Senior Policy Officer

Water and Catchments - DEECA; Melbourne; Hybrid; AUD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work arrangements

Flexible work arrangements

Job summary

Water and Catchments - DEECA in Victoria seeks a Senior Policy Officer to lead policy projects ensuring the water sharing framework meets current and future needs. You will develop evidence based policy and communicate policy rationale to Ministers and executives, using insights from technical data and stakeholder perspectives.

The role supports flexible hybrid work within Victoria, with a fixed-term appointment until 15 November 2027 and requirements for relevant pre-employment checks and work

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualifications in science, engineering, natural resource management or other relevant disciplines that relate to climate science and/or water resources is required.
• Previous water sector experience is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead projects to develop evidence based policy.
• Prepare briefings and correspondence for Ministers and executives.
• Use insights from technical information and stakeholder perspectives to develop clear policy rationale.

Education

Tertiary qualifications in science, engineering, natural resource management or other relevant disciplines that relate to climate science and/or water resources

Job description

Water and Catchments - DEECA – East Melbourne VIC

Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action

The Senior Policy Officer is an exciting position that will be an integral part of the team delivery policy projects designed to make sure Victoria's water sharing framework meets the needs of current and future generations.
You will lead projects to develop evidence based policy that supports the water sector and Victorian communities to continue to be resilient to changing water availability and hydrology under plausible climate change and interception scenarios and water access to support Victoria's clean energy transition.

Your work will involve creating thinking and problem solving, good communication skills for preparing briefings and correspondence for Ministers and executives.
You will be able to use insights from highly technical information and stakeholder perspectives to develop clear and concise policy rationale.

Specialist/Technical Expertise/Qualifications

• Tertiary qualifications in science, engineering, natural resource management or other relevant disciplines that relate to climate science and/or water resources is required.
• Previous water sector experience is highly desirable.

This is a fixed term position available until 15 November 2027. The work location for this position is flexible within Victoria with hybrid work arrangements available.

Applications close 11.59pm on Monday, 23 November 2026.

Other relevant information:

Preferred candidates will be required to undertake pre-employment screening, including a Declaration and Consent form and a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check.

To be eligible for appointment to this role, applicants will possess corresponding work rights for the advertised employment period. Appointment to an ongoing position is only available to an Australian/New Zealand citizen or an Australian Permanent Resident.

An inclusive, culturally safe and flexible workplace

DEECA fosters an inclusive workplace culture and is committed to a fair, accessible, and equitable recruitment process.

We strongly encourage Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander people to apply. We recognise the strengths, knowledge and perspectives First Nations people bring and DEECA is committed to a culturally safe and respectful workplace. If you need support to participate, please contact ***************@deeca.vic.gov.au.

We support flexible working arrangements, including hybrid work, varied hours, part-time work and job sharing. For more information about our recruitment processes, visit applying for a role with us.