Senior Property Officer, Early Childhood Operations Unit- Fixed Term / Full Time 

About the Department

The department provides a wide range of learning and development support and services.

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 Victorian School Building Authority

The Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA) is part of the Department of Education. Established in 2016, it oversees Victoria's largest school building program since the state introduced free public education in the 1870s.

 The VSBA upgrades and expands existing schools and plans, designs and builds new schools to meet enrolment demand. We also support schools to maintain their buildings and grounds by offering expert advice and coordinating maintenance programs and grants. 

With Victoria recently introducing two years of funded kindergarten, the VSBA is also working with the early childhood sector on a massive kindergarten construction program.

About the Division

The Major Projects & Property Division is responsible for delivering educational infrastructure projects and programs, including the acquisition and management of land as well as delivery of capital infrastructure projects.

The Property Branch represents the Minister for Education and Minister for Children's interests as land owner, and provides specialised land and property related advice and support to schools and other areas within DE and the VSBA. The Branch's work covers the whole of the property life cycle, being:

• Acquisition of land for new schools and early childhood facilities and to expand existing educational facilities
• Property agreements and general support for the management of the land and property issues on behalf of the Minister for Education and the Minister for Children.
• Land Regeneration, covering closed or vacant education sites. This includes management and disposal of land no longer required for education use, as well as management of sites being retained for future school or early childhood provision.

About the Role

Located in the VSBA's Property Branch is a strongly collaborative environment where staff work together across various projects, under direction from the Director, Property and Senior Manager, Property (Early Childhood).

The Senior Property Officer role within the Early Childhood Operations team is responsible for supporting the delivery of Best Start, Best Life program and other projects. Key responsibilities of the role includes providing supporting advice within the VSBA as well as the following:

• Undertaking property-focused site reviews to support the planning and delivery of early childhood facilities, including kindergarten on school sites, modular kindergartens, and early learning and childcare centres. Advice will be focused on property-specific issues and risks that may impact development feasibility, including title analysis, restrictive covenants, easements, caveats, native title, subdivisions, and Crown land, among others.
• Implementing system and process improvements in the management of property site reviews, including ongoing stakeholder support and education to ensure property matters are clearly understood at both the planning and delivery phases.
• Implementing and managing leases and licenses to enable operation of department-owned early childhood facilities.
• Review and manage leases.

All VSBA staff have a shared responsibility to meet the same service standards outlined in the VSBA Customer Service Charter.  Our goal is to make every interaction with the VSBA a positive one for our customers, colleagues and key partners regardless of our individual role or team. 

Key stakeholders include stakeholders internally, externally, other government departments, agencies and offices.

This role is fixed term for 3 years.

Attributes

An essential aspect of this role involves a strong understanding of the title system as they relate to property and property agreements. The ideal candidate will possess excellent stakeholder management skills and a commitment to delivering high-quality customer service.

Desirable Qualifications and Experience

• Relevant tertiary qualification Property or related field is highly desirable.
• A strong working knowledge of the land titles system, Crown land, leases, licenses, and other legal property arrangements is essential.
• Experience with program and portfolio management software including asset management software would be highly desirable.

Further Information

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 Quyen Nguyen, Manager - Early Childhood Operations via Quyen.Nguyen5@education.vic.gov.au.

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 17 July 2025