Senior Advisor

State Government of Victoria, Australia; City of Melbourne; On-site; AUD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

State Government of Victoria is seeking a Senior Advisor to support school leaders in Victorian government schools as they respond to significant child safety incidents and guide affected students and families through available supports. The role is based in Melbourne, centrally aligned with the Restorative Engagement and School Support Branch.

The Senior Advisor will operate across two teams—the Restorative Engagement and Support unit and the Sexual Harm Response unit—providing high‑level

Qualifications

• Experience in policy, program management or advisory roles related to child safety.
• Ability to prepare briefs, reports and papers for senior leaders.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Demonstrated resilience and sensitivity in difficult child safety contexts.
• Commitment to restorative engagement for former students harmed in the system.

Responsibilities

• Support school leaders to respond to significant child safety incidents and navigate available supports.
• Work across the Restorative Engagement and Support unit and the Sexual Harm Response unit.
• Draft notifications and communications to the school community; liaise with police and stakeholders.
• Contribute to case and records management, reporting to senior leaders, and cross-team functions.
• Support counselling assistance payments and ensure wellbeing support for affected students and staff.

Skills

communication skills

stakeholder management

people management

cognitive flexibility

briefs and reports

team player

record-keeping

problem solving

Education

Social sciences / counselling / law

Job description

Occupation: Governance and risk management

Location: Melbourne - CBD and Inner Metro suburbs

Reference: VG/DE/PES/1950007

A rewarding opportunity for an experienced professional to support school leaders to respond to current significant child safety incidents and to assist people impacted by child sexual abuse in the Victorian government school system to navigate support options available.

About the role

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

The Senior Advisor will play a critical role within the department's Restorative Engagement and School Support branch, working flexibly across two teams; the Sexual Harm Response Unit and the Restorative Engagement and Support unit:

• The Restorative Engagement and Support unit is responsible for a number of streams of work aimed at providing information and assistance to former students who experienced sexual abuse in a Victorian government school, including a website and telephone service for victim-survivors, a restorative engagement program, and supporting schools to engage with former students who are victim-survivors of abuse with sensitivity, respect and accountability
• The Sexual Harm Response unit supports schools and other areas of the department respond to allegations, findings and charges of child sexual abuse by an adult working in a Victorian government school, with a strong focus on child safety and wellbeing. Support includes drafting notifications and communications to the school community, ensuring appropriate wellbeing support is offered to impacted students and staff, liaising with Victoria Police and other stakeholders, monitoring court proceedings, and working with school leadership and the department's compliance team to review the school's child safety policies and procedures.

The Senior Advisor will also play an important role supporting a variety of cross-team functions including the department's counselling assistance payments for current and former students who have experienced child sexual abuse by an adult working in a government school, the branch's case and records management systems, and reporting to senior leaders on the work of the branch.

Capabilities

The Senior Advisor must demonstrate:

• excellent communication skills (written, listening and verbal), attention to detail, sensitivity, empathy, and resilience
• exceptional people management, interpersonal and stakeholder management skills
• cognitive flexibility to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment
• strong skills and experience in preparing complex briefs, reports and papers to senior leaders
• ability to work as a strong team player, with a commitment to contributing to and maintaining a healthy and positive workplace culture
• strong organisational skills including excellent and comprehensive record-keeping skills
• strong problem-solving skills
• a genuine commitment to restorative engagement for current and former students who have been harmed in the care of the Victorian government school system.

Mandatory Qualifications

Qualifications in social sciences, counselling, law, or other relevant qualification is essential.

About the Division

The Restorative Engagement and School Support Branch sits within the Operational Policy, School Engagement and Compliance (OPSEC) Division – a supportive, respectful, positive, and collaborative team with a culture of high integrity, responsiveness and accountability.

OPSEC Division is responsible for a range of functions, with a collective overarching focus on supporting schools with child safety, operational policy and compliance activities, reducing administrative and compliance burden for schools, and streamlining the volume and timing of communications to schools.

Further Information

For further information about the role, please contact Jane Carew–Reid, Director, on mobile [phone] or [e-mail].

For more details regarding the role requirements and capabilities, refer to the attached Position Description.

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.

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.g large print) due to any viewing difficulties or other accessibility requirements.
Applications close 11.59pm 14 October 2026