We are seeking an exceptional leader to join our team as Health and Wellbeing Manager. This is an opportunity to influence system-wide change by leading strategic initiatives that strengthen health, wellbeing and inclusion across Victorian education.
About the Role
As Health and Wellbeing Manager, you will:
- Lead the design, delivery and evaluation of strategic health, wellbeing and inclusion initiatives that support the department's vision and priorities. Strengthen the practice, capability and ways of working of health, wellbeing and inclusion workforces across the department.
- Provide strategic leadership to a high-performing team, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, accountability and continuous improvement.
- Develop and implement evidence-informed policy, programs and projects that address complex system challenges.
- Use data, evaluation and implementation evidence to inform decision making and continuous improvement.
- Build trusted relationships across government, education sectors and external organisations to achieve shared outcomes.
- Provide expert advice and high-quality briefings to senior executives on complex strategic issues.
- Navigate complex stakeholder environments and competing priorities while maintaining a strong focus on delivering meaningful outcomes.
- Drive cross-functional collaboration to ensure strategic priorities are translated into effective implementation.
- Drive continuous improvement and innovation in workforce practice, service delivery and organisational effectiveness.
This role requires a leader who is equally comfortable thinking strategically, solving complex problems and leading people through change.
Attributes
The successful applicant will demonstrate:
- A highly strategic mindset with the ability to anticipate future challenges, identify opportunities and translate vision into action.
- Outstanding people leadership skills, with experience building engaged, capable and high-performing teams.
- Exceptional critical thinking and problem-solving capability, particularly in complex policy and organisational environments.
- Strong collaboration skills and a proven ability to build productive partnerships across diverse stakeholder groups.
- Highly developed communication and influencing skills, including the ability to present complex information clearly to executive audiences.
- Excellent stakeholder management capabilities, with experience navigating competing priorities and achieving consensus.
- Demonstrated ability to lead strategic initiatives that drive system improvement and workforce capability.
- A commitment to evidence-informed practice, continuous improvement and delivering meaningful outcomes for Victorian students and communities.
- A leadership style that reflects the Victorian Public Sector Values of responsiveness, integrity, accountability, respect, leadership, impartiality and human rights.
Desirable Qualifications and Experience
We are particularly interested in candidates who have:
- Experience in health, wellbeing, inclusion or related policy within an education or public sector environment.
- Experience leading strategic policy development, organisational strategy or large-scale reform initiatives.
- Experience managing multidisciplinary teams and developing leadership capability in others.
- Demonstrated expertise in project governance, implementation, evaluation and continuous improvement.
- Tertiary qualifications in the area of health, wellbeing and inclusion within an education context is desirable.
How to Apply
Applications should include:
- a resume (no more than 2-pages); and
- a cover letter that responds to each of the Key Selection Criteria (no more than 2-pages).
About the Division - Inclusive Education Division
The Incl usive Education Division (IncED) has a central role in achieving the Education State Agenda by ensuring that all students will have access to the same quality education, regardless of their background or circumstance. This is reflective of our ambition to ensure students with disability and additional needs are engaged and active learners and are provided with the skills, knowledge and attributes they need to succeed in work and life. Specifically, the purpose of the Division is to:
- Lead the Department's efforts to implement policy and programs and enhance service delivery to improve educational and wellbeing outcomes for children and young people with disability and additional needs.
- Focus on how the education system can better support children and young people with disability. This includes implementation of inclusive education reforms and oversight of the Government's $1.6 billion Disability Inclusion reform.
- Work across the Department and other government departments and agencies to develop and lead policy and initiatives to maximise the access, participation supported transition and achievement of children and young people with disability and additional needs.
- Build the capability of regional and school-based staff to improve inclusive education frameworks, interventions and practices within regions, schools and early childhood settings. This includes Student Support Services, behaviour, trauma and mental health. Insert paragraph with details on Division/Branch
About the Branch
Inclusive Education Professional Practice Branch. The Inclusive Education Professional Practice (IEPP) Branch builds the capability of regional and school-based staff to implement improved inclusive education frameworks, interventions and practices by:
- Focusing direction on the development of an organisational culture that establishes and sustains a consistent and supportive school environment for all students
- Cultivating collaboration to inform, develop and support inclusive education practices that recognise the unique characteristics of Victoria's education system and meet local demands
- Providing a practical model of tiered intervention support where leaders and education professionals can identify the capability required to build a learner's cognitive, emotional and social capabilities
- Deepening professional learning to build teacher knowledge, capabilities and attitudes to improve the educational outcomes for all students.
The role is responsible for leading strategic priorities that improve outcomes for students, while also strengthening the practice, capability and ways of working of the department's health, wellbeing and inclusion workforce. You will work across policy, implementation and workforce development, ensuring that strategic priorities are translated into meaningful action and sustained impact.
Reporting within a high-performing leadership team, you will lead a team responsible for strategic policy development, project delivery, stakeholder engagement and evidence-informed decision making. Your work will directly influence departmental priorities, shape future directions and support better outcomes for students, schools and communities.
About the Department
The department provides a wide range of learning and development support and services.
The department provides policy leadership, plans for the future of education in Victoria and leads key cross-sector collaboration. The department plays an important system steward role by providing support, guidance, oversight and assurance across early childhood and school education systems, as well as directly providing school education and 50 new early learning centres.
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 Evan Savage, Director Inclusive Education Professional Practice via (03) 7022 5943 or [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 30 August 2026
