Principal Advisor, Group Governance and Coordination

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.

Consumer Affairs and Local Government

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.

The Portfolio Strategy, Projects and Performance division is a collaborative enabling division that supports CALG through the establishment of clear strategic direction, delivery of priority portfolio projects and delivery of whole-of-group data, governance, evaluation, project management and project delivery functions. 

It leads the development of strategic frameworks and develops evidence-based strategic direction for Consumer and Local Government portfolios. It achieves this by taking a systems view across each portfolio, scanning for emerging evidence and trends, housing and analysing portfolio data, and modelling and evaluating economic and program impact and outcomes.

The division also delivers integrated, strategic and priority projects in line with this strategic direction. The division aims to:

• provide leadership in system strategy
• develop, shape, and deliver evidence-based policy, regulatory and reform initiatives that support the objectives of the Consumer Affairs and Local Government portfolios;
• lead the design delivery and evaluation of complex and high-profile policy and projects and ensure long term benefits;
• use data, evidence and insights to develop long term opportunities, evaluate the performance of initiatives across CALG, and ensure outcomes are measured; and
• provide central access to specialist capability in evaluation, outcomes measurement, econometrics and project management

Portfolio Strategy, Projects and Performance operates within a maxtrix operating model. Staff may be deployed flexibly to emerging areas of need across the division based upon capability.

About the role

Reporting to the Manager, Governance and Planning and working closely with the Director, Planning and Performance; the Principal Advisor, Group Governance and Coordination supports the broader CALG executive group; and other DGS departmental areas in managing portfolio and executive services; and governance and strategic planning processes across the group.

The role coordinates and manages delivery of portfolio-significant items at the group strategic layer. This involves working closely with group executives and business areas to ensure timely, consistent, and high-quality work flows through the various layers in government machinery. The role works with the broader Governance and Planning team to develop key group products and operational mechanisms, including managing strategic planning; risk management; election and incoming government processes; inquiry hearings; whole-of-group reporting; and responsibility for constructing and managing any other processes that support mature governance and coordination systems across the group.

Key Accountabilities  

• Administers and provides specialist advice on a range of relevant processes, including (but not limited to) coordinating group planning and reporting processes, templates, and deliverables; managing key artefacts such as governance calendars, forward looks, audit trackers, and other oversight mechanisms.
• Provides policy, strategy and operational advice on complex initiatives, policies and briefings and effectively triage issues to be considered by the Deputy Secretary, ensuring provision of high quality and timely advice for the Secretary, Ministers, and Board of Management members.
• Proactively builds and maintains positive relationships with internal and external organisations and individuals at all levels within the public and private sectors to support effective engagement and resolution of issues.
• Manages visibility of key portfolio priorities through reports and tracking deliverables, including through group executive meetings and by-requirement reporting. Works with teams to produce deliverables that provide a mature foundation for decision makers across a series of corporate disciplines, including ministerial and Board of Management briefings. Prioritises development based on group executive requirements.
• Gathers, interprets, and shares information at both a high level and at a detailed level, based on requirement.
• Provides delivery support as required on an ad hoc basis to other functions within the responsible scope of the Governance and Planning team, and broader CALG executive areas – with an efficiency-focused and empathetic change management lens.

Mandatory requirements:

• Relevant experience working in government coordination or governance roles (e.g. senior strategic adviser, planning and performance adviser, executive coordination) is essential.
• Relevant tertiary qualifications relating to public administration; law; policy; and/or project management would be highly regarded.
• Relevant experience or subject matter expertise working within CALG portfolio areas would be highly regarded.

This is an ongoing position. The 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 Wednesday, 7 October 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.