The Project Advisor contributes toward performance and contract management, program implementation, local area engagement and general team support. The incumbent is responsible for collecting and analysing data associated with projects, reporting on project outcomes, and providing general support to ensure successful project delivery.
About the Department
The role of the Department of Education is to support Victorians to build prosperous, socially engaged, happy and healthy lives. It does this by supporting lifelong learning and healthy development, strengthening families and helping to equip people with the skills and knowledge for a 21st century economy and society.
About the Victorian School Building Authority
The Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA) is part of the Department of Education. Established in 2016, it oversees Victoria's largest school building program since the state introduced free public education in the 1870s.
The VSBA upgrades and expands existing schools and plans, designs and builds new schools to meet enrolment demand. We also support schools to maintain their buildings and grounds by offering expert advice and coordinating maintenance programs and grants.
With Victoria recently introducing two years of funded kindergarten, the VSBA is also working with the early childhood sector on a massive kindergarten construction program.
About the Division
The Strategy and Planning Division is responsible for the VSBA's operating framework, investment strategy, policy setting, asset information management, budget strategy and coordination, along with the delivery of specific school strategies, costings, allocate resources for growth, maintenance, and projects through school application- based programs. The Division also plans and co-ordinates delivery of new early childhood facilities and support for the wider early childhood sector to build, improve and upgrade infrastructure through a number of grants programs, including programs which provide funding to make kindergartens for inclusive for children of all abilities.
About the Branch
The Early Childhood Infrastructure Planning - Strategy and Governance Branch collaborates with the other two branches in the Early Childhood Infrastructure Planning area (namely the ECI Planning State Projects Branch, and the ECI Planning - Sector Partnerships and Grants Branch), as well as with other departmental areas, to lead the strategic implementation of early childhood reforms.
Key accountabilities include managing, planning, and delivering the roll-out of the Three-Year-Old Kindergarten and Best Start, Best Life (BSBL) infrastructure reforms (including policy development), monitoring the Department's progress on reform milestones, leading the input into the State Budget process for the VSBA component of Early Childhood Infrastructure funding requests, contribute to the PAEC reporting and briefing process for Early Childhood Infrastructure, leading and coordinating key reporting tasks (such as for regular ministerial and governance meetings), developing key foundational policies and guidelines, and coordinating provision of advice on priority kindergarten demand areas and potential infrastructure responses.
About the Unit
The Kindergarten Infrastructure Pipeline Planning (KIPP) Unit works across the VSBA's Early Childhood State Projects and Sector Partnership branches in partnership Department's demand provision planning teams; to drive decision making via robust evidence and analysis for the identification of kindergarten projects to support the delivery of the Best Start, Best Life Reforms.
The KIPP team is responsible for developing the strategies including collecting and analysing data associated with early years demand and potential projects and making recommendations, reporting on project outcomes, and providing general support to ensure successful project delivery. This work provides the evidence-base to support the recommendation and selection of a pipeline of state-delivered infrastructure projects to address the unmet demand for kindergartens across Victoria, with the introduction of 3 0 hours of government supported Pre-Prep between 2025 - 2036.
About the Role
The role sits within the Early Childhood Infrastructure Planning – Strategy and Governance Branch. The role will support functions needed to identify, plan and deliver additional early childhood infrastructure projects to address the increased kindergarten demand arising from the roll out of the Best Start, Best Life reforms (expansion of free 3-year-old kindergarten and extension of 4-year-old kindergarten hours across Victoria). The Project Officer will work closely and collaboratively as part of a team responsible for identifying suitable projects to meet immediate years of demand whilst also the development of a pipeline of infrastructure projects to meet demand for kindergarten across the reform.
The key accountabilities and skills of the position are to:
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Support the team in identifying and assessing infrastructure opportunities across the state and at the local level, including strategic advice to agree the appropriate scale and mix of projects.
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Lead team governance via established reporting processes, consultation and governance meetings.
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Supports the development of a statewide potential infrastructure project pipeline out to 2036
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Support the team to work through specialist pipeline planning and SA2 advice in complex areas.
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Undertake analysis to assist identifying areas requiring land acquisition to facilitate new kindergarten infrastructure.
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Working collaboratively across the Branch to incorporate all key data and information into reports, briefs, correspondence and other critical reporting and governance processes.
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Being familiar with and able to analyse data.
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Support the drafting of meeting papers for executive governance groups to guide decision making on infrastructure strategies for local areas.
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Having excellent written and oral communication skills.
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Working with the team to implement a culture of continuous improvement.
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 a high degree of autonomy and self-motivated to produce high quality work outputs, by utilising their strategic mindset, critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Key components of the role include project support, data analysis, reporting (internal and ministerial), support for governance functions, and stakeholder engagement within the Department.
Candidates will have proven project support experience, preferably relating to supporting delivery of complex projects. Candidates will also be able to demonstrate their ability to work confidently and constructively with key internal/external stakeholders to ensure the effective delivery of kindergarten projects.
Desirable Qualifications and Experience
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Desirable: considerable/demonstrated experience 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
Alex Scheikowski- Manager on email [email protected] or via 03 7022 2814.
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 Friday 12 June 2026.
