The Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions 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.
Our work spans numerous portfolios, supporting departmental ministers and operating across metropolitan, regional and international offices.
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.
Senior Skills Adviser
- Salary: $138,631 to $185,518 (Plus superannuation)
- Ongoing position
- Usual hours of work: Full time
- Usual work location: Melbourne CBD/Hybrid/Regional
The Role
Reporting to the Manager, Regional and Metropolitan Engagement, Senior Skills Advisers are responsible for effective stakeholder engagement in place. They collaborate with colleagues in the VSA, and across the wider department and government to support cross-team and cross-agency problem solving. They are responsible for delivering high quality and timely projects related to engagement work. Senior Skills Advisors also hold one or more policy and/or portfolio/industry areas where they provide thought leadership and expert advice.
Main accountabilities:
- Undertaking effective stakeholder engagement that identifies and facilitates solutions to local/regional/industry skills issues and challenges in collaboration with employers, industry, TAFEs, and RTOs and other community stakeholders.
- Contributing specialist regional and/or industry expertise and knowledge to inform vocational education and training systems policy interventions and/or program design.
- Using formal and informal channels to influence policy and programs including by proactively building and maintaining effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
- Developing and delivering projects that build collaborative and innovative policy or program responses that support VSA and DJSIR objectives.
- Providing expertise and evidence-based advice to senior executives including by representing the VSA on relevant working groups, taskforces, etc and preparing written advice and briefings.
- Providing high level expertise in effective, collaborative and purposeful stakeholder engagement and sharing this within the team and across the VSA and wider DJSIR.
- Promoting awareness of VSA and DJSIR initiatives and programs to stakeholders and identifying suitable proposals for partnership and/or funding in accordance with relevant program guidelines.
- Actively leading, participating and encouraging others to support a positive organisational culture, and business and performance excellence.
The Team
The position of Senior Skills Adviser forms part of the Engagement Branch, which sits within Victorian Skills Authority (VSA).
The Victorian Skills Authority (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.
We report directly to the Minister for Skills and TAFE and work closely with the Office of TAFE Coordination and Delivery and the Skills and TAFE 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, work with stakeholders to develop strategies to fill these gaps and drive engagement, collaboration and innovation across Victoria's skills system.
The VSA has 4 branches - Engagement and Skills Reform Branch, Services Branch, Analysis and Insights Branch and Executive and Corporate Services Branch.
Find out more about the VSA at skills.authority.vic.gov.au
About You
To be successful in this role, you will have the following main skills and experience:
- Partnering and co-creation: Builds and maintains partnerships to achieve objectives; coaches others on the co-creation process and builds team commitment to co-creation by demonstrating personal commitment; builds trust in partnerships through timely and quality delivery of outcomes; facilitates discussion and nav
igates differences of opinion to reach decisions.
- Highly-developed stakeholder management, interpersonal and negotiation skills: Proven ability to influence and engage, foster effective, positive relationships and build collaborations between stakeholders across industry partners, government and community.
- Project management: Demonstrated experience and ability to strategically plan, project manage and deliver high quality, timely communications and strategic engagement plans and activities – delivering on competing demands and expectations (on time and within budget) with a high-level of attention to detail and ensuring compliance with relevant department and government communications guidelines.
- Creativity and innovation: Demonstrated ability to generate fresh ideas and innovative approaches; willingness to challenge assumptions, leveraging diverse intelligence and insights; skilled at applying creative problem solving to complex issues, identifying opportunities and translating these into practical, effective solutions.
- Written and verbal communication skills: exceptional written and verbal communication skills; prepares complex briefs, policy proposals, discussion papers and reports using clear, concise, and grammatically correct language; edits written communications to ensure they contain the information necessary to achieve their purpose and meet audience needs; ensures appropriate style and formats are used.
Further Information
For a confidential discussion, please contact Katrina Currie, Director, Engagement on 0406 284 397 or [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. To be eligible for this position you must hold the mandatory qualification as outlined in the position description. For further information on the position, please refer to the attached position description.
For Finance Roles:
The Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry, and Regions is an accredited CPA Australia Recognised Employer Partner.
Please note: We are 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 Talent Acquisition Team on 0472 875 685, or via email at [email protected] with the position number in the subject line.
How to Apply
Please click the ‘Apply Now' button.
As part of the application process, please provide a:
- Cover letter demonstrating how you meet each of the Key Selection Criteria outlined in the position description
- Current resume
Applications close at 23:59pm on Wednesday, 6 May 2026.