Title:  Policy Officer

About Us

We work for the people of Victoria by helping the Government achieve its strategic objectives. We do this by supporting the Premier, the Minister for Treaty and First Peoples and the Multicultural Affairs, as well as the Cabinet. Our vision is to be recognised and respected leaders in whole-of-government policy and performance.

The Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC) upholds and demonstrates the values of the VPS and is the embodiment of VPS leadership. DPC’s values are adopted from the Public Administration Act 2004:

· Leadership

· Integrity

· Responsiveness

· Impartiality

· Accountability

· Respect

· Commitment to Human Rights.

The Social Policy group

The Social Policy Group is responsible for providing advice on social policy matters including health, mental health and alcohol and other drugs, education, justice, community security and emergency management, and families, fairness and housing.

The Education Branch

Education Branch provides high-quality, strategic analysis and advice on a range of education policy issues to support the Premier and Cabinet. The Branch contributes to the development and delivery of key policies and priority projects from a whole-of-government perspective across:

Early Childhood Education

Schools

The Branch also provides strategic advice to the Premier to support Victoria’s position in negotiations with the Commonwealth on education-related intergovernmental matters.

About the Role

An exciting opportunity exists for a talented and passionate individual to join the Education Branch as a Policy Officer in the Early Childhood Education and Care team. The core duties of the role include providing high-quality policy advice and analysis to the Premier, the Secretary, DPC executives and senior officers across a range of issues within the Branch.

The role requires a proactive self-starter with good understanding of government processes and an ability to work in a complex, sensitive and fast paced environment. The successful candidate will demonstrate strong policy; analytical and communication skills coupled with an ability to influence stakeholders in government and work effectively in a team environment.

In this role, you will be part of a high-performing and supportive team providing policy advice to the Premier and senior executives. You will review policy proposals, undertake policy analysis, and assess the impact of government decisions and actions. You will work closely with other key departments and areas within DPC. As required you will also support work being undertaken by the Social Policy Group and wider department.

This position requires you to deal with sensitive issues in a confidential manner. Work must be conducted with a high degree of accuracy in short time frames.

About You

We are seeking applicants who have demonstrated experience from the following criteria:

• Strong communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to develop clear, succinct and solutions-focused written and verbal briefings on complex issues to a high standard that meet the needs of senior stakeholders.
• Demonstrated policy, conceptual and analytical skills, with ability to synthesise and critically evaluate information and the potential implications and risks of proposed policy options, and to proactively identify issues and solutions.
• Ability to develop and maintain strong working relationships with government stakeholders to progress government policy and priorities and achieve successful outcomes.
• Ability to contribute to the management of time-limited projects with limited direction, including keeping aspects of projects on track, and ensuring that emerging risks are mitigated and addressed.
• Sound professional judgment, including demonstrated ability to be flexible and adaptable to changing priorities to meet deadlines while working in pressured situations, and ability to implement efficient work processes and support continuous improvement.

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 Tuesday 19 May 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. DPC 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 DPC can be worked flexibly, however it may differ from role to role.