Selection Criteria

Generic Criteria:
Criterion 1: Demonstrates the 'Victorian Public Sector Values' of Responsiveness, Integrity, Impartiality, Accountability, Respect, Leadership and Human Rights. 

Position Specific Criteria:

Criterion 2: `Flexibility and Adaptability - please see the Capabilities section above for more detail.
Criterion 3: `Policy Design and Development' - please see the Capabilities section above for more detail.
Criterion 4: `Critical Thinking and Problem Solving' - please see the Capabilities section above for more detail. 
Criterion 5: `Managing People' - Please see the Capabilities section above for more detail.
 

Essential: Strong leadership experience; Tertiary degree in a relevant education field

Role

Role Requirements

Decision Making    
Responsible for quality outcomes of work and understands the implications of work completed and its impact on department/government policies. Provides strong leadership and develops staff in area of professional expertise. Influences departmental policy direction and may develop or change policy as a result of specialised work or research. Identifies and responds to new and emerging issues in the field, as well as their longer-term implications on the department.

Communication     
Informs stakeholders of matters arising from their expert role. Develops and utilises communication networks to ensure appropriate development of project initiatives in accordance with government priorities. Provides expert information and advice on professional field or major projects.

Knowledge and proficiency     
Requires significant experience in the field. Is an authoritative expert in the field and enhances the standing of the agency and its reputation for excellence. Writes, publishes, and presents research, arguments and cases to peers, stakeholders and senior management. 

Capabilities    

Personal Attributes    

Flexibility and Adaptability: Works to find new ways to deliver outcomes. Recognises the merits of different options and acts accordingly. Has the courage to alter strategies in situations where there is a clear indication that an existing strategy may not deliver the best outcome. Builds commitment in others to adopt new strategies and delivers against outcomes.

Outcomes Thinking: Is up to date with needs of community and formulates strategies that are aligned to community needs. Removes barriers that prevents achievement of outcomes for the community.

Meaningful Outcomes   
 
Strategic Planning: Guides others through the strategic planning process, creating a shared vision for the future. Has a comprehensive understanding of external and internal issues that influence the strategic direction of the department. Ensures that overall strategic plan cascades to operational and team planning processes and performance plans. Provides subject matter expertise and building capability of others.

Policy Design and Development: Keeps up to date with a broad range of contemporary issues and develops complex business case proposals. Builds trusting relationships with senior leaders across the department, to engender support for proposals. Provides thought leadership to others, in areas of expertise.

Enabling Delivery    

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: 
Considers a broad range of topics (beyond immediate area of work), works across government and at senior levels to develop and deliver sustainable solutions.

Political and Organisational Context: 
Uses strategic relationships and knowledge to predict and prepare for the impact of events on the department. Drives a values-based team, by holding self and the relevant entity/group accountable in adhering to public sector values. 
 

Authentic Relationships    

Influence and Persuasion: 
Develops long-term and multi-phased plans to influence others. Implements complex strategies to build buy-in from key internal and external stakeholders. Effectively negotiates with stakeholders to achieve desired outcomes.

Stakeholder Management: 
Identifies and manages a range of complex and often competing needs. Facilitates innovative solutions to resolve stakeholder issues.

People Leadership

Managing People: Role models ethical leadership through decision making and interactions with people. Creates a team culture that enables others to perform at their best and achieve outcomes. Champions people engagement as a local work area priority. Provides thought leadership on people management across the service.

Develop Capability: Provides thought leadership and high-level advice around capability development at VPS level. Has knowledge of external factors relating to capability development such as demographic trends, skills shortages and future workforce requirements. Appropriately delegates responsibilities to further the development of others. Fosters talent and builds capability of others across the department. 

Responsibilities

The Director, Curriculum Policy and Strategy is responsible for ensuring that curriculum is exceptional-quality, cohesive and meeting the needs of students, teachers and the State of Victoria.

The Director is responsible for rigorous qualitative and quantitative research and policy development that informs decisions of the Executive Team, CEO and the VCAA Board, and that positions the VCAA to enhance learning and performance for current and future children and young people.

The Director reports to the Executive Director of Curriculum Division and is a key member of the VCAA's Executive. In this capacity the Director works collaboratively with other members of the Executive Team across the VCAA to achieve the strategic and operational objectives of the CEO and the VCAA Board.

The Director, Curriculum Policy and Strategy is responsible for:

• leading work in policy, strategy and implementation.
• considering international and national research with a view to understanding broader social, economic, employment and demographic trends.
• taking a lead role in developing ongoing partnerships with various stakeholder within Victoria and nationally and delivers on sensitive policy and time-pressured projects. 
• supporting the work of the Executive Director in management of administration and operational issues as well as in strategic activity.
• contributing to the overall success of the VCAA's work, going beyond their own functions to support their staff, colleagues and our Board.
   

Who May Apply

Individuals with the aptitude, experience and/or qualifications to fulfill the specific requirements of the position.

Diversity and Inclusion

The department is committed to diversity and inclusion and developing a workforce that is representative of the community we service. We value diversity and inclusion in all forms - culture, gender, religion, ethnicity, LGBTIQA+, disability and neurodiversity. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for roles within the Department. The Department recognises that the provision of safe, respectful and inclusive workplaces is essential to high performance and promotes flexible work and diversity across all schools and Department workplaces. It is our policy to provide reasonable adjustments for staff with disability (see Workplace adjustment guidelines).

Additional support and advice on the recruitment process is available to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander candidates from the Koorie Outcomes Division (KOD) via *******@education.vic.gov.au

Applicants seeking part-time employment are encouraged to apply for any teaching service position and, if they are the successful candidate, request a reduced time fraction. Such requests will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis and will be subject to the operational requirements of the school.

Child Safe Standards

Victorian government schools are child safe environments. Our schools actively promote the safety and wellbeing of all students, and all school staff are committed to protecting students from abuse or harm in the school environment, in accordance with their legal obligations including child safe standards. All schools have a Child Safety Code of Conduct consistent with the department's exemplar available at:

 https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/child-safe-standards/policy

DE Values

The department's employees commit to upholding the department's Values: Responsiveness, Integrity, Impartiality, Accountability, Respect, Leadership and Human Rights. The department's Values complement each school's own values and underpin the behaviours the community expects of Victorian public sector employees, including those who work in Victorian Government Schools. Information on the department values is available at:

 https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/values-department-vps-school-employees/overview

Other Information

For further information pertaining to the role, please contact Sean Butler via email ***********@education.vic.gov.au 

• Applicants should keep a copy of the position description as it cannot be accessed once the job has closed.
• Candidates are required to submit a resume and a cover letter (no more than one A4 page). Candidates are not required to make a separate statement in response to each of the key selection criteria, however the cover letter should provide an overview of how candidates knowledge, skills and experience meet the key selection criteria specified.
• The Department values diversity and understands the unique challenges that individuals may face in the recruitment process. If you would like to request reasonable adjustments for the recruitment processes for this role or want more information about how the Department supports inclusive recruitment, please get in touch with the contact person listed on this job advertisement. 
• Successful applicants are subject to a satisfactory pre-employment check including a criminal record check. New department employees are required to meet the cost of the criminal record check.
• If appointed from outside DE, successful applicants will be required to complete a pre-employment health declaration.
• A probationary period of up to 6 months may apply for a person appointed to an ongoing position from outside the Public Service or the Teaching Service.
• All DE employees are required to comply with relevant legislation, including legislation regarding the management of DE records, the Code of Conduct for Victorian public sector employees and departmental policies and procedures in the conduct of their employment.
• Standard public service terms and conditions apply. Information about DE's operations and employment conditions can be obtained from the following websites: http://www.education.vic.gov.au/ and http://www.education.vic.gov.au/hrweb.
• To support DE's commitment to its Environmental Management System, DE employees are expected to act in an environmentally responsible manner at all times.
• For Allied Health employees working in the regions, a current driver's licence is mandatory, and a capacity to access private transport with approved comprehensive insurance cover.
• For regulatory early childhood employees working in the regions, a current driver's licence is mandatory.
   

Location Profile

The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) is responsible for developing high-quality early learning and development frameworks, a curriculum for school-aged students, and assessment products and services. The VCAA is a statutory body responsible to the Victorian Minister for Education, serving both government and non-government schools.

It is a registered foundational and senior secondary awarding body with the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA).

As part of its functions, the VCAA develops policies, criteria and standards for:

• curriculum, assessments and courses for school-aged students
• learning, development and assessments which relate to early childhood