Senior Policy and Project Officer

THE ROLE

An exciting opportunity exists for a committed and experienced individual to join the Office for Youth as a Senior Policy and Project Officer.

Candidates with multicultural backgrounds and have experience working with multicultural communities, including African, Afghan and Pasifika communities, are strongly encouraged to apply.

In this role you will primarily be responsible for managing key funded initiatives designed to strengthen youth engagement, build social cohesion and support families and communities to build protective factors against youth disengagement and its consequences. This includes Community Support Groups (CSGs) and the Le Mana Pasifika Project (Le Mana). Note that this role is one of two dedicated Senior Policy and Project Officers delivering these programs.

CSGs and Le Mana are community-led, place-based initiatives auspiced by community service organisations. They engage and support young people and families from the South Sudanese, Somali, Afghan and Pasifika Australian communities, connecting them to services, education and employment pathways and engaging them in programs that build social connection and engagement. These programs operate in Melbourne's southeast (Dandenong, Casey and Cardinia), west (Wyndham, Melton and Brimbank), northeast (Heidelberg West) and inner Melbourne (North Melbourne).

The focus of the role is to build the capacity of these organisations to support young people who are at risk of disengaging from education and community and who may be at risk of offending and/or being exposed to radical or extremist ideologies. The role will also provide advice and support to these organisations on strategic planning, project management, capability building and outcomes monitoring. The role will build networks across the department and with other departments, such as the Department of Justice and Community Safety (DJCS) and the Department of Education (DE), to advocate for young people and contribute to place-based discussions.

We are seeking a candidate who is flexible, well organised and is a supportive team player who can build relationships across government, the community sector, young people and community members. The ideal candidate will have significant experience in managing programs delivered by community organisations and the ability to build organisational capacity and strengthen governance. Strong policy, influencing and analytical skills and an interest in the issues impacting young people across Victoria, will be highly regarded. The successful candidate will be required to work flexibly across multiple locations through site visits, to maintain effective engagement with funded organisations and DFFH's local areas.

The successful candidate will also work across the Youth portfolio to provide high quality strategic analysis and policy advice from a whole of government perspective to the Minister for Youth, the Secretary and senior DFFH executives.

ACCOUNTABILITIES INCLUDE

• Contribute to program management and implementation of the program lifecycle, including contributing to developing business cases, managing grant payments and establishing strong relationships with funded stakeholders to support ongoing performance and outcomes monitoring and evaluation processes.
• Initiate and maintain strong working relationships with internal and external stakeholders to facilitate a partnership approach and to support program implementation and policy development. Effectively liaise with external agencies, DFFH stakeholders and other departments to ensure the needs of South Sudanese, Afghan, Somali and Pasifika young people and their families are incorporated in place-based service development and delivery.
• Assist funded programs to navigate the local service system, building stronger relationships with other government departments, including DJCS, DE and Victoria Police, and local governments

Please open the position description to read more.

HOW TO APPLY

Applicants are encouraged to apply online. Attachments can be uploaded in .doc, .docx, .pdf, .txt or .rtf formats.
Applicants are required to submit a CV and Cover Letter (max 2 pages) outlining their suitability to the role in line with the Key Selection Criteria. 
Applicants must be an Australian Citizen, Permanent Resident or hold a valid work permit or visa. Work eligibility will be checked as part of the recruitment process. 
Preferred candidates will be required to complete pre-employment screening, including a national police check and misconduct screening.

For more information on working with us and our recruitment process, please visit Department of Families, Fairness and Housing Victoria | Jobs (www.dffh.vic.gov.au/jobs)

Please apply to submit your interest in this position.