Respectful Relationships Lead

About the Role

The Victorian Government has made a significant commitment to addressing and preventing family violence by accepting all of the 227 recommendations passed down by the Royal Commission into Family Violence. The Royal Commission highlighted the vital role Victorian schools and early childhood services play in preventing and addressing family violence, recommending that that Government mandate respectful relationships education into every Government school (Foundation to Year 12) and Kindergarten in Victoria, implemented though an evidence based whole school/setting approach.

Respectful Relationships promotes positive attitudes and behaviours among children and young people, and is aimed at preventing family violence. It is the Government's vision that “by having this program in all Victorian schools and kindergartens our students will learn at a very young age that the best relationships are respectful ones."

Implementation of the Royal Commission's key recommendation to mandate respectful relationships education in all Victorian government schools is supported by 34 positions across the Department's regional offices. A dedicated Respectful Relationships Unit in the Wellbeing, Health and Engagement Division of the Department and will work closely with regional staff.

As part of a statewide team embedded in local areas, 17 Respectful Relationships Project Leads will be located within the Department's 17 learning places across Victoria to support and drive the delivery of the Respectful Relationships commitment.

The Respectful Relationships Project Lead will be responsible for supporting and building the capacity of school leaders, teachers, other school based staff and early childhood edcuators to implement a whole school/setting approach to Respectful Relationships as part of a wider whole of community commitment to family violence prevention. The position will develop strong working relationships with key stakeholders in the family violence sector and other key regional partners.

Strong stakeholder engagement skills will be essential to deliver this project - along with a comprehensive knowledge of Victorian early childhood and school education. 

The Project Lead will need to have a strong understanding of the current issues and opportunities associated with prevention of family violence and respectful relationships education, in both early childhood and schools.
 
Capabilities

Can you demonstrate specialised expertise and knowledge of program and project management, exceptional stakeholder management skills, innovative thinking, effective communication, and adept problem-solving abilities? You must possess the ability to navigate complex issues and make decisions that impact staff and stakeholders both within and beyond your immediate work area. Your capacity for collaboration, driving continuous improvement, and cultivating genuine relationships will be pivotal for your success.

Desirable Qualifications and Experience

• Essential : Bachelor's degree Education, Community Development or a related field

About the Division

Schools and Regional Services (SRS) comprises 17 Areas within four regions across the state, as well as four central Divisions. The responsibilities of SRS include:

• Service delivery including performance, contract management, funding delivery and acquittal
• Program implementation including detailed implementation planning and delivery
• Local area engagement, advice, support and partnerships
• Workforce capability development, professional practice leadership and delivery
• Emergency management including critical incident response.

The Area-based regional operating model is designed to:

• Provide greater responsiveness, innovation and joined-up responses to local needs
• Enable a focus on place as an organising structure for schools and other services
• Enable regional staff to engage more effectively with our service providers, schools, students and learners, families and local communities, and to understand what they need
• Facilitate better relationships and collaborative networks that more effectively support learners to move more seamlessly through our education system and beyond
• Enable complex issues to be addressed through more targeted, integrated and coordinated responses.

School Education Program Support

School Education Program Support (SEPS) has lead responsibility to shape the system from early childhood through to the end of schooling to ensure it fosters development and wellbeing, equips children and young people for the 21st century world in which they live and delivers ever-improving learning outcomes for all children and young people from birth to 18 without exception. 

SEPS performs four key roles as policy lead, system architect, commissioner and performance assurer - to ensure a seamless and streamlined service system which is accountable, coherent and responsive to the needs of all Victorian children and young people, and their families.

In close collaboration and partnership with other Groups in the Department, Statutory Authorities, and with service delivery partners, parents and families, SEPS works as a catalyst to drive improved professional practice and monitor and assure the quality of services.  This is achieved by ensuring that services are responsive and effective where children and young people fall behind or need acceleration, and by strengthening standards for curriculum, pedagogy, assessment and reporting across government and non-government sector.

Wellbeing Health and Engagement Division

The core purpose of this division is to lead the Department's efforts to improve and reform child and learner wellbeing, health, engagement and inclusion. The work of the Wellbeing, Health and Engagement Division will be based on a strong foundation of collaboration with all relevant stakeholders both internal and external with a particular focus on SRS.

Further Information

For more details regarding this position please see attached position description.  Please provide a resume and response to the key selection criteria.

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 Rick Simms, Manager- Health, Wellbeing and Specialist Services via 0408 303 263 or rick.simms@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 midnight on 6 May 2026.