The Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions (DJSIR) is focused on growing Victoria’s prosperity, building the productive capacity of our economy and increasing participation – by creating more opportunities for people through skills and jobs; helping businesses and industries to thrive; and building vibrant communities and regions. For more information, see the DJSIR Strategic Plan 2023-2027.
Established on 1 January 2023, our work spans numerous portfolios, supporting departmental ministers and operating across metropolitan, regional and international offices. We oversee various public entities, including public corporations, regulatory authorities and specialist boards.
The Department welcomes and encourages applications from diverse applicants, including First Peoples, refugees or asylum seekers, people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, LGBTIQ+ people and people with disability. All roles at DJSIR can be worked flexibly and we offer reasonable adjustments for applicants with disabilities.
Our values are accountability, integrity and respect, and underpin everything we do. For more information about the department, please visit our website: www.DJSIR.vic.gov.au.
Senior Program Officer
- Salary: $113,022 - $136,747 (Plus Superannuation)
- Ongoing position
- Usual hours of work: Full time
- Usual work location: 289 Wellington Parade South, East Melbourne VIC 3001
The Role
As a Senior Program Officer, you will be responsible for a range of project, administrative and financial tasks, including:
- Building and maintaining positive relationships with key stakeholders including Curriculum Maintenance Manager Services (CMMs), the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA), Industry Advisory Group Executive Officers, and representative bodies such as Commonwealth Jobs and Skils Councils and colleagues across government.
- Scoping and delivering projects including monitoring timelines, cost and deliverables and advising senior and Executive staff on emerging issues, risks and trends.
- Managing associated funding agreements/contracts and delivery plans including monitoring milestones and performance and identifying and addressing risks or issues.
- Preparing and presenting reports, ministerial briefs, cabinet and agency submissions on complex project and policy matters.
Key accountabilities include:
- Ensure effective grants and program management through GEMS, including budgeting and financial management, funding allocation and administration, program governance and risk management, compliance with OHS and other legislative requirements.
- Ensure monitoring and reporting on delivery against program and project milestones and taking appropriate action as required to ensure the overall project meets its objectives on time and budget.
- Establish and maintain key linkages with other agencies to achieve compliance with government policy, standards and legislation in relation to training products.
- Provide information and communications to service providers and program stakeholders; undertake relevant consultation processes and provide updates to senior executives where appropriate.
- Produce briefings, memos, and reports and provide advice to enable effective decision making and where required, report on performance standards such as timelines, budgets, quality of outcomes/outputs; and compliance.
The Team
The position of the Senior Program Officer will work within Engagement branch, which sits within the Victorian Skills Authority group (VSA).
VSA provides evidence-based planning and solutions to meet current and future skills needs in Victoria. We are an administrative office led by a chief executive officer and supported by an advisory board of key stakeholders.
VSA reports directly to the Minister for Skills and TAFE and work closely with the Office of TAFE Coordination and Delivery (OTCD) and the Skills and Employment Group within DJSIR.
Our role is to gather and analyse industry data, identify where there are current and emerging skills shortages in Victoria's workforce and work with stakeholders to develop strategies to fill these gaps.
The VSA has 4 branches – Engagement Branch, Analysis and Insights Branch, Policy and Operations Branch, and Executive and Corporate Services Branch.
About You
To be successful in this role you will have the following skills and experience:
- Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: Able to apply knowledge of relevant Standards and policies to provide informed advice on current, new and revised training products. Capacity to assess and analyse problems and develop, deliver and communicate potential solutions. Resolving issues through deep understanding or interpretation of existing guidelines. Where guidelines are not available, analyses ideas available and takes action t
hrough self, or in consultation with others to resolve problems.
- Project delivery: Experience in delivering annual grant programs, including monitoring performance against milestones, managing project budgets, risks and issues to deliver outcomes within agreed timeframes. Able to translate strategies into programs or projects that enable achievement of outcomes required; defines governance e.g. success measures, roles and responsibilities, progress monitoring) required to manage risks and maximise probability of success.
- Stakeholder management: Identifies issues in common for one or more clients or stakeholders and uses them to build mutually beneficial partnerships; identifies and responds to stakeholder's underlying needs; uses understanding of the stakeholder's organisational context to ensure outcomes are achieved.
- Excellent written, visual, and verbal communication skills including the preparation of briefs, stakeholder communications, reports, PowerPoint presentations and diagrams, and other submissions that are concise and engaging.
- Strong planning and organising skills with the ability to use systems and procedures to guide work and track progress; identify potential barriers and find effective ways to deal with them; set clearly defined objectives and priorities and operate accordingly, reviewing and adjusting as required.
Further Information
For a confidential discussion, please contact Jodee Price, Manager, Training and Learning Products Unit via [email protected]
The department is committed to creating and maintaining a child safe organisation. We have zero tolerance of child abuse and are committed to taking the necessary steps to protect children from harm by adopting a preventative, proactive and participatory approach to child safety in accordance with the Child Safe Standards.
Successful candidates will be required to undergo a National Police Records Check prior to commencing employment with the Department. For further information on the position, please refer to the attached position description.
Please note: We are accredited as a Disability Confident Recruitment (DCR) organisation and committed to inclusive recruitment. If you require an adjustment to participate in any stage of the recruitment process or have a particular requirement to be communicated with by either telephone or email only, please notify the DJSIR Recruitment Team on 0472875685, or via email at [email protected] with the position number in the subject line. For additional contact details for our team please review the attached Position Description, located under Job Attachments in the right hand menu.
How to Apply
Please click the ‘Apply Now' button. As part of the application process, you will need to provide a copy of your resume and respond to the key selection criteria outlined in the position description.
Applications close at 23:59pm on Sunday, 17 August 2025.