Manager, Governance and Integrity

About Us
The Department of Government Services (DGS) was established on 1 January 2023 to improve everyone's experience of doing business and interacting with the Victorian government. We bring important day-to-day services together in one department to make things easy and seamless for Victorians and businesses. We are doing this by connecting and digitising our systems and platforms across state and local government as well as streamlining our corporate and procurement services.

The Consumer Affairs and Local Government Group

The Consumer Affairs and Local Government (CALG) group is responsible for policy development; regulatory design and administration; system and program design; and the delivery of services in the best interest of Victorians. Spanning both the Consumer Affairs and Local Government portfolios, the group identifies strategic priorities, drives system and regulatory reform and coordinates DGS’ emergency management responsibilities to improve practical outcomes for the community.  

About the Role
The Manager, Governance and Integrity is responsible for leading and managing the delivery of operational, regulatory and compliance functions relating to local government governance and integrity, including the application of the local government legislative framework and the councillor conduct framework under the Local Government Act 2020. The position also supports the Principal Councillor Conduct Registrar in managing the requirements and processes for handling complaints of councillor misconduct and serious misconduct. 

The Manager, Governance and Integrity reports to the Lead Legislation Officer and works in consultation with key stakeholders to provide authoritative advice within the department on governance, integrity matters, together with operational oversight and leadership in the administration of the local government legislative framework. The role is responsible for supporting the consistent application of legislative and regulatory requirements, managing complex and sensitive matters, and driving effective operational delivery and continuous improvement.

The position leads a dedicated team that works collaboratively across the branch, with government departments and agencies, peak bodies and the local government sector to support compliance, integrity and good governance outcomes.

Key Accountabilities

• Leading the implementation and consistent application of legislation, regulatory requirements, guidelines and operational frameworks relating to local government governance and integrity, and overseeing decision-making on complex matters where interpretation, judgement and escalation are required.
• Applying and maintaining high-level knowledge of the local government legislative framework, regulatory processes and governance and integrity requirements, and use this expertise to support quality decision-making, guide staff and strengthen the team’s operational capability.
• Providing authoritative advice and briefings to senior stakeholders, including executives, government agencies, councils and sector bodies, on complex governance, integrity and councillor conduct matters, and manage stakeholder relationships to support compliance and effective issue resolution.
• Leading the delivery and oversight of governance and integrity operations, including complaint handling processes, regulatory assessments and related functions, to ensure matters are managed consistently, efficiently and in accordance with legislative and procedural requirements.
• Providing leadership and specialist expertise to strengthen operational delivery, regulatory administration and compliance oversight, and drive continuous improvement to systems, processes and team performance.

Mandatory Requirements

• Experience in the interpretation and application of statutory and regulatory frameworks. 
• Admission as an Australian lawyer for at least 5 years will be highly regarded. 

This is an ongoing position. This position is only open to applicants with relevant rights to work in Australia. 

For more information and the key selection criteria, please see the Position Description. 

How to apply:
Apply before the advertised closing date 11:59pm on Tuesday, 28 July 2026. All applications should include: 

• a resume; and  
• a cover letter which addresses the key selection criteria (within three pages).

Other relevant information:
To be eligible for appointment to this role, applicants will possess corresponding work rights for the advertised employment period. Appointment to an ongoing role is only available to an Australian/New Zealand citizen or an Australian Permanent Resident.  Preferred candidates will be required to complete a Pre-employment Declaration and Consent Form. Employment of successful candidates will be subject to a National Police Check.  

The department is committed to providing and maintaining a working environment which is safe and without risk to the health of its employees and clients and consistent with the department's obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (OH&S Act), to support this DGS has a COVID-19 Vaccination policy which strongly recommends all DGS employees be fully vaccinated.   

DGS actively promotes diversity, inclusion and an equal opportunity workplace. All roles at DGS can be worked flexibly, however it may differ from role to role.