Assistant Director, HR Connect in Melbourne

The SES Unit & HR Connect Section requires an EL1 with demonstrated experience leading and managing staff with a diverse range of skills, including setting expectations, developing capability, managing performance, having difficult conversations and planning team workloads, while fostering an inclusive and supportive team culture. As an Assistant Director in the People Services Branch, you are required to lead and manage HR Connect, our HR front door advisory service. Our team ensures the delivery of timely, consistent, and customer-centric HR support across the department.

The EL1 role is accountable for service delivery outcomes, team performance, capability development, stakeholder engagement, and continuous improvement, ensuring alignment with organisational priorities and workforce strategy. The position operates as a key point of contact between People Services (HR) specialist areas and shared service providers, providing oversight of service demand, emerging workforce issues, and operational risk.

The key duties of the position include:

• Lead and manage a front-door service HR advisory team, providing direction and support to ensure the delivery of consistent, high-quality HR advice;
• Provide leadership, coaching and capability development to staff, fostering a positive and collaborative team culture for a high-performing team;
• Allocate resources and manage team workloads to achieve service delivery outcomes while balancing operational priorities;
• Provide strategic and operational advice on complex HR matters, including employment conditions, policy interpretation and people management issues;
• Monitor service delivery performance, identify emerging risks and trends and implement strategies to improve outcomes;
• Analyse operational data to inform decision-making and identify capability gaps;
• Manage relationships with shared service providers, including escalating issues and monitoring agreed service standards;
• Lead and contribute to projects, business improvement initiatives and organisational priorities;
• Exercise delegated authority and sound judgement in accordance with legislation, policy and governance requirements;
• Represent the work area in meetings, working groups and cross-functional initiatives.

Eligibility: Under section 22(8) of the Public Service Act 1999, employees must be Australian citizens to be employed in the Australian Public Service (APS). Any successful candidate external to DVA offered employment will be required to undergo a pre-engagement screening check, even if they have a security clearance. The screening check is conducted in accordance with the Australian Government Protective Security Policy Framework requirements. Any successful candidate will also be required to obtain and/or maintain a baseline Vetting (AGSVA) security clearance as a minimum.

Notes: This recruitment process may be used to fill ongoing and/or non-ongoing position/s. A merit pool of suitable applicants may be created which may be used to fill future ongoing and non-ongoing vacancies should they become available over the next 18 months. Successful applicants engaged into the APS will be subject to a probation period.

We welcome people with diverse skills, experiences and perspectives. DVA is committed to building a workforce that reflects the community we serve and encourages applications from:

• Veterans and former Australian Defence Force members, whose skills and experience are highly valued across the APS;
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples;
• People with disability;
• People who identify as LGBTQIA+;
• People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

We are a Veteran Employer of Choice! This means you benefit from a workplace actively supporting veterans and families of veterans – one that understands and values military experience. You’re joining an organisation publicly recognised for its commitment to fostering veteran-friendly employment pathways and long-term career success.

The Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) exists to fulfil the nation’s duty to support our serving and ex-serving Australian Defence Force members and their families through programs of care, compensation, commemoration, income and Defence support services. Our aim is to enhance self-sufficiency, quality of life, financial wellbeing and community recognition for those we support. DVA is both a policy and service delivery agency with strong relationships with Australian ex-service organisations, Federal and State Government agencies and the veteran community. DVA’s vision is to honour veterans, and empower them and their families to continue life after service, within a society that understands and values their military service and their ongoing contribution to the community.