Senior Project Officer

NSW Department of Communities and Justice; Parramatta; Hybrid; AUD 133,000 - 147,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work arrangement

Talent pool for future roles

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

NSW Department of Communities and Justice is seeking a Senior Project Officer for the HCEA Strategy Unit in Parramatta. You will collaborate with DCJ and NGO teams to prevent unnecessary HCEA entries, support timely exits, and ensure permanency, cultural connection and wellbeing for children and young people.

The role forms part of a talent pool for future ongoing and temporary, full-time opportunities, with a hybrid working arrangement (50% onsite, 50% from home) negotiable.

Qualifications

• Experience providing high level advice to improve policy and programs.
• Ability to work autonomously and manage competing priorities.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with diverse stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Provide practical support and expert advice to prevent entries into HCEAs.
• Monitor and review children in HCEA and coordinate exits and transitions.
• Engage with casework teams, NGOs and CAU to identify alternative placements.
• Use data to inform decisions and drive continuous improvement across the system.

Skills

Policy advice

Autonomy

Microsoft Office

Education

Tertiary qualifications in Social Work or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint)

ChildStory

Job description

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Department: HCEA Strategy and Implementation

Department/Agency: Department of Communities and Justice

Location: Parramatta, NSW, AU, 2150

Child Protection and Permanency

Senior Project Officer

Talent Pool

This is a comparative assessment recruitment for the development of a talent pool, which will be drawn upon to fill various Senior Project Officer roles within the HCEA Strategy Unit, as the need arises, and may be used by other business units and divisions, across Child Protection and Permanency and the broader Department of Communities and Justice.

A hybrid mix, including working from a primary work location at least 50% of the time and working from home, can be negotiated.

Employment type: Talent Pool for future Ongoing and Temporary, Full-Time opportunities

Salary: Clerk Grade 9/10 ( $133,348- $146,945 pa ), plus employer’s contribution to superannuation and annual leave loading

We acknowledge the harm caused by past government policies and practices and the significant impact these have had on First Nations children, families and communities.

We commit to recognition of past injustices, truth-telling, and working in partnership with First Nations children, parents, families, communities and the sector to improve outcomes for children and young people in who can’t live at home right now.

If you are aligned with our commitment and goals of inclusion, collaboration, courage and integrity – we encourage you to apply for this role.

The HCEA Strategy Unit

The High Cost Emergency Arrangement (HCEA) Strategy Unit fosters a collaborative and respectful working environment built on trust, equity, and inclusiveness. Our approach is based around shared responsibility, mutual respect, and collective action to improve outcomes for children and young people.

Our multidisciplinary teams work together to:

• Reduce the number of children and young people entering HCEAs in first instance by undertaking a preventative approach alongside districts and NGO casework teams.
• Reduce the number of children and young people currently in HCEAs by supporting restoration efforts, finding kinship placement options and addressing vacancies across the funded service system.
• Scrutinise and reduce costs associated with these arrangements.
• Increase placement supply and implement strategies to stabilise out-of-home care (OOHC) placements.

Your role

The HCEA Strategy Unit is an operational unit.

As a HCEA Support Squad Senior Project Officer in the HCEA Strategy Unit you will collaborate with DCJ and NGO casework teams to prevent unnecessary entries into HCEA, support safe and timely exits when a HCEA has been established, and ensure holistic care that focuses on permanency, cultural connection, and wellbeing. Our team drives system-wide solutions, challenges barriers, and partners with the broader sector to support safe and timely transitions back home to parents, kin and Country, or into stable, home-based or therapeutic placements, if suitable.

What you’ll do

In the HCEA Support Squads, you will lean on your operational expertise and your systems knowledge to reduce the number of children in HCEAs and how long they stay in HCEAs. You will provide practical support (e.g. home visits, group supervisions, assessments or other required operational or field work activities) and expert advice to prevent entries into HCEAs, working closely with casework teams, NGOs, and the Central Access Unit (CAU) to identify alternative placements and expedite referrals. You’ll monitor and review children in HCEA, support exit planning, and coordinate transitions and access to therapeutic supports. The role involves system advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and navigating complex service systems to remove barriers and improve outcomes. You’ll help to mobilise outcomes on-the-ground with casework teams – supporting staff to find family, make referrals, or bring together multiple stakeholders to expedite better outcomes. You’ll also oversee financial approval processes, contribute to quality assurance, and use data to inform decision-making and drive continuous improvement across the broader service system.

The HCEA Strategy Unit fosters a collaborative and respectful working environment built on trust, equity, and inclusiveness. Our approach is based around shared responsibility, mutual respect, and collective action to improve outcomes for children and young people.

Our multidisciplinary teams work together to:

• Reduce the number of children and young people in HCEAs.
• Scrutinise and reduce costs associated with these arrangements.
• Address vacancies across the funded service system.

Increase placement supply and implement strategies to stabilise Out-of-Home Care (OOHC) placements.

What we’re looking for

Are you passionate about creating equitable, inclusive, and sustainable solutions for vulnerable children and young people? The HCEA Strategy Unit is seeking dynamic professionals to join a high-performing team committed to transforming outcomes for children and young people in OOHC.

• Demonstrated experience providing high level advice and guidance to improve policy and programs with a focus on outcomes for children and young people.
• Ability to work autonomously and effectively manage competing priorities.
• Highly developed knowledge of ChildStory and proficiency using Microsoft packages (Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and SharePoint).
• Excellent written communication skills including preparing written correspondence, briefs, reports and resources.
• Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills supporting communication with a broad range of stakeholders including potential foster carers and funded service providers.
• Relevant tertiary qualifications in Social Work, Psychology, Sociology or other related degree if you can demonstrate your knowledge skills and experience working with vulnerable children, young people, familiesand carers.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, and the ability to build positive working relationships.

Appointments are subject to reference checks and the following pre-employment checks:

• National Criminal History Record Check in accordance with the Disability Inclusion Act 2014.
• Working with Children Check clearance in accordance with the Child Protection (Working with Children) Act 2012.

We focus on hiring people who share our commitment and goals of inclusion, collaboration, adaptability, courage and integrity. If you meet the essential requirements and the role resonates with you, we do not require every desired requirement to be met for us to want to talk to you.

What We Offer

We offer a variety of benefits, including:

• A challenging and rewarding career
• Flexible, autonomous work environment
• Competitive pay and conditions
• Training and development opportunities to build and maintain capabilities
• Health & Wellbeing and Employee Assistance Programs.

Want more information? Visit our website to see more information on Working for us.

We do work that really matters

Working for the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) provides lots of opportunities to make a real difference. We collaborate with other agencies and community partners, to improve lives and realise the potential of children, adults, families and communities. We're focused on breaking, rather than managing, disadvantage. It’s work that really matters.

Applications close

Sunday, 25 October 2026 at 11:59pm AEST.

Inclusion and Diversity lies at the heart of how we recruit

We continue to hire great people with a wide variety of skills, experience and backgrounds. This includes people with disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, women, people identifying as LGBTIQ+, culturally and linguistically diverse people, carers and other diversity groups.

A talent pool may be created for future ongoing and temporary roles and is valid for a period of up to 18 months.

Thank you for your interest in this role. We look forward to receiving your application.

The Welcome Experience

Thinking about moving to regional NSW? Get free, personalised support with housing, schools, jobs, and settling in. Learn more: www.nsw.gov.au/welcomeexperience