Work Type: Fixed-term - Full-time
Salary: $142,790 - $191,084
Grade: VPS 6
Occupation: Governance and risk management
Location: Melbourne - CBD and Inner Metro suburbs
Reference: VG/DE/VECRA/1931033
About the Victorian Early Childhood Regulatory Authority
The Victorian Early Childhood Regulatory Authority (VECRA) is the statutory authority responsible for regulating early childhood education and care services in Victoria. VECRA works to ensure the safety, wellbeing and development of children through effective regulation, compliance, quality assessment and continuous improvement across the early childhood sector.
VECRA plays a critical system management role, providing guidance, oversight and assurance to the sector while supporting high-quality early childhood education outcomes for Victorian children and families.
About the Branch
The Complex Investigations Branch is based in the central office and is responsible for leading and supporting complex investigative activities across VECRA. The Branch is structured into two business units that work collaboratively including with regional and central teams to ensure consistent, high-quality investigative practices:
The Central Investigations Unit leads complex and high-risk investigations and provides expert advice and guidance on investigative matters. The Unit supports our operational regional teams by offering specialist expertise, oversight, and coordination to ensure investigations are conducted in a consistent, timely, and effective manner.
The Complex Child Safeguarding Investigations Unit is responsible for delivering high-quality, rigorous investigations into complex, sensitive, and often high-profile child safeguarding matters.
Both teams also manage important projects for VECRA related to investigations, and lead investigations that involve allegations of child sexual abuse, serious misconduct, or significant risk to children, requiring a high level of expertise, discretion, and trauma-informed practice.
About the Role
An engaging and important opportunity exists for a highly skilled Principal Investigator and manager with strong regulatory investigations expertise.
This role is responsible for leading high-profile investigations into large, complex and sensitive child safeguarding matters, including alleged child sexual abuse in early childhood education and care services. As Principal Investigator in the Complex Investigations Branch, you will lead VECRA's investigative approach to these matters as well as contribute to building associated capability of staff in accordance with the relevant Law, Regulations and Government policy.
You will also undertake the most complex investigations in the branch with a small team of staff that you lead. You will be responsible for providing authoritative and expert advice on these investigations including to senior management, developing and adapting investigative strategy and executing plans with care, thoroughness and in a timely manner. Your investigative activity will be best practice for a regulatory environment. It will exemplify procedural fairness and VPS Values, such as integrity and responsiveness, and demonstrate a deep understanding of the various stakeholder communications required.
The position, reporting to the Director, Complex Investigations, will also regularly collaborate with other areas in VECRA, such as our regional operations, legal and enforcement teams. The position is a frontline response role and at times will require travel in Victoria. Occasionally, this will include planned overnight stays.
This is a full-time fixed term position, located in East Melbourne. VECRA supports flexible work arrangements and welcomes applications from those seeking to work part-time.
For more details regarding this position p lease see attached position description (PD).
Attributes
To be successful in this role, you will be a collaborative and motivated manager with outstanding regulatory investigation capability. You will be capable and willing to move between tasks as needed to support priorities that arise often with little warning. You will also have demonstrated digital literacy (MS Teams; MS Office suite; Microsoft Edge, SharePoint) and excellent written and verbal communication skills. Exceptional managerial and stakeholder engagement skills are vital for this role.
Please refer to PD for further specific details and requirements.
Desirable Qualifications and Experience
Tertiary qualifications and professional experience in leading and conducting regulatory or criminal investigations is essential. Experience with these investigations in relation to sexual abuse or harm committed against children is highly advantageous.
Successful applicants will be required to hold a valid Victorian Working with Children's Check upon commencement.
Further Information
For more details regarding this position please see attached position description for the capabilities to address in application.
VECRA 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 VECRA, diversity and inclusion, and our employment conditions visit the VECRA website and our Diversity and Inclusion page.
Applicants requiring adjustments can contact the nominated contact person.
Information about VECRA's operations and employment conditions can be located on the VECRA website.
For further information pertaining to the role, please contact Emma Bradford, Director, Complex Investigations at [email protected].
Preferred applicants may be required to complete a police check and may be subject to other pre-employment checks. Information provided to VECRA 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 01 July 2026