Principal Policy Advisor

Department of Education; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

The Department of Education in Victoria seeks a Principal Policy Advisor to lead state-wide health, wellbeing and inclusion reforms, advising executives and government officials. The role focuses on strategic planning, governance and collaborative policy design across education and allied health services.

Based in Melbourne, the role leads the unit within the Inclusive Education Division, delivering evidence-based guidance to improve student wellbeing and learning outcomes through major reforms

Qualifications

• A relevant tertiary qualification and/or experience aligned to the work.
• Being able to think and plan at a strategic level with implementation and governance.
• Strong leadership and collaboration across teams and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Prepare cabinet submissions, governance papers and options detailing efficiencies through supporting workforces.
• Design and implement support materials and resources on best practice in evidence-based service delivery.
• Lead high level governance and coordination of functions across the division and department.
• Strengthen quality of health and wellbeing workforce delivery and efficiencies by aligning reform and system approaches.
• Support governance and evaluation and monitoring for the reform as needed to measure impact.

Job description

Location: Melbourne - CBD and Inner Metro suburbs

Reference: VG/DE/SEPS/1954872

The Principal Policy Advisor plays a lead role in improving access to health and allied health supports for schools, children and young people across the State by designing and implementing state-wide projects in line with departmental objectives and statewide emerging priorities. Ability to plan strategically and implement effectively with appropriate governance is vital for this role. Please note, this role is a fixed term full time role to 30 June 2028.

Please note, this role is a fixed term full time role to 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.

Inclusive Education Division

The Inclusive Education Division (IncED) has a central role in achieving the Education State Agenda by ensuring that all students will have access to the same quality education, regardless of their background or circumstance. This is reflective of our ambition to ensure students with disability and additional needs are engaged and active learners and are provided with the skills, knowledge and attributes they need to succeed in work and life. Specifically the purpose of the Division is to:

• Lead the Department's efforts to implement policy and programs and enhance service delivery to improve educational and wellbeing outcomes for children and young people with disability and additional needs.

• Focus on how the education system can better support children and young people with disability. This includes implementation of inclusive education reforms and oversight of the Government's $1.6 billion Disability Inclusion reform.
• Work across the Department and other government departments and agencies to develop and lead policy and initiatives to maximise the access, participation supported transition and achievement of children and young people with disability and additional needs.
• Build the capability of regional and school-based staff to improve inclusive education frameworks, interventions and practices within regions, schools and early childhood settings. This includes Student Support Services, behaviour, trauma and mental health.

About the Role

The role provides an exciting opportunity for an individual with strong people leadership and policy skills to shape advice to executives, key stakeholders and government officials about educational reforms to improve student wellbeing, engagement and learning outcomes. It has a particular focus on working collaboratively to enhance service delivery of Area Health, Wellbeing and Inclusion Workforces in the context of multiple reforms including Thriving Kids, disability inclusion and the department's mental health reforms.

Working within a dynamic team, the work is fast-paced and requires solutions-driven thinking to respond to complexity, but also to recognise barriers and opportunities in the work. A varied and rewarding role, the Principal Policy Advisor will be delivering outcomes across health wellbeing and inclusion workforces.

The role reports to the Manager - Health Wellbeing Inclusion and Resilience Unit within the Inclusive Education Professional Practice branch of the Inclusive Education Division. The role works collaboratively across the department to support the health wellbeing workforce model and ensure continuity and quality of service delivery. The role is a senior position that plays a leadership role across the unit and the branch. The role of the Principal Policy Advisor:

• uses deep understanding of the various interests and needs of stakeholders - including students, families, school leaders, teachers, area-based staff and allied health practitioners - to prepare cabinet submissions, governance papers and options detailing efficiencies through our supporting workforces

• designs and implements support materials and resources on best practice in evidence-based service delivery

• leads high level governance and coordination of functions across the division and department.

• strengthens quality of health and wellbeing workforce delivery and efficiencies by aligning currentreform and improved system approaches to improve learning and wellbeing outcomes for all Victorianstudents.

• supports governance and implementation of evaluation and monitoring for the reform as needed to measure impact and success of service delivery.

Attributes

Being able to think and plan at a strategic level as well as at the implementation and high level governance management is vital for this role.

The ideal candidate will be a natural collaborator with good organizational knowledge about regional structures and other departmental program areas and initiatives that intersect with and support the work of the unit.

This is a leadership role that exists in a division that values open communication and co-design. The successful candidate will contribute ideas to divisional strategic discussions, identify opportunities to strengthen and leverage off the work of colleagues, whilst being open and responsive to feedback.

Desirable Qualifications and Experience

A relevant tertiary qualification and/or experience aligned to the work.

Further Information

For more details regarding this position please see attached position description for the capabilities to address in application.

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

Applicants requiring adjustments can contact the nominated contact person.

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 Grant McKell – A/Manager via [phone] or [e-mail].

Preferred applicants may be required to complete a police check and may be subject to other pre-employment checks. Information provided to the Department of Education will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Please let us know via phone or email if you require any adjustments to ensure your full participation in the recruitment process or if you need the ad or any attachments in an accessible format (e large print) due to any viewing difficulties or other accessibility requirements.

Applications close Wednesday 11 November 2026 at 11.59pm