Senior Research Officer

About this role

• Great opportunity to join Youth Justice on an ongoing basis in Melbourne.
• Support the development, review, and implementation of departmental research and evaluation priorities, strategies, and frameworks.
• Play a critical role in strengthening evidence-informed decision-making across Youth Justice.

The Department of Justice and Community Safety (Youth Justice) is responsible for the statutory supervision of young people in the criminal justice system in Victoria focussing on prevention, diversion, and early intervention as the most effective and fiscally responsible ways of reducing youth crime. As an area within the department, Youth Justice is always committed to the demonstration of the departmental values; serve the community, work together, act with integrity, respect other people and make it happen.

Youth Justice is responsible for the statutory supervision of children and young people in contact with the criminal justice system in Victoria. Children and young people who are involved in Youth Justice are either supervised in the community or within custodial services.

The Clinical Oversight and Rehabilitation unit is responsible for driving evidence-related, best-practice service design and case management intervention statewide for Youth Justice.

The Opportunity

• Fixed-term, full-time position based in Melbourne, but with regional travel between Melbourne CBD office locations, custodial precincts, community Youth Justice offices and other stakeholder services, as required.
• VPS Grade 5 role: $113,022 - $136,747 per year plus superannuation.
• Responsible for reviewing, coordinating and providing advice on research and evaluation projects, supporting best-practice research governance, while contributing to the development and implementation of strategic research priorities, frameworks and that inform policy and program development.
• Manage relationships and contracts with external research providers to ensure delivery of high-quality outputs that meet departmental needs and standards.
• Provide expert advice, tools, and resources to staff on research design, evaluation methodologies, ethical practice and evidence use.
• Organise and support internal and external research governance committees or working groups, including scheduling meetings, preparing agendas, documenting outcomes, and monitoring follow-up actions.
• Produce high-quality research reports and evaluation in collaboration and independently in the area of Youth Justice.
• Active communication and dissemination of research internally and externally where appropriate, including publication and presentation at conferences.

To be successful in this role you will have:

• Experience in managing or coordinating applied research or evaluation projects in a policy or service delivery context.
• Experience in or detailed knowledge of applying research governance principles, including ethical review processes and data management.
• Demonstrated experience in translating research into practice.
• Demonstrated experience working within Youth Justice, or similar complex, high-risk environment.
• A tertiary qualification in a research, evaluation, psychology, health science, criminal justice or related discipline is essential.

You will be required to obtain a Working with Children Check, which you will need to maintain for the period of employment.

To learn more about the type of skills you will need to thrive in this role, please read the position description.

What's in it for you?

You will be working for the Department of Justice and Community Safety, which is one arm of the Victorian State Government, a recognised top employer of choice nationally. All our staff work to the vision of a safe, just, innovative and thriving Victoria.

There are many advantages in working for the department, including:

• Job stability – position as a member of the Victorian Public Service (VPS).
• A fair salary– enjoy great work conditions and salary sacrificing options.
• Transparent performance framework– approach your work with confidence in how you're tracking, working to professional development plans agreed on by you and your manager.
• Generous leave entitlements– provisions for many forms of leave; including personal, parental, carers, study, cultural, compassionate, and sick leave.
• Employee Assistance Program support – you are encouraged to use this short-term, confidential counselling service if you're experiencing emotional stress, relationship problems, conflict with others or personal issues. It is also available for financial counselling and retirement planning.

If you have any queries, please contact Liam Shaw on 0429 979 405 or liam.shaw@justice.vic.gov.au

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people are strongly encouraged to apply.

Applicants are welcome to utilise support from the Aboriginal Recruitment Team throughout the recruitment process. Aboriginal candidates are encouraged to contact Aboriginalrecruitment@justice.vic.gov.au if they would like cultural support and guidance through the application process.

For Aboriginal Designated and Prioritised positions, a Certificate of Aboriginality (CoA) will be required prior to an offer of employment being made

We want to make sure all Victorians feel represented by the department's work. One of the ways we do this is by recruiting a diverse workforce – we welcome people of any gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability and cultural background. We are also committed to the Victorian Government's promise to increase the number of veterans working in the public sector.

We're proud of our individual differences. We're proud of the many languages we speak and the stories we can share with each other. We hope you will share your story too.

If this sounds like a compelling job that you believe your skills would be a great match for, please APPLY NOW. Applications close 11.59pm, Thursday 18^th December 2025

How to apply

Please click the Apply button on this advertisement. Applications should include a resume and covering letter. Attachments can be uploaded in .doc, .docx, .pdf, .txt or .rtf formats.

The successful candidate will be required to undergo pre-employment checks which may include national police checks and misconduct screening.

If you require adjustments to the recruitment and selection process, or require an alternative format to any of the application material, please don't hesitate to get in touch with the contact person listed on this ad.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

CHILD SAFE STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT:

The Department of Justice and Community Safety is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. We seek to prevent harm of any kind impacting children and young people and have zero tolerance for racism, child abuse and inequality. Children and young people's rights, relationships, identity, and culture must be recognised and respected, their voices heard, and their concerns acted upon. We aim to foster a culturally safe, child safe and child friendly environment for all children and young people we have contact with, deliver services to, or are impacted by our work.