About the Division

The Employee Safety and Wellbeing Division (ESWD) is committed to the Department's vision to create healthy and safe working and learning environments for Department employees to thrive and succeed.

ESWD performs its functions through several teams that span from prevention, through to response and recovery, along with strategy, advice and support. These teams adopt a holistic approach for supporting the health, safety and wellbeing of our workforce across schools, central and regional offices. This includes Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) and Workers' Compensation policy advice and support, for both physical and mental health and wellbeing. The objectives of the Division are to:

• promote positive wellbeing in learning and working environments
• prevent against known and expected risks to health, safety and wellbeing
• respond swiftly and effectively to manage potential issues as they emerge and prevent injuries employees to recover from injury and illness, and return to work.

About the Role

The Workplace Psychosocial Safety Service North West Victoria Region (NWVR) and South West Victoria Region (SWVR) team supports Victorian schools to create safer, healthier and more sustainable workplaces. The team plays a lead role in the development of policy advice and resources that help schools identify, assess and manage psychosocial hazards and comply with current and emerging OHS obligations.

As the Manager, Workplace Psychosocial Safety Service NWVR and SWVR, you will provide strategic leadership and direction for a team delivering psychosocial policy advice, and specialist support services to schools in NWVR and SWVR. Working closely with the Director, Employee Mental Health Reform and Manager, South East and North East Victoria you will drive a coordinated approach to psychosocial risk management and supporting schools to meet psychosocial health and safety requirements.

This is a highly rewarding role that combines strategic leadership, policy development, service delivery, stakeholder engagement and program management. As a senior escalation point for complex matters, you will provide expert advice on challenging psychosocial safety issues and support consistent, risk-based decision making across the system.

You will work closely with area and regional workforces in NWVR and SWVR to build awareness, capability and confidence in psychosocial hazard identification, assessment & management, while supporting schools across a continuum of services and supports. You will also work closely with other teams in the Employee Mental Health Branch and broader Employee Safety and Wellbeing Division, including Occupational Health Services branch.

The successful candidate will bring significant expertise in psychosocial hazard management, workplace mental health, risk management, occupational health and safety, or a related field. Experience leading complex programs, developing policy and resources, managing stakeholders, and driving organisational change will be highly regarded.

The position is based in Melbourne and will require some travel in North West and South West Victorian regions.

This position may include exposure to potentially confronting material due t o its focus on psychosocial hazard identification. This role is expected to participate in regular wellbeing supervision (provided by the department) in addition to line management supports.

The position reports to the Director, Employee Mental Health Reform Branch.

Attributes, Qualifications and Experience

The required capabilities, qualifications and experience for the role are set out in the position description.

Further Information

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

Information about the Department of Education's operations and employment conditions can be located at www.education.vic.gov.au.

For further information pertaining to the role, please contact Petrina O'Connor – Director Employee Mental Health Reform via (03) 7022 2*** or ***************@education.vic.gov.au.

Applications close 11.59pm 23 November 2026.