Manager, Strategy, Policy and Governance

At the Department of Justice and Community Safety, we’re looking for people who want to make a difference. People who take pride in their work. People who get things done. People who are committed to making Victoria a safer place.

We embrace diversity and strive to have a workforce that reflects the community we serve. We’re all about recruiting the best people, regardless of gender, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or cultural background. If you think you can do the job and would be a good fit for our department, we’d love to hear from you.

The department is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children and recognises that children’s rights need to be respected, their views welcomed and valued, and their concerns taken seriously and acted upon.

If you require adjustments to the recruitment and selection process, or require an alternative format to any of the application material, please don't hesitate to get in touch with the contact person listed on this ad.

For more information on working with us and our recruitment process, please visit justice.vic.gov.au/careers

We’re proud of the important work we do across Victoria. Want to be part of it?

• Provide strategic leadership in supporting co-design of Aboriginal justice policy in partnership with Aboriginal communities to enable self-determined solutions.
• Fixed term, part-time opportunity to work with a high-performing and passionate team in the Victorian Public Service.
• VPS Grade 6: $142,790 - $191,084 plus superannuation.

The Department of Justice and Community Safety is seeking a part-time Manager – Strategy, Policy and Governance to provide a critical role within Koori Justice Unit.

This is a prioritised role for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples, who will be given priority consideration as per the special measures provision of the Equal Opportunity Act 2010.

About the Business Unit

The Aboriginal Justice group drives systemic change in the justice system, by connecting, supporting and delivering better outcomes for the Aboriginal community. We partner with Traditional Owners and the Victorian Aboriginal community to enable them to self-determine their role in policy and services within the justice sector. We collaborate with our colleagues across government to establish strong connections and build capability and awareness that Aboriginal business is everyone's business.

The Koori Justice Unit (KJU) is a unit within the Aboriginal Justice Group of the Department of Justice and Community Safety (DJCS), which has been established to help realise a clear vision of a fair and accessible justice system for Aboriginal people.

The KJU is responsible for development and coordinating the implementation of the Victorian Aboriginal Justice Agreement - Burra Lotjpa Dunguludja - currently in its fourth phase (AJA4), in partnership with the Aboriginal community and Victorian government, in line with realising Aboriginal self-determination. The AJA drives structural and systemic transformation across the department and the VPS to improve justice outcomes for Aboriginal Victorians. The AJA has established extensive Government and Community networks through the Aboriginal Justice Forum (AJF), Regional Aboriginal Justice Advisory Committee Network (RAJAC) and the Local Aboriginal Justice Action Committees (LAJAC) and uses them to effectively deliver initiatives including early intervention and prevention programs, diversion initiatives, and rehabilitation and reintegration support.

About the role:

You will be responsible for co-design of Aboriginal strategic and operational justice policy, in partnership with Aboriginal communities to enable self-determined solutions. This will include partnering on development of the next iteration of the Aboriginal Justice Agreement and supporting key reforms identified in the Burra Lotjpa Dunguludja - Aboriginal Justice Agreement Phase 4.

Some of your responsibilities will include:

• Provide professional leading expertise across the State of Victoria in relation to strategic Aboriginal Justice policy matters and apply significant experience in policy and strategy development, focusing on stakeholder engagement and emerging policy and implementation issues.
• Have a demonstrated understanding of the Victorian Government's commitment to Aboriginal self-determination and be able to identify, develop and deliver reforms that align with the overarching Aboriginal self-determination agenda.
• Lead, in collaboration with senior management, the development and management of aspects of the ongoing evolution of Victoria's policy on Aboriginal Justice matters.
• Provide strategic advice to the Director, Executive Director, Deputy Secretary, Board of Management and Ministers in the delivery of the Aboriginal Justice Group's reform agenda.
• Manage the preparation of Cabinet and Parliamentary documentation and the drafting of Ministerial and other correspondence as required.

This is a 24-month fixed term position working Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays (22.8 hours per week). 

About you

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• Excellent knowledge of Aboriginal culture and society and understanding of historical and contemporary issues relating to Aboriginal Victorians.
• Strong knowledge of, and demonstrated experience, working with Aboriginal communities and advisory groups, including sophisticated and culturally aware stakeholder engagement.
• Excellent knowledge of public policy development and implementation and knowledge of Cabinet processes and Government decision-making processes.
• Demonstrated experience in advocacy and delivering policy and reform through community partnership and targeted engagement.

Aboriginal applicants are welcome to utilise support from the Aboriginal Recruitment Team throughout the recruitment process and are encouraged to contact View email address on jobs.careers.vic.gov.au if they would like cultural support and guidance through the application process.

For Aboriginal Designated and Prioritised positions, a Certificate of Aboriginality (CoA) will be required prior to an offer of employment being made.

To learn more about this role before applying, please read the attached position description.