The Employee Safety and Wellbeing Division is committed to the department's vision to create safe, healthy and respectful working environments for Department employees to thrive and succeed.

The Division's functions span from prevention, through to response and recovery, along with health and safety advice and support. These teams adopt a holistic approach for supporting the health, safety and wellbeing of our workforce across schools, Early Learning Victoria centres, central and regional offices. This includes Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) and Workers' Compensation policy advice and support, for both physical and psychological health and wellbeing. The objectives of the Division are to:

• promote positive wellbeing in working environments
• prevent against known and expected risks to health, safety and wellbeing
• respond swiftly and effectively to manage potential issues as they emerge and prevent injuries
• support employees to recover from injury and illness, and return to work
• promote respectful workplaces that uphold equal opportunity and prevents discrimination, bullying, harassment and sexual harassment.
  
  

About the role

The OHS Strategic Advisor position sits within the OHS Operations and Assurance Team in the Health and Safety Systems and Compliance Branch. The OHS Strategic Advisor presents a valuable opportunity for a motivated professional to influence health, safety and wellbeing outcomes and drive continuous improvement across the department. The role is responsible for delivering specialist OHS guidance and strategic advice to support department leaders and employees in managing complex and high-risk health and safety issues. Through this work, the Advisor contributes to strengthening organisational capability, addressing critical safety risks and minimising the likelihood of workplace injury within corporate environments.

This role also plays a pivotal role in collaborating with the Employee Mental Health Reform Branch and serving as a central referral point when additional OHS operational expertise or support is required.

Key responsibilities of this role include:

• Acting as a central point of contact for corporate leaders, staff and Health and Safety Representatives on psychological and physical health, safety and wellbeing matters.
• Providing strategic and operational OHS advice, including interpretation of legislation, policies, OHS management systems and use of eduSafe Plus.
• Partnering with leaders and staff to identify, resolve and escalate OHS issues, working closely with the Department's OHS Advisory Service and other departmental providers including developing corporate work procedures.
• Managing OHS suppliers and contracts, ensuring performance against KPIs, deliverables and reporting requirements.
• Building strong cross division partnerships to resolve complex OHS matters, uplift capability, drive system improvements and deliver targeted OHS training and presentations.
• Preparing OHS reports, briefings and correspondence, supporting policy implementation, providing feedback to policy teams and undertaking corporate OHS compliance activities as required.
  
  

This role requires:

• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships, identify underlying issues, influence stakeholders and manage conflict to achieve positive outcomes.
• Strong critical thinking, judgement and problem solving capability, including interpreting OHS legislation, policy and guidance to resolve complex psychological and physical health and safety issues.
• Demonstrated leadership and people management skills, including capability building through coaching, feedback and learning opportunities and clearly setting expectations aligned with public sector values and performance standards.
• Proven ability to deliver projects and initiatives, translating strategy into practical outcomes through effective planning, monitoring and collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, including suppliers.
• Flexibility and adaptability to changing priorities.

The successful candidate will bring sound OHS expertise, strong leadership capability and a collaborative approach to achieving high quality outcomes for the department.

Essential requirements:

• Relevant tertiary qualification and / or experience in Occupational health and safety (OHS) including psychological and physical health and safety.
• Demonstrated leadership skills, including the ability to influence stakeholders, manage conflict and achieve positive outcomes.
• Demonstrated experience in effective relationship management, including with external suppliers and internal stakeholders.
• Current valid Victorian driver's licence and the ability to drive to other offices.

How to apply

Applicants are encouraged to include a Curriculum Vitae and a Cover letter addressing the key selection criteria provided in the position description.

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 Melissa Gaddie- Director, Health and Safety Systems and Compliance via (03) 7022 1053 or email Melissa.Gaddie@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 Wednesday, 25 February 2026