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 Division

The People and Workplace Relations (Schools) Division delivers strategic workforce initiatives and provides human resource services and policy advice across school employee relations, payroll, recruitment and workforce data. The Division supports the development of a high-quality and diverse workforce and also provides recruitment, payroll and reporting services to external clients.

People Services (Schools) is seeking an experienced Project Manager to lead the delivery of targeted workforce initiatives. The role provides leadership to a team of Senior Project Officers and Project Officers and is responsible for the implementation and delivery of complex workforce projects.

About the Role

This role is Full Time, Fixed Term until 30 June 2027.

The Project Manager leads the design, development and delivery of pre-service teacher initiatives, ensuring projects are effectively planned, governed and implemented to meet departmental objectives.

The role provides strategic project and program management across multiple complex initiatives, including:

• Establishing and maintaining governance arrangements
• Managing risks, issues and interdependencies
• Overseeing financial management and reporting
• Delivering high-quality briefings to executive and governance bodies
  
  

The Project Manager builds strong stakeholder relationships across the Department, schools and external partners, leads agile project teams, and drives clear communication and change management to support successful implementation.

The role also promotes best-practice project management, builds capability across teams, and ensures continuous improvement through evaluation, benefits realisation and lessons learned.

Attributes

• Demonstrated ability to provide strategic leadership across complex, high-risk projects and programs, ensuring alignment with departmental and government priorities.
• Extensive experience delivering end-to-end project and program outcomes, including governance, financial oversight, risk management and benefits realisation.
• Highly developed ability to provide authoritative, evidence-based advice and briefings to senior executives on complex and sensitive matters.
• Proven capability to lead multidisciplinary teams and manage multiple interdependent initiatives, establishing effective systems and controls to support high-quality delivery.
• Exceptional stakeholder management skills, including building strategic partnerships, leading negotiations and representing projects at senior governance forums.
• Sound judgement, adaptability and resilience in managing ambiguity, shifting priorities and competing demands, while driving continuous improvement.
  
  

Desirable Qualifications and Experience

Desirable: Relevant tertiary qualification in Human Resource Management

Desirable: Relevant tertiary qualification in Project Management

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 Kelsey Babbini, Project Manager via kelsey.babbini@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 Tuesday 17 March 2026