Work Type: Ongoing - Full-time
Salary: $113,022 - $136,747
Grade: VPS 5
Occupation: Early childhood
Location: Melbourne - CBD and Inner Metro suburbs
Reference: VG/DE/ECE/1892023
About the Role
The Regulatory Authority undertakes a high-volume licensing function for the provision of education and care services in Victoria, and the Senior Advisor plays a vital role in supporting the delivery of this work. This role is responsible for leading core licensing processes, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, maintaining the integrity of licensing processes, and delivering high-quality outcomes for stakeholders.
The Senior Advisor provides expert regulatory advice on legislative requirements to prospective applicants, approved providers and the public. Core responsibilities include responding to enquiries through the statewide 1300 line and licencing inbox, processing and reviewing notifications and applications, and recommending outcomes in line with the National Law and the Children's Services Act.
The Senior Advisor assesses licensing applications, undertakes fit and proper assessments, designs and implements efficient and effective licensing processes, successfully implements and delivers licensing projects and engages with a range of range of internal and external stakeholders to provide high quality regulatory advice.
You will contribute to ensuring high standards of safety, health, and wellbeing for Victorian children attending early childhood education and care services and contribute to the development and implementation of efficient licensing processes.
The role requires a proactive and collaborative individual who can effectively manage competing priorities in a sensitive and fast-paced operating environment and contribute to the continuous improvement of licensing operations. This position requires diligent records management to ensure data integrity and maintain robust user records.
Work type
There are two full-time, ongoing positions available
Attributes
The Senior Advisor role requires extensive experience in, and understanding of, regulatory and licensing processes. The successful candidate will provide leadership to licensing and enquiries staff, manage competing priorities, strongly advocate for QARD's interests with stakeholders, provide high quality advice and manage significant project delivery risks in a highly sensitive operating environment. The role has high levels of autonomy and is required to engage and collaborate extensively with stakeholders.
The ideal candidate will demonstrate excellent stakeholder management skills, ensuring client and stakeholder needs are met promptly while maintaining clear communication on complex regulatory issues and developments. Flexibility and adaptability are key, as the role requires the ability to develop and apply new skills and knowledge in a dynamic, high-volume licensing environment. Collaboration is essential, with the ability to work effectively as part of a busy team, share knowledge, and support others to achieve shared goals.
Desirable Qualifications and Experience
Mandatory
About the Department
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 Department of Education is the Victorian Regulatory Authority for early childhood education an d care (ECEC) services under delegation from the Secretary. The Quality Assessment and Regulation Division (QARD) regulates approximately 5000 services including family day care, outside school hours care, long day care and kindergarten programs, as required by the Education and Care Services National Law 2010 (National Law). QARD also regulates around 180 services operating under the Victorian Children's Services Act 1996 (Children's Services Act); these include occasional care and limited hours services.
Regulatory Strategy, Services and Compliance (RSSC) Branch
The RSSC Branch undertakes QARD's licensing function and provides expert regulatory advice, strategic direction, and leadership on a broad range of regulatory issues and complex compliance and enforcement matters. The RSSC Branch also provides business intelligence, data and risk analytics for the Division. It manages QARD's information management systems and technologies and maintains corporate governance and finance processes.
The RSSC Branch comprises of four business units:
Further Information / How to apply
Applicants are required to submit a CV and cover letter (max 2 pages for cover letter) summarising their skills, relevant experience and suitability to the role.
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 Lara May-Whitcombe via [email protected].
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 9/11/2025