Please note there are 4 positions available.

About the Role

The Work Related Violence Advice Team (Team) is seeking four new team members to provide responsive, dynamic and hands on advice to support school principals and leaders to respond to work related violence in schools, and to make a real, tangible difference in supporting school safety and wellbeing.

Working as part of the broader Employee Respect Safety and Inclusion Branch within the Employee Safety Wellbeing and Inclusion Division (ESWID), the Senior Advisor - Work Related Violence is a key role in helping make schools safe places to work and learn.

ESWID performs its functions through several teams that span from prevention, through to response and recovery, along with strategy, advice and support. These teams adopt a holistic approach for supporting the health, safety and wellbeing of our workforce across schools, central and regional offices. This includes Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) and Workers' Compensation policy advice and support, for both physical and mental health and wellbeing.

The Senior Advisor - Work Related Violence will work centrally and in schools to: provide specialist expertise, advice and case management support directly to schools that are managing students with complex behaviours of concern and other serious work related violence issues. This includes on site visits to schools to provide advice, as needed.

• proactively build a support team around the school, by engaging and coordinating with regional teams and other Department program areas to deliver practical supports on the ground in schools, and respond to emerging safety risks as they arise
• prepare, review and update physical and psychological risk management and safety plans, student risk management plans and / or safety plans that are tailored to the school's needs and environment and the circumstances of the case
• provide feedback and input into policy development to improve the Department's systems for preventing and responding to work related violence and aggression
• liaise with other areas of the department to build the Department's capability to respond to work related violence . This includes supporting, educating and capability building for school staff and other teams within ESWID, regions, Student Support Services, Legal Division and the Complex Matters Support Team on best practice when responding to work related violence risks, and to prevent those risks from escalating.

The Team and Senior Advisors will also:

• connect school leaders to relevant training, supports and services , including referrals to mental health and wellbeing supports for impacted staff
• undertake administrative tasks to connect schools with supports, including drafting funding applications, budget bid preparation, providing input into consultation papers and other contract management supports, as required and as part of broader ESWID priorities.

The position will report to the Manager - Work Related Violence Advice Team.

Attributes

The required capabilities for the role are set out in the position description (see attachment).

Qualifications and Experience

Essential: Relevant tertiary qualification and / or experience in one or more of the following fields:

• Occupational health and safety (OHS);
• Education / schools and school settings, including specialist schools;
• Student behaviour;
• Social work;
• Psychology; or
• Occupational therapy.

Essential: current valid Victorian driver's license, and the ability to drive to on site school / regional office visits.

Further Information

For more details regarding this position please see attached position description for the capabilities to address in application.

Applicants are asked to provide a statement of no more than two pages against the Key Selection Criteria including addressing the essential qualifications and experience listed.

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 ourDiversity 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 Tamara Howard - A/Manager - Work Related Violence Team tamara.howard@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 5 November, 2025.