Senior Program Officer

State Government of Victoria, Australia; City of Melbourne; On-site; AUD 116,000 - 141,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Superannuation

Job summary

State Government of Victoria, Department of Justice and Community Safety in Melbourne is seeking a Senior Program Officer to support applicants through the redress process. You will assess applications, provide sensitive support, and prepare clear written recommendations, while maintaining professional records.

A qualification in social work, psychology, or nursing is highly desirable; experience in trauma-informed case management and strong writing skills are required.

Qualifications

• Victim-centred, trauma-informed case management experience.
• Strong writing skills and ability to analyse complex information clearly.
• Resilience to stay calm and make sound decisions under pressure.
• Critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
• Genuine interpersonal skills and focus on applicants' needs and circumstances.
• Qualification in social work, psychology and/or nursing is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Support applicants through the redress process as Senior Program Officer.
• Assess applications and provide clear, fair, and well-supported recommendations.
• Manage a caseload of applicants including those who may have experienced trauma or ill health.
• Guide applicants through each step and provide sensitive support or referrals when needed.
• Assess complex applications against scheme rules and prepare clear written recommendations.
• Keep accurate records and reports while maintaining professional boundaries.
• Work with others to support outcomes and improve how the scheme operates.

Skills

Victim-centred case management

Trauma-informed approach

Strong writing skills

Analytical thinking

Resilience under pressure

Critical thinking

Interpersonal skills

Education

Qualification in social work, psychology and/or nursing

Job description

Location: Melbourne - CBD and Inner Metro suburbs

Reference: VG/DJCSVARSEP26

At the Department of Justice and Community Safety, we’re looking for people who want to make a difference. People who take pride in their work. People who get things done. People who are committed to making Victoria a safer place.

We embrace diversity and strive to have a workforce that reflects the community we serve. We’re all about recruiting the best people, regardless of gender, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation or cultural background. If you think you can do the job and would be a good fit for our department, we’d love to hear from you.

The department is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children and recognises that children’s rights need to be respected, their views welcomed and valued, and their concerns taken seriously and acted upon.

If you require adjustments to the recruitment and selection process, or require an alternative format to any of the application material, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the contact person listed on this ad.

For more information on working with us and our recruitment process, please visit justice.vic.gov.au/careers

We’re proud of the important work we do across Victoria. Want to be part of it?

• Help people through a sensitive redress process with care and clear advice.
• Assess applications and guide applicants through each step of the process.
• Make a direct difference for people seeking redress and support.
• Work on complex cases where your judgement, writing and empathy matter.
• Fixed-term, full-time role earning$116,413 - $140,849 per year, plus super.

What you will do

As Senior Program Officer, you will support applicants through the redress process.

You will assess applications and make clear, fair and well-supported recommendations.

You will:

• manage a caseload of applicants, including people who may have experienced trauma or ill health.
• guide applicants through each step and provide sensitive support or referrals when needed.
• assess complex applications against scheme rules and prepare clear written recommendations.
• keep accurate records and reports while maintaining professional boundaries.
• work with others to support outcomes and improve how the scheme operates.

About you

A qualification in social work, psychology and/or nursing is highly desirable.

You have significant experience providing victim-centred, trauma-informed case management. This may include work with victims, trauma survivors or people needing complex health support.

• You should also have:
• strong writing skills and the ability to analyse complex information clearly.
• the resilience to stay calm and make sound decisions under pressure.
• strong critical thinking skills and the ability to solve complex problems.
• genuine interpersonal skills and a focus on each applicant's needs and circumstances.

To learn even more about this role, please read the position description. If you have any further questions, feel free to email Karen Holmes at [e-mail].

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (Aboriginal) people are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about our Aboriginal workforce strategy.

The successful candidate will be required to undergo pre-employment checks which may include national police checks and misconduct screening.

If you require adjustments to the recruitment and selection process, or require an alternative format to any of the application material, please don't hesitate to get in touch with the contact person listed on this ad.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

Child safe statement of commitment

The Department of Justice and Community Safety is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. We seek to prevent harm of any kind impacting children and young people and have zero tolerance for racism, child abuse and inequality. Children and young people's rights, relationships, identity, and culture must be recognised and respected, their voices heard, and their concerns acted upon. We aim to foster a culturally safe, child safe and child friendly environment for all children and young people we have contact with, deliver services to, or are impacted by our work.

Applications close Thursday 1 October 2026 at 11.59pm