Criteria 1 : `Victorian Public Sector Values' as detailed in the capability section
Criteria 2 : `Organisational Awareness' as detailed in the capability section
Criteria 3 : 'Strategic Planning' as detailed in the capability section
Criteria 4 : `Stakeholder Management' as detailed in the capability section
Criteria 5 : `Leadership' as detailed in the capability section
Under the leadership of the Executive Director, Curriculum and Teaching Practice Division, the Director, Curriculum and Professional Practice Branch will work closely and collaboratively across the department to:
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Lead the development and continuous improvement of policy, guidance and resources to support teaching and learning in government schools, including the revised Victorian Curriculum and the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0 and associated web pages and collateral, general teaching and pedagogic practice, and the Student Voice and Agency policy.
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Lead the implementation of the Minister for Educations flagship teaching and learning reform, the VTLM 2.0, including through close engagement with regional school improvement teams, partner agencies (e.g. the VCAA and the Academy), corporate teams across DE and external stakeholders.
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Provide high-level authoritative advice to senior executives in relation to curriculum, assessment and pedagogy policy issues, effective implementation, and curriculum guidance and resources for Victorian government schools.
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Ensure the conditions and processes are in place to produce high quality and well-founded advice within tight timeframes for the Minister, internal and external stakeholders such as the Victorian Auditor-Generals Office.
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Dynamically lead a portfolio of 3 units including the coordination and integration of planning, monitoring, ongoing improvement and evaluation.
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Maximise Branch effectiveness by selecting, developing, motivating and managing a high performing team
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Work closely and supportively with the divisional, sub-group and group executive teams
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Lead effective financial management within the Branch by supporting teams to manage their budgets in a timely and accurate manner.
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Model the VPS Values, lead on matters of integrity, compliance and public value, and contribute to maintaining a high performing, welcoming, psychologically safe and growth-focused branch and Divisional culture.
KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS CAPABILITY DESCRIPTION
Financial Authorisation
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Ensure that the purchasing rules and principles of procurement have been followed as per departmental procurement policies
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Approve financial obligations (expenditure and commitment) for the appropriate transaction type and value as authorised under Direction 2.4
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Exercise the duties in accordance with the approved position (as a financial delegate) as authorised under Direction 2.4 of the Standing Directions of the Minister for Finance
Contract Management - Purchasing
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Establishes and maintains regular and productive working relationships with suppliers under contract
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Clearly define roles and expectations between the supplier and the department within a contract
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Actively manages commitment and expenditure against agreed deliverable and resolves any discrepancy promptly
Procurement Responsibilities
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Ensures that the appropriate level of analysis is undertaken for a procurement activity and that the appropriate level of approval is sought
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Uses appropriate purchasing processes that reflect the complexity of the procurement in accordance with departmental policy
Individual Performance Management
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Conduct performance appraisals
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Clearly define staff roles and performance expectations
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Delegate responsibilities that will stretch staff to further their development
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Provide support through timely resolution of professional issues and problems
Direction Setting and Supervision
Team Effectiveness Management
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Encourage and motivate team members to achieve high standards of performance
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Secure resources as required to support achievement of outcomes
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Provide a framework for constructive feedback
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Manage team dynamics and role model desired behaviours
Thought leadership and expert advice
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Analyse and solve complex problems, and act as a point of escalation for issues that are encountered by the team and other stakeholder
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Be a recognised specialist in the area who conceptualises, implements, promotes and evaluates complex and innovative programs
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Provides expert advice to team members and other department and external stakeholders in area of specialisation
Strategic and business planning and reporting
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Participate in the formulation and implementation of strategic and business plans to deliver on evolving organisational priorities
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Report on team performance against business plans as required
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Undertake financial management activities to ensure resources are available to support business plans
Strategic consultation
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Initiate and maintain relationships with peers and senior internal and external stakeholders to support strategic and business planning efforts
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Negotiate with stakeholders, peers, industry bodies and other government agencies to understand views, gain cooperation, achieve influence on strategic or business priorities
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Manage stakeholder consultation processes, balancing competing priorities and views
REQUIRED CAPABILITIES
Capability Description
People Management
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Aligns team with organisational values and goals through effective people management and modelling
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Clearly defines role expectations, monitors performance, provides timely and constructive feedback and facilitates employee development
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Ensures staff are effectively deployed through effective workforce planning practices
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Maximises effectiveness by selecting, developing, managing and motivating a diverse, high performing team where people feel valued and want to do their best
Leadership
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Identifies potential issues and setbacks and guides team to optimise outcomes
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Motivates others to deliver against goals
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Builds team commitment by demonstrating personal conviction
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Translates organisational strategy into meaningful long¿term plans and objectives for own area of responsibility
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Ensures the team understands and takes ownership of work to execute the organisation's vision and strategy
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Sets and achieves ambitious goals for themselves and for their group
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Displays a strong improvement orientation by removing barriers to staff and organisational performance
Organisational Awareness
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Understands and addresses underlying problems, opportunities or external forces affecting the organisatio
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Understands the impact of external events and changing stakeholder needs on the organisation and government
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Uses strategic relationships and knowledge to predict and prepare for the impact of events on the organisation
Stakeholder Management
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Engages effectively with internal and external stakeholders, including key government and school colleagues
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Finds innovative solutions to resolve stakeholder issues
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Identifies and responds to stakeholder's underlying needs
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Identifies issues in common for one or more stakeholders and uses to build mutually beneficial partnerships
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Uses understanding of the stakeholder¿s organisational context to ensure outcomes are achieved
Strategic Planning
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Considers the ramifications of issues and long¿term impact of work being done
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Inspires a sense of purpose and direction within context
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Understands the organisation's current and future role
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Effectively and appropriately develops and uses evidence to support and develop approaches to strategy and policy
Resource Management
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Anticipates and manages risks
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Ensures value for investment is achieved
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Negotiates for necessary resources from corporate budgets and other sources
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Oversees development and management of complex budgets with multiple cost centre managers
Specialist Expertise
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Demonstrated capability to drive the successful delivery of policies, processes or resources to the front-line workforce in a large social system
Personal Qualities Capability Description
Developing Others
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Actively seeks to improve others¿ skills and talents by providing constructive feedback, coaching and training opportunities
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Empowers others by investing them with the authority and latitude to accomplish tasks
Flexibility
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Is open and responsive to change
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Is intellectually curious and open to new ideas and the challenges of unfamiliar task
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Is adaptable and flexible
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Encourages openness to change in others and creates a culture where new ideas are valued, fostered and shape
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Stretches others¿ thinking about how to view issues and potential ways forward
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Perseveres when the 'going gets tough' and in the face of resistance or setbacks
Conceptual and Analytical Ability
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Deals with concepts, ambiguity and complexity comfortably
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Makes sound and timely decisions balancing judgement, analysis and intuition
Uses analytical and conceptual skills to reason through problems
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Essential: Tertiary qualifications in a relevant discipline and a working knowledge of Victoria¿s education system and current reform landscape
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
[email protected]
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.
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
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
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.
Information about the structure of the department, including details about each of our Ministers, key staff, regional offices, strategy and annual reports are available at: http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/department/Pages/default.aspx
The department is committed to the principles of equal opportunity, and diversity and inclusion for all. We value diversity and inclusion in all forms - gender, religion, ethnicity, LGBTIQ+, disability and neurodiversity. The department recognises that the provision of family friendly, supportive, safe and harassment free workplaces is essential to high performance and promotes flexible work, diversity and safety across all schools and department workplaces.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for roles within the department. The department acknowledges and respects Aboriginal cultures, its values and practices, and is committed to take actions to provide support to Aboriginal people employed by the department.
The department also works in conjunction with the following statutory bodies: Adult, Community and Further Education Board; Children's Services Coordination Board; Disciplinary Appeals Boards; Victorian Children's Council; and Victorian Institute of Teaching.
Further information about DE is available at www.education.vic.gov.au.
SCHOOLS AND REGIONAL SERVICES (SRS)
The Schools and Regional Services (SRS) Group is the face of the department across Victoria. Successful outcomes for children and young people are at the center of everything we do.
There are Regional and Area teams in locations throughout the state. The Area teams lead our place-based approach to service delivery and are responsible for managing this delivery through our schools and early childhood providers in local communities right across Victoria.
SRS provides an interface between the departments central office and our service providers, ensuring that policy intent and outcomes are delivered on-the-ground.
SRS promotes and supports partnerships across our system, regional early childhood services, schools and other education providers to deliver high-quality services and outcomes.
SRS has a strong focus on driving operational performance, accountability, workforce leadership and policy implementation.
TEACHING, LEARNING AND SCHOOL PERFORMANCE SUB-GROUP
The Teaching, Learning and School Performance sub-group is led by the Assistant Deputy Secretary and consists of two divisions:
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Curriculum and Teaching Practice Division: focused on providing curriculum, teaching and learning policy advice to senior executives and the Minister, and guidance and resources to government schools; and
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Schools Performance Division: responsible for the frameworks and programs relating to government school performance at the student, teacher and school level
It works with other key areas of the department, including Senior Secondary Strategy and Reform, Schools Workforce and School Education Programs and Support, as well as the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) and the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership (the Academy) on matters related to the curriculum, teaching, learning and school performance.
CURRICULUM AND TEACHING PRACTICE DIVISION
Curriculum and Teaching Practice Division (CTPD) works collaboratively across the department, with schools, and with stakeholders to co-design and implement initiatives that support schools to deliver high-quality curriculum and teaching programs. CTPD has primary responsibility for the provision of advice and implementation support to government schools to deliver the Victorian Curriculum. Drawing on contemporary research and practice evidence, CPTDs work contributes to ongoing improvements in student outcomes by flexibly responding to student needs and aspirations, as well as those of school communities.
CTPD covers a range of key policy and professional practice areas including Literacy, Languages, the Arts and Humanities; Numeracy, STEM and Digital Learning; Victorian Lesson Plans and Teaching and Learning. Across these branches, key functions include:
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providing policies and guidance in areas such as assessment and reporting, languages education, Holocaust education, literacy instruction, mathematics and numeracy education, and artificial intelligence
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developing lesson plans, toolkits and other teaching and learning resources for classroom use
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designing and delivering high-quality professional learning in key curriculum areas
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developing and managing the Arc Platform and implementing high-quality teaching and learning software
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fostering student, family and community engagement through programs like the Premiers Reading Challenge, Books in Prep Bags, and community language schools.
