Senior Policy Officer
Date: 1 Oct 2026
Location: Melbourne, VIC, AU, 3000
Company: VicGov People Careers
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.
You can find out more about our Ministers, leadership and entities here: Department of Government Services.
About the Branch/Group
The Government Services Policy and Strategy division provides expert policy advice helping set the strategic direction and reform agenda of the Department of Government Services and the government services portfolio. The division is responsible for policy and strategy advice in relation to digital, emerging technology, identity, shared services, procurement, accommodation, cyber and telecommunications.
About the Role
The role of Senior Policy Officer provides contributes policy, strategy and reform expertise to support the Department of Government Services’ mission to modernise government services, strengthen customer‑centred delivery and support digital transformation.
Working with managers and directors, Senior Policy Officers support work across the full policy and strategy cycle, including development, implementation and evaluation. Senior Policy Officers will focus on supporting the policies and strategies in their branch but will also apply policy and analytical capabilities across a range of subject matter areas within the Government Services portfolio priorities. This includes at times working as part of cross-divisional teams to deliver this work.
The role operates with a significant degree of autonomy within clearly defined priorities, contributing to high‑quality advice, delivery outcomes and collaborative ways of working across the portfolio.
Key Accountabilities
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Contribute to the development, implementation and evaluation of policies and strategies that support Government Services strategic priorities and enable modern, scalable and customer-centred government services.
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Support the delivery of key projects and work programs, working cross functionally to undertake policy analysis, research, consultation and coordination that achieves agreed outcomes.
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Prepare high-quality, timely and evidence-based advice, including submissions, briefs and reports, to inform senior leaders and decision-makers.
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Actively contribute to continuous improvement, innovation and organisational alignment through professional practice and collaborative behaviours
About You
We are seeking applicants who have demonstrated experience from the following criteria:
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Demonstrated experience providing well‑reasoned, evidence‑based advice on complex policy issues, with appropriate consideration of risks and sensitivities.
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Demonstrated ability to support senior leaders in strategic planning and reform activities, including research, analysis, options development and testing strategic assumptions.
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Highly developed written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear and concise submissions, briefs and reports and tailor messages for different audiences.
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Highly developed stakeholder engagement skills, including the ability to work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to support agreed outcomes.
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Demonstrated ability to contribute effectively and with agility to projects or initiatives in environments of change and competing priorities, while maintaining flexibility and resilience.
There are 2 ongoing position available. This position is only open to applicants with relevant rights to work in Australia.
For more information, please see the Position Description.
How to apply
Apply before the advertised closing date 11:59pm on Thursday, 15 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 applicants will be required to undertake pre-employment screening. DGS actively promotes diversity, inclusion and an equal opportunity workplace. We welcome applicants from all diverse backgrounds, including people with disabilities and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. All roles at DGS can be worked flexibly, however it may differ from role to role.
