Principal Advisor, Court Operations

Magistrates Court; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Court Services Victoria seeks a Principal Advisor, Court Operations to drive operational excellence across Victoria’s court venues. You will use data and strategic thinking to streamline processes, strengthen workforce capability and ensure services remain responsive to community needs.

You will lead a team of professionals, collaborate with Executive Directors Court Operations, manage change, and advance a culturally safe workplace for staff and court users, including First Nations engagement.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience delivering operational excellence in complex government environments.
• Strong capability in performance monitoring and data-driven decision making.
• Proven ability to lead change and workforce planning initiatives.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and negotiation skills.
• Commitment to inclusive, culturally safe workplace.

Responsibilities

• Drive statewide court operations and ensure service continuity across MCV venues.
• Lead operational improvement and strategic problem-solving to enhance service delivery.
• Foster an inclusive workforce through workforce planning and development.
• Ensure culturally safe practices and First Nations engagement.
• Collaborate with Executive Directors Court Operations to align objectives and optimise performance.
• Support registry and court services with leadership on complex issues.
• Engage with internal and external stakeholders to promote court services.

Skills

Operational leadership

Data analysis

Stakeholder engagement

Strategic decision-making

Change management

Job description

Key responsibilities

• Drive statewide court operations by ensuring service continuity, operational performance and effective resource management across MCV venues.
• Lead operational improvement and strategic problem-solving to enhance service delivery, manage demand pressures and address complex challenges.
• Build a capable and inclusive workforce through workforce planning, capability development, innovation and culturally safe practices.

About Us

Court Services Victoria provides corporate services and facilities to support the performance of the judicial, quasi-judicial and administrative functions of Victoria's courts and tribunal, Judicial College and Judicial Commission. Collectively, Victoria's Supreme, County, Magistrates', Children's, and Coroners courts, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), the Judicial College of Victoria, the Judicial Commission of Victoria, and Court Services Victoria (CSV) are referred to as the ‘Courts Group'. Our people enable the Courts Group to deliver on each jurisdiction's own strategic priorities while also pursuing strategic opportunities that are interconnected and deliver benefits more broadly. The Magistrates' Court of Victoria (MCV) has a long history of providing justice for the people of Victoria in metropolitan and regional courts across the state. The MCV determines in excess of 200,000 cases per annum at 51 venues, dealing with over 90 percent of all adult cases that come before Victorian courts each year. MCV aims to be an innovative, accessible and responsive court that provides quality services to the Victorian community.

About the Role

This is a rare opportunity to influence the future of court operations across Victoria. As Principal Advisor, Court Operations, you will play a pivotal role in driving operational excellence across court venues statewide, ensuring services remain responsive, efficient and aligned to the evolving needs of the community. Working closely with the Executive Directors, Court Operations, you will lead strategic initiatives that optimise court performance, improve service delivery and strengthen workforce capability. You will use data, insights and innovative thinking to streamline processes, enhance case flow and support both registry and therapeutic workforces to achieve outstanding outcomes. With a strong focus on operational continuity, workforce planning and continuous improvement, you will help shape a modern court system that delivers timely access to justice while fostering a safe, inclusive and culturally responsive environment for staff and court users. This role is also instrumental in advancing a culturally safe workplace for First Nations staff and communities, supporting meaningful engagement and strengthening organisational capability in Aboriginal cultural awareness and inclusion.

Key responsibilities will include

• Ensuring operational continuity of MCV court venues in delivering required services aligned to current and future requirements of the Court including contingency planning for all venues as well as security and maintenance.
• Monitoring the demand, performance outputs and resourcing requirements of these courts and functions ensuring the attainment of operational and strategic objectives.
• Assisting the Executive Directors Court Operations and court-based leadership to identify service improvements, managing demand pressure, identifying and managing performance issues and developing strategies to manage service delivery challenges.
• Supporting court-based leadership to foster an environment that supports engagement and innovation encouraging individual and team achievements to provide quality service delivery.
• Foster a culturally safe work environment for First Nations staff, program participants and court users.
• Developing and manage workforce planning, succession modelling across MCV court-based staff to ensure all staff receive appropriate training and professional development and are given opportunities to experience all functional areas of the court and maximise their career potential.
• Providing leadership, guidance and expertise on complex, sensitive issues including change management to strengthen registry and court services.
• Identifying and develop linkages with internal and external stakeholders to actively promote court services and functions.

About You

You are an experienced operational leader with a proven ability to drive performance, lead complex service environments and deliver continuous improvement. Using data-driven insights, sound judgement and strong business acumen, you influence outcomes, solve complex problems and build high-performing, inclusive teams. You will bring:

• Extensive experience delivering operational excellence in complex environments.
• Strong capability in performance monitoring, data analysis and strategic decision-making.
• Proven ability to resolve complex operational challenges and drive service improvements.
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement, influence and negotiation skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities with a focus on practical outcomes.
• Experience leading change, workforce planning and business improvement initiatives.
• A commitment to service excellence, integrity, inclusion and public value.
• A collaborative leadership style that fosters innovation, engagement and a culturally safe workplace.

Regular statewide travel will be required.

Other information

CSV is the employer of staff at Courts Group. CSV has a firm commitment through its Koori Employment Plan to increase participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across our workforce. We value the unique backgrounds, experiences, and contributions that each person brings to our community and encourage and celebrate diversity. Those from the LGBTQIA+ community, women, people of all ages, with disabilities, culturally and linguistically diverse people, and those who are neurodiverse, are encouraged to apply. We aim to create a workforce that reflects the community in which we live. As part of our commitment to a safe and respectful workplace, CSV conduct pre-employment checks, including reference checks, police checks and misconduct screening. These checks are handled confidentially, with care and are a standard part of our hiring process to ensure the right fit for both candidates and Court Services Victoria.