Principal Advisor

Resources; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

The Social Services Regulator in Melbourne, Victoria is seeking a Principal Advisor to provide high-level strategic and coordination support to the Executive Director and a newly formed division responsible for the Social Services Regulator's worker screening functions.

This fixed-term role reports directly to the Executive Director, driving a cohesive, whole-of-division approach to strategy, regulatory planning and performance.

Responsibilities

• Provide authoritative, high-quality strategic advice to the Executive Director on system performance, emerging risks, sensitive issues and reform directions, supported by robust analysis and a whole-of-division perspective.
• Drive cohesive divisional strategies and initiatives that strengthen the SSR's worker screening functions; identify and address cross-scheme risks; set reform priorities and ensure alignment with government direction and legislative obligations.
• Oversee integrated divisional planning, prioritisation and reporting for the Division, ensuring alignment to scheme objectives, legislative obligations and government commitments and tracking performance to surface and respond to emerging risks.

Job description

Occupation: Governance and risk management

Location: Melbourne - CBD and Inner Metro suburbs

Reference: VG/782963Z

Social Services Regulator
The Social Services Regulator (SSR) is an independent statutory authority that exists to safeguard the rights of children and young people as well as people who use social services in Victoria.
The SSR regulates the Social Services Standards, the Child Safe Standards (for organisations without a sector specific co-regulator as well as the social services sector), and also administers the Worker and Carer Exclusion Scheme (WCES), Reportable Conduct Scheme (RCS) and Working with Children Clearance (WWC Clearance) scheme and NDIS Worker Screening Check.
The Social Services Regulator takes an integrated and intelligence driven approach to identifying, preventing and excluding unsafe people from working with children and young people, as well as ensuring organisations that work with children and young people keep children safe from abuse and harm by meeting the Child Safe Standards.
As a co-regulator of the Child Safe Standards, the Social Services Regulator works with other co-regulators of the Child Safe Standards including the Department of Health, Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA), Victorian Early Childhood Regulation Authority (VECRA), and Workforce Inspectorate Victoria to keep children safe from harm and abuse.

This is a Fixed-term vacancy until 31-Jan-2027

THE ROLE

The Principal Advisor provides high-level strategic and coordination support to the Executive Director and a newly formed division responsible for the Social Services Regulator's worker screening functions. Reporting directly to the Executive Director, the role drives a cohesive, whole-of-division approach to strategy, regulatory approach, planning and performance, ensuring regulatory schemes operate in a coordinated and consistent way. As a trusted advisor to the Executive Director and working closely with the division's leadership team, the role delivers high quality strategic advice, coordinates divisional and organisational initiatives and leads priority reform initiatives.

ACCOUNTABILITIES INCLUDE

• Provide authoritative, high-quality strategic advice to the Executive Director on system performance, emerging risks, sensitive issues and reform directions, supported by robust analysis and a whole-of-division perspective, including through the preparation of clear, timely briefings, submissions and recommendations.
• Drive cohesive divisional strategies and initiatives that strengthen the SSR's worker screening functions; identify and address cross-scheme risks; set reform priorities and ensure alignment with government direction and legislative obligations.
• Oversee integrated divisional planning, prioritisation and reporting for the Division, ensuring alignment to scheme objectives, legislative obligations and government commitments and tracking performance to surface and respond to emerging risks.

For more details, please open the position description.

Applications close Thursday 19 November 2026 at 11.59pm