Senior Workplace Psychosocial Advisor

Department of Education; Mildura; On-site; AUD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

The Department of Education in Victoria is seeking a Senior Workplace Psychosocial Advisor to support government schools across the North West and South West Victoria Regions. You will translate psychosocial health and safety obligations into practical workplace improvements, provide specialist advice and resources, and help strengthen workplace safety practices for school staff across Victoria.

This fixed-term/full-time role (duration until 30-JUN-2028) involves stakeholder engagement,

Qualifications

• Essential: Qualification in Occupational Health and Safety, Mental Health or related field.
• Victorian Driver's license.
• Working with Children Check.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist advice, services and resources to help schools identify, assess and manage psychosocial hazards and comply with current and emerging OHS obligations.
• Strengthen workplace safety practices and implement mental health and wellbeing initiatives.
• Translate legislative obligations into practical workplace improvements for schools across Victoria.
• Contribute to policy advice, resources and guidance materials to strengthen psychosocial safety in education.
• Collaborate with OHS colleagues and regional stakeholders to address psychosocial risks and support safe working environments.

Education

Qualification in Occupational Health and Safety, Mental Health or related field

Job description

As a Senior Workplace Psychosocial Advisor, you will play a critical role in supporting schools in the South West Victoria Region to navigate psychosocial health and safety requirements and translate legislative obligations into practical workplace improvements. You will provide specialist advice, services and resources to help schools identify and manage psychosocial hazards, strengthen workplace safety practices, and implement effective mental health and wellbeing initiatives. Through this work, you will contribute to healthier workplace cultures, improved employee wellbeing and safer working environments for school staff across Victoria.

Fixed-Term/Full-Time (duration until 30-JUN-2028)

About the Department

The department provides a wide range of learning and development support and services.

The department provides policy leadership, plans for the future of education in Victoria and leads key cross-sector collaboration. The department plays an important system steward role by providing support, guidance, oversight and assurance across early childhood and school education systems, as well as directly providing school education and 50 new early learning centres.

About the Division

The Employee Safety and Wellbeing Division (ESWD) is committed to the Department's vision to create healthy and safe working and learning environments for Department employees to thrive and succeed.

ESWD performs its functions through five branches that span from prevention, through to response and recovery, along with strategy, advice and support. These teams adopt a holistic approach for supporting the health, safety and wellbeing of our workforce across schools, central and regional offices. This includes Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) and Workers' Compensation policy advice and support, for both physical and mental health and wellbeing. The objectives of the Division are to:

• promote positive wellbeing in learning and working environments
• prevent against known and expected risks to health, safety and wellbeing
• respond swiftly and effectively to manage potential issues as they emerge and prevent injuries
• support employees to recover from injury and illness and return to work

About the Role

The Workplace Psychosocial Safety Service North West Victoria Region and South West Victoria Region team support Victorian government schools to create safer, healthier and more sustainable workplaces. As psychosocial health and safety requirements continue to evolve, the team provides expert advice, practical support and capability-building to help schools identify, assess and manage psychosocial hazards, comply with current and emerging OHS obligations, and prevent and respond to mental injury. The teams also play lead roles in developing policy advice, resources and guidance materials that strengthen psychosocial safety across the education sector.

As a Senior Workplace Psychosocial Advisor, you will play a critical role in supporting schools in the North West Victoria Region to navigate psychosocial health and safety requirements and translate legislative obligations into practical workplace improvements. You will provide specialist advice, services and resources to help schools identify and manage psychosocial hazards, strengthen workplace safety practices, and implement effective mental health and wellbeing initiatives. Through this work, you will contribute to healthier workplace cultures, improved employee wellbeing and safer working environments for school staff across Victoria.

This is a rewarding role that combines specialist expertise, leadership, relationship building and problem solving. No two days are the same. You will work with a range of stakeholders and deliver hands‑on assistance that helps reduce the administrative burden on schools while improving psychosocial safety outcomes. You will work directly with school leaders and regional stakeholders to address complex workplace challenges, provide practical and evidence‑informed guidance, and support sustainable approaches to managing psychosocial risks before they result in harm.

The Senior Workplace Psychosocial Advisor also plays an important educative and influencing role. Working closely with OHS Implementation Services, and other branches within the Employee Safety and Wellbeing Division, including wellbeing promotion and response and intervention services, you will help build awareness, capability and organisational maturity in the management of psychosocial hazards. Through collaboration and engagement, you will support the successful implementation and embedding of psychosocial health and safety requirements across Victorian government schools.

The role works across a continuum of supports and requires strong expertise in psychosocial hazard identification and management, alongside the ability to develop and implement practical policies, procedures, resources and guidance materials. Experience supporting schools or other complex workplaces to implement OHS legislative requirements related to psychosocial risk will be highly regarded.

The position may include exposure to potentially confronting material due to its focus on psychosocial hazard identification. This role is expected to participate in regular wellbeing supervision (provided by the department) in addition to line management supports.

The position is based in the North West Victoria Region and report to the Manager, Workplace Psychosocial Safety Service North West Victoria Region and South West Victoria Region.

Regular travel, including overnight accommodation in North West Victoria Region is required. The Senior Workplace Psychosocial Advisor will also be expected to attend meetings in Melbourne on a monthly basis.

Why Join Us?

This is an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the wellbeing of employees across Victorian government schools. You will be part of a growing specialist team helping schools navigate significant workplace reform, strengthen psychosocial safety practices, and create positive workplace cultures where people can thrive. Your expertise, advice and leadership will directly influence how schools prevent psychosocial harm and support the health, safety and wellbeing of their workforces.

Attributes

The required capabilities for the role are set out in the position description (see attachment).

Qualifications and Experience

Essential:

• Relevant qualification in Occupational Health and Safety, Mental Health or related field, and relevant experience.
• Victorian Driver's license.
• Working with Children Check.

Further Information

For more details regarding this position please see attached position description for the capabilities to address in application.

The department values diversity and inclusion in all forms - gender, religion, ethnicity, LGBTIQ+, disability and neurodiversity. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. For more information about our work, working for the Department, diversity and inclusion, and our employment conditions visit the Department website and our Diversity and Inclusion page.

Applicants requiring adjustments can contact the nominated contact person.

Information about the Department of Education's operations and employment conditions can be located at www.education.vic.gov.au.

For further information pertaining to the role, please contact Lauren Day on 0403844*** or via ***********@education.vic.gov.au

Preferred applicants may be required to complete a police check and may be subject to other pre-employment checks. Information provided to the Department of Education will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Please let us know via phone or email if you require any adjustments to ensure your full participation in the recruitment process or if you need the ad or any attachments in an accessible format (e.g large print) due to any viewing difficulties or other accessibility requirements.

Applications close

11:59pm on 19 November 2026