Company description:

About Us

The Department of Transport and Planning oversees key planning, transport and land use policy decisions and management across the State. A life-cycle approach to planning, building, connecting and sustaining communities means our people can come together to; improve services, deliver sustainable projects, focus on customer engagement, streamline regulatory approval pathways, facilitate community consultation and better realise local economic opportunities for more liveable communities across Victoria.

Job description:

The Housing, Building and Land Delivery Group drives proactive end-to-end delivery of Victoria's housing and building agenda. The Group creates zoned land that connects homes to jobs and infrastructure, supports a continued pipeline of government-owned land for development, and drives reform to ensure safe and quality buildings for Victorians.

We're focused on outcomes that deliver more choice, connections and confidence in our travel, ensuring the whole transport network works as one to deliver better services and outcomes.

About the Role - three positions are available.

The Senior Policy Officer will work as part of a high performing team to deliver key government priorities to reform the building regulatory system and deliver safe and quality buildings for Victorians. Working in a dynamic environment, they will lead projects designed to improve building outcomes for the industry, practitioners and consumers. This includes developing and recommending policy options, preparing advice on required legislative changes, assisting with drafting and making legislation and regulations, preparing briefings and correspondence for Ministers and executives, and influencing and negotiating across a wide range of government, industry, and consumer stakeholders to gain agreement to proposals to achieve effective building policy and regulatory outcomes.

To access the Position Description, please click here

Position Accountabilities

This role involves leading or contributing to the development and evaluation of complex policy initiatives, providing evidence-based advice to senior stakeholders, and producing high-quality documentation on sensitive matters. It also requires maintaining effective stakeholder relationships, staying informed on relevant policy issues, ensuring compliance with record-keeping standards, supporting team collaboration and junior staff development, and promoting a safe and inclusive workplace.

Key Selection Criteria -

Policy Design and Development - Leading

• Keeps up to date with a broad range of contemporary issues.
• Develops complex and far-reaching business case proposals.
• Builds trusting relationships with Senior Leaders across the VPS to engender support for proposals.
• Provides thought leadership to others on area of expertise.

Project management - Accomplished

• Develops, consults, liaises with and influences key stakeholders to produce detailed project plans where objectives are clearly defined and action steps for achieving them are clearly specified,
• Monitors performance against objectives and manages project risks and issues, including escalation where necessary.

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving - Accomplished

• Takes into account wider business context within business unit when considering options to resolve issues.
• Identifies recurring problems and prevents future recurrence by integrating solutions into work process.
• Delivers tangible business outcomes as a result of critically evaluating problems from multiple perspectives and delivering effective solutions.

Influence and Persuasion - Accomplished

• Gains agreement to proposals and ideas.
• Build behind the scenes support for ideas to ensure buy-in and ownership.
• Uses chains of indirect influence to achieve outcomes; Involves experts or other third parties to strengthen case.

Communicate with Impact - Accomplished

• Makes a positive impression on others and comes across with credibility.
• Communicates orally in a manner that is clear, fluent and holds the listeners' attention.
• Able to deal with difficult and sensitive topics and questions.

Stakeholder Management - Accomplished

• Identifies issues in common for one or more clients or stakeholders and uses them to build mutually beneficial partnerships
• Identifies and responds to stakeholder's underlying needs
• Uses understanding of the stakeholder's organisational context to ensure outcomes are achieved

In addition to the above, the successful candidates must demonstrate initiative and accountability by proactively seizing opportunities and taking responsibility for outcomes, while fostering collaboration across teams, mentoring others, and adapting effectively to shifting priorities and environments.

Qualifications and Experience

Desirable

• A tertiary qualification in law, public policy, economics or a related discipline is highly desirable.
• Experience in the development and amendment of legislation and/or regulations in a State or Commonwealth public service setting is highly desirable.

What we offer

• Meaningful work making Victorian communities more accessible and liveable
• Professional growth and development opportunities across the department and the wider Victorian Public Services
• A hybrid working model focused on collaboration and teamwork
• Optimal work-life balance initiatives including flexible working arrangements
• Opportunity to work across multiple urban and suburban hubs
• We prioritise the development of a safe and inclusive culture

Culture Value

We are an equal opportunity employer, embracing a diverse range of applicants such as veterans, and people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, LGBTQIA community members, individuals with disabilities and/or health conditions, as well as those from varied faith and cultural backgrounds. At our department, we prioritize the development of a safe, inclusive, and high-performance culture through shared actions and behaviours that align with our strategy and direction. This empowers our employees to effectively contribute to our goals.

How to Apply

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Applications close 11.59pm on Thursday, 15th of May 2025.

All Applications should include a resume and a cover letter. For further information about the role please contact Alyssa Duncan - Manager Building Regulator Reform via [email protected].

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 Transport and Planning will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Please let us know by phone or email if you need any adjustments to fully participate in the recruitment process. If you require the ad or any attachments in an accessible format (e.g., large print) due to viewing difficulties or other accessibility needs, we are happy to accommodate.