Senior Policy Advisor — School Readiness Reform

Department of Education; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

The Department of Education in Victoria is seeking an experienced Senior Policy Advisor to lead the School Readiness Funding policy reforms. The role focuses on policy design, program delivery, and cross‑sector engagement to improve access and participation in early learning across Victoria.

You will oversee a team and collaborate with multiple branches to translate policy into practical delivery, ensuring insights and evidence underpin decisions.

Qualifications

• Desirable: a bachelor level degree.
• Desirable: qualifications include economics, public policy, political science, early childhood education.
• Desirable: leadership experience is highly desirable.
• Required: developing and/or designing policies and programs.
• Required: project management and planning to support policy design, analysis and development.
• Required: ensuring evidence, data and insights are embedded into policy design.
• Required: close collaboration with other teams to enable policy delivery and implementation translation.
• Required: collaborative teamwork to meet shared goals and activities.
• Required: planning and preparing a range of written and verbal communication materials.
• Required: briefing team manager, executives and Ministers as required.

Responsibilities

• Lead policy reforms to improve the design and delivery of School Readiness Funding.
• Engage across the Department and sector to inform policy design.
• Coordinate the work of others and support leadership within the team.
• Manage competing priorities and deliver key outcomes within timeframes.
• Prepare written and verbal communications for briefing executives and Ministers.

Skills

People leadership

Policy development

Policy design

Program planning

Collaboration

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor level degree

Economics/public policy/early childhood education qualifications

Job description

The Department of Education in Victoria is seeking an experienced Senior Policy Advisor to lead the School Readiness Funding policy reforms. The role focuses on policy design, program delivery, and cross‑sector engagement to improve access and participation in early learning across Victoria.

You will oversee a team and collaborate with multiple branches to translate policy into practical delivery, ensuring insights and evidence underpin decisions.