Project Manager, Apprenticeship Support Programs

Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions VIC; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions VIC in Melbourne seeks a Manager, Apprenticeship Support Programs to lead the operation, performance and improvement of Apprenticeships Victoria's support programs.

The role provides strategic and operational leadership, oversees budgets and performance reporting, and engages with internal and external stakeholders to deliver high-quality services for apprentices. Strong leadership and stakeholder skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Manages people and drives organizational performance.
• Establishes metrics to evaluate quality and effectiveness of service delivery.
• Focuses on client outcomes and service excellence.
• Applies broad thinking to develop sustainable solutions across government.
• Maintains an integrated view of organisational systems and value points.
• Builds cross-agency collaboration to achieve program goals.

Responsibilities

• Identifies strategic issues and shapes service delivery models.
• Leads program planning, governance, and budgeting for apprenticeship support.
• Provides expert advice on service delivery and stakeholder engagement.
• Represents the work area with external stakeholders and manages feedback.
• Drives strategic decision-making and ensures program targets are met.
• Oversees risk management and reporting for program performance.

Skills

People leadership

Innovation

Customer focus

Critical thinking

Systems thinking

Collaboration

Job description

Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions VIC – Melbourne VIC

• Fixed term position until 30 June 2028
• Usual hours of work: Full-time ((flexibility may be available)
• Usual work location: 121 Exhibition Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 (flexibility may be available)

The Role

The Manager, Apprenticeship Support Programs is responsible for leading the effective operation, performance and continuous improvement of Apprenticeships Victoria's apprentice support programs.

The role provides strategic and operational leadership to ensure programs deliver high-quality, apprentice centred support services. The Manager oversees operations, grant and budget management, workforce management, performance and reporting and process improvement across the programs. The programs require strong stakeholder engagement with both internal and external stakeholders.

The Manager is accountable for monitoring program performance, managing risks and ensuring services are delivered in line with departmental objectives, policy settings and governance requirements. Using data and insights, the Manager performance and drives continuous improvement across both programs to improve efficiency and service quality. This role requires strong operational expertise and sound judgement.

Key accountabilities include

• Identifies and responds to new and emerging strategic issues impacting on the operating environment
• Develops service delivery models within business plans and objectives
• Provides highly specialist services or expert advice on service delivery
• Represents own work area with external stakeholders, and effectively manages feedback
• Participates in strategic planning and contributes to strategic decision-making process
• Responsible for meeting service objectives, including financial, quality and time related targets for programs or major projects

The Team

The position of Manager, Apprenticeship Support Programs will work within Apprenticeships Victoria Branch, which sits within Skills and TAFE Group.

Skills and TAFE (ST) focuses on enabling Victorians to access the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to participate in today's workforce, prepare for future jobs, and achieve their educational aspirations.

Working in close partnership with the Victorian Skills Authority (VSA), ST provides leadership and stewardship of a responsive, high-quality vocational education and training (VET) system. This includes oversight of the Victorian TAFE Network, led by the Office of TAFE Coordination and Delivery (OTCD), and the apprenticeships system, with a strong focus on aligning training with industry needs and strengthening pathways into the workforce.

ST supports lifelong learning and inclusive education through Adult, Community and Further Education (ACFE) and the Learn Local network, helping adult learners progress into further study or work. ST collaborates across government, industry, education providers, and communities to deliver skills-focused solutions that improve workforce outcomes and enable businesses to access a skilled workforce.

About You

To be successful in this role you will have the following skills and experience:

• Managing People: Role models ethical leadership through decision making and interactions with people; Creates an organisational culture that enables others to perform at their best and achieve outcomes the organisation.
• Innovation and Continuous Improvement: Establishes metrics that evaluate quality and effectiveness of work delivered; Models and encourages new and different approaches, ways of working and solutions that deliver outcomes beyond stakeholder expectations.
• Customer Focus: Assesses effectiveness of service delivery against leading services; Challenges others to deliver service excellence; Looks for long term benefits to the client.
• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: Considers a broad range of topics (beyond immediate area of work), works across government and at senior levels to develop and deliver sustainable solutions.
• Systems Thinking: Establishes an integrated perspective of the organisation's systems and identifies the leverage points where intervention will add value.
• Working Collaboratively: Build a culture of collaboration across the organisation; Looks for and facilitates opportunities to collaborate with external stakeholders; Identifies and overcomes barriers to communication with internal and external stakeholder

Further Information

For a confidential discussion, please contact Rebecca Clark, Director, Insights and Reform on 0438 108 *** or *************@ecodev.vic.gov.au

The department is committed to creating and maintaining a child safe organisation. We have zero tolerance of child abuse and are committed to taking the necessary steps to protect children from harm by adopting a preventative, proactive and participatory approach to child safety in accordance with theChild Safe Standards.

Successful candidates will be required to undergo a National Police Records Check prior to commencing employment with the Department. For further information on the position, please refer to the attached position description.

Applications close at 23:59pm on Sunday, 25 October 2026.