Manager, Regional and Metropolitan Engagement

• Salary: 138,631 to $185,518 (Plus superannuation)
• Ongoing position
• Usual hours of work: Full time
• Usual work location: Melbourne CBD or Regional/Hybrid

The Role

We are seeking a Manager, Regional and Metropolitan Engagement for managing a geographically dispersed team in their engagement work across Victoria. The postholder is responsible for ensuring effective, high quality and timely delivery of projects and related engagement work. In addition to people leadership responsibilities and stakeholder engagement, the Manager holds one or more policy and/or portfolio areas where they provide thought leadership and expert advice to support cross-team and cross agency problem solving.

Key responsibilities include managing a team based across the state, establishing and maintaining high quality, stakeholder relationships with business, industry, TAFE and other training providers and local community organisations within one or more regions of Victoria. Proactively building and maintaining effective working relationships between team members and colleagues across the VSA, DJSIR and with external stakeholders. Other responsibilities are managing and supporting staff to engage effectively with stakeholders to identify and facilitate solutions to regional and/or industry skills issues and challenges.

Main accountabilities:

• Providing leadership and guidance to a geographically dispersed team to deliver effective stakeholder engagement including the implementation and accountability for projects, communications, planning, policy, evaluation and procurement.
• Contributing advanced 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 influencing stakeholders and leading and guiding team members to proactively build and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Responsible for projects that build collaborative policy responses across the VSA and DJSIR and for evidence-based and data informed policy advice to senior executives.
• Providing leadership and guidance based on advanced expertise for the development and delivery of specialised projects that support VSA objectives.
• Providing high level expertise in effective, collaborative and purposeful stakeholder engagement and sharing this within the team and across the VSA and wider DJSIR.
• Actively leading, participating and encouraging others to support a positive organisational culture, and business and performance excellence.

The Team

The position of Manager, Regional and Metropolitan Engagement forms a part of the Engagement and Skills Reform Branch, which sits within Victorian Skills Authority.

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 three branches – Analysis and Insights Branch, Engagement and Skills Reform Branch, and Service Branch. Four units sit alongside the three branches – Clean Economy Unit, Corporate Services Unit, Future Skills Unit and the Office of the CEO and Deputy CEO.

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: Champions the importance of partnership through co-creation approaches; brings people together to share resources, tools and case studies to build capability and confidence around co-design; takes the lead in complex and high profile co-creation activities; identifies potential issues and setbacks and is aware of the broader political, organisational and demographic landscape that may influence co-design, sharing expertise with others.

• 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.
• Excellent people leadership skills: Demonstrated ability to lead, coach and motivate a team by providing clear direction, fostering collaboration, supporting capability development, and creating a culture of continuous improvement. Skilled at maintaining performance and wellbeing during periods of ambiguity and change, ensuring teams remain responsive, proactive and aligned to strategic priorities.
• 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.
• Written and verbal communication skills: Well-developed verbal and written communication and presentation skills including preparing analysis and advice and presenting to stakeholders and decision makers on complex issues.
• 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.

Further Information

For a confidential discussion, please contact Katrina Currie, Director, Engagement on 0406 384 397 or katrina.currie@ecodev.vic.gov.au

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 recruitment@ecodev.vic.gov.au with the position number in the subject line.

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 as outlined in the position description.

Applications close at 23:59pm on Tuesday, 24 February 2026.