Senior Program Officer

Council Jobs; Canberra; On-site; AUD 103,000 - 117,000; Full time

Job summary

Council Jobs is seeking a Senior Administrative Officer – Professional Services in Canberra. The role supports the Three-year-old preschool program and acts as a key contact for partner providers, services, and families, ensuring smooth program administration and stakeholder communication.

The position requires strong coordination, contract management experience, and the ability to work in a high-performing team. It is a temporary role based in Canberra with ABW guidelines and a 12‑month term.

Qualifications

• Experience in program and/or contract management.
• Ability to build relationships with stakeholders.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and manage operational activities including responding to stakeholder enquiries.
• Handle program administration and reporting.
• Engage in contract management and implementation of continuous improvement activities.
• Support delivery of government commitments and expansion programs.

Job description

Classification: Senior Administrative Officer - Professional Services
Salary: $102,657 - $116,592 plus superannuation
Position No: 61679
Directorate: Education
Advertised (Gazettal date): 09 November 2026
Contact Officer: JessicaJ Smith on**************@act.gov.auor(02) 6205 4***

Details: The Three-year-old preschool team is responsible for delivering the ACT Government’s free Three-year-old preschool program and supporting parents/carers to apply for Early Entry to ACT Public Preschools.

We are looking for an exceptional officer ready for their next challenge. If you have experience in program and/or contract management, enjoy building strong relationships with stakeholders and have a talent for keeping complex programs running smoothly, this could be the role for you!

This is a fantastic opportunity for you to be part of delivering an ACT Government commitment that directly benefits children and families in our community.

In this role, you will be a key point of contact for Partner Providers, services and parents/carers, helping to ensure a positive experience through responsive support, clear communication and effective issue resolution. You will coordinate and manage a range of operational activities including responding to stakeholder enquiries, program administration and reporting, contract management and the implementation of continuous improvement activities. You will also support delivery of the Government’s commitment to expand the program to 600 hours.

To be successful in this role you will excel in working in small but high performing teams, have the ability to pick up new information quickly and will have experience in program and/or contract management. You will have excellent written and oral communication skills, fantastic organisational and time management skills, and the ability to build and maintain quality relationships with a range of stakeholders. Knowledge of the early childhood sector is desirable however not essential, experience in government program management or customer service would also be an advantage.

Note: This is a temporary position available immediately for a period of 12 months.

A Merit Pool may be established from this selection process and may be used to fill future identical vacancies over the next 12 months.

This role requires the successful candidate to be based in Canberra due to the nature of the work and the need for regular collaboration with ACT-based stakeholders. Remote working arrangements outside of the ACT and local surrounds will not be considered.

This position is based within a workplace designed for activity-based working (ABW). Under ABW arrangements, officers do not have a designated workstation/desk. We work in a mixed-mode of at home and at the ACT Whole-Of-Government building at 220 London Circuit. The successful candidate will be expected to work flexibly across sites.

Applicants should note that a Joint Selection Committee (JSC) established in accordance with the collective/enterprise agreement provisions will assess all applications for this position.

Note: Under the ACTPS employment framework you may be placed in another role where required for the efficient administration of the service.

Where an offer of employment is for a fixed-term period, any related temporary contracts within the Territory will be issued in compliance with the requirements and applicable exceptions outlined in the Fair Work Act.

The ACT public service is committed to closing the gap, underpinned by the belief that when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a genuine say in the design and delivery of policies, programs and services that affect them, better life outcomes are achieved. More information can be found here ACT Closing the Gap Implementation Plan - ACT Government Transparency Portal.

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Closes: 23 November 2026