The role is responsible for planning for and leading the delivery of site identification and land acquisition projects in order to meet specified timeframes for the government’s early childhood infrastructure program established under the Best Start, Best Life reform.
This position is fixed term until 30 June 2029.
About the Department
The Department of Education (DE) leads the delivery of education and development services to children and students both directly through government schools and indirectly through the regulation and funding of early childhood services and non-government schools.
About the Victorian School Building Authority
The Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA) is part of the Department of Education and leads the planning, delivery and maintenance of education facilities across both schools and early learning settings. Established in 2016, it oversees one of Victoria's largest building programs, supporting the full education lifecycle from early childhood to secondary school. In response to Victoria's introduction of Two Years of Funded Kindergarten, the VSBA is working closely with the early childhood sector to deliver a significant pipeline of new and expanded kindergarten facilities, often co-located with schools.
The VSBA delivers four key priorities:
- building and expanding schools and early childhood facilities to meet population growth.
- planning, designing and constructing new facilities and upgrading existing ones to meet enrolment demand
- modernising and maintaining school and early learning facilities through coordinated programs, expert advice and grants
- engaging communities to ensure local input, transparency, and strong partnerships in project delivery
The VSBA brings together expertise in property, construction and project management, architecture, facilities maintenance, and education operations, alongside specialists in relocatable buildings, data and policy, finance, communications, and stakeholder engagement.
About the Division
The Major Projects & Property Division is responsible for delivering educational infrastructure projects and programs, including the acquisition and management of land as well as delivery of capital infrastructure projects.
The Property Branch represents the Minister for Education and Minister for Children's interests as land owner, and provides specialised land and property related advice and support to schools and other areas within DE and the VSBA. The Branch's work covers the whole of the property life cycle, being:
- Acquisition of land for new schools and early childhood facilities and to expand existing educational facilities
- Property agreements and general support for the management of the land and property issues on behalf of the Minister for Education and the Minister for Children.
- Land Regeneration, covering closed or vacant education sites. This includes management and disposal of land no longer required for education use, as well as management of sites being retained for future school or early childhood provision.
About the Role
The Senior Project Advisor role is located within the Land Acquisition Program and reports into the Manager, Land Acquisition – Forward Planning, Property (Early Childhood).
The role is responsible for planning for and leading the delivery of site identification and land acquisition projects in order to meet specified timeframes for the government's early childhood infrastructure program established under the Best Start, Best Life reform.
The successful applicant will be a proactive and collaborative professional who is comfortable working autonomously, building strong relationships across government, and providing high-quality property advice to support decision-making. The key accountabilities of the role include:
- Undertaking strategic analysis of sites identified for early childhood infrastructure, including planning, infrastructure, heritage and other site-specific considerations to inform investment and infrastructure planning.
- Providing timely analysis, advice and cost information to support strategic planning activities and State Budget process.
- Building and maintaining productive relationships with stakeholders across the VSBA and the Department to support collaborative planning and decision-making.
- Preparing evidence-based recommendations and high-quality written advice for senior management, VSBA executive and Ministerial approval.
- Contributing to program development, continuous improvement initiatives and other strategic projects within the branch.
- Providing leadership, guidance and support across the team, as required.
All VSBA staff have a shared responsibility to meet the same service standards outlined in the VSBA Customer Service Charter. Our goal is to make every interaction with the VSBA a positive one for our customers, colleagues and key partners regardless of our individual role or team.
Attributes
The ideal candidate will have strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret complex information, provide specialised advice and support evidence-based decision-making. They will have excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to build effective relationships and work collaboratively across government.
Desirable Qualifications and Experience
Essential:
- In depth knowledge and hands on experience with applications such as Microsoft, Excel, Power BI and Sharepoint.
- Demonstrated understanding of Victorian Government land policies and other statutory approval frameworks.
- Demonstrated understanding of issues relating to land development and acquisition including contamination, cultural heritage and flora and fauna.
Highly regarded:
- Tertiary qualification in property or related field.
- Considerable/demonstrated experience in a similar role within government.
Further Information
For more details regarding this position please see attached position description for the capabilities to address in application.
The department values diversity and inclusion in all forms - gender, religion, ethnicity, LGBTIQ+, disability and neurodiversity. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. For more information about our work, working for the Department, diversity and inclusion, and our employment conditions visit the Department website and our Diversity and Inclusion page
Applicants requiring adjustments can contact the nominated contact person.
Information about the Department of Education's operations and employment conditions can be located at www.education.vic.gov.au.
For further information pertaining to the role, please contact Madison Rea, Manager, Land Acquisition – Forward Planning, Property (Early Childhood) via email [email protected].
Preferred applicants may be required to complete a police check and may be subject to other pre-employment checks. Information provided to the Department of Education will be treated in the strictest confidence.
Please let us know via phone or email if you require any adjustments to ensure your full participation in the recruitment process or if you need the ad or any attachments in an accessible format (e.g large print) due to any viewing difficulties or other accessibility requirements.
Applications close 11:59pm on 13 September 2026
