Senior Officer, State Control Centre Operations and Watch Desk in Melbourne

Location: Melbourne - CBD and Inner Metro suburbs

Reference: VG/1954244OCT2026

At the Department of Justice and Community Safety, we’re looking for people who want to make a difference. People who take pride in their work. People who get things done. People who are committed to making Victoria a safer place. We embrace diversity and strive to have a workforce that reflects the community we serve. We’re all about recruiting the best people, regardless of gender, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation or cultural background.

The department is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children and recognises that children’s rights need to be respected, their views welcomed and valued, and their concerns taken seriously and acted upon. If you require adjustments to the recruitment and selection process, or require an alternative format to any of the application material, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the contact person listed on this ad.

For more information on working with us and our recruitment process, please visit justice.vic.gov.au/careers.

Utilise your analytical & communication skills to support operational response within Emergency Management Victoria. 2 x Ongoing, Full Time Shift Work opportunity. VPS grade 4: $100,894 - $114,476 plus superannuation.

The Department of Justice and Community Safety is seeking two Senior Officers, State Control Centre Operations and Watch Desk to provide a critical role at the Readiness, Response and State Operations Branch.

About the Business Unit:

Emergency Management Victoria (EMV), within the Department of Justice and Community Safety, is responsible for the overall coordination of the emergency management system in Victoria. EMV drives the integration of policy, strategy, operational coordination, sector specific technology, and planning across Victoria's emergency management sector, contributing to safer, more resilient communities. EMV works closely with government and agencies across the emergency management portfolio.

The Watch Desk is a multi-skilled and multi-disciplinary team, operating 24/7, 365 days a year to provide a base service offer for the State Control Centre (SCC) and coordinated delivery of SCC functions. It will maintain a state of readiness to support response to relevant emergencies or no-notice events. It is responsible for situational monitoring and reporting, issuing incident notifications and warnings, and managing centre operations. The Watch Desk also provides support to stewardship teams and other areas of EMV during periods of low operational activity.

About the Role:

This is a designated shift work role and you will be required to perform duties on a 24/7 rotational roster, including days, nights, weekends and public holidays. You will be remunerated in line with these shift work requirements. This role requires you to work on-site at the State Control Centre at all times.

Some of your duties will include:

• Provide mentorship, guidance and support to enable the delivery of work against the Watch Desk's service offer.
• Contribute to the effective functioning of the SCC and support the delivery of legislative and operational requirements of the Emergency Management Commissioner.
• Contribute to the timely and accurate production of situation reports and intelligence products to support tactical, operational and strategic decision‑making within the SCC, including by identifying and monitoring relevant data and information sources.
• Create and publish emergency information and warnings, monitor the VicEmergency social media channels and support media requirements.

About you:

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• Prior experience developing and applying business plans, policies and/or procedures.
• Understanding of the State's Command and Control arrangements that operate within Victoria (or like jurisdiction) is desirable.
• Sound analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and present information into valuable reporting form for senior stakeholders.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Proven ability to productively work independently or as part of a team.

Qualifications/requirements:

Tertiary qualifications in intelligence, communications or a similar discipline are desirable.

The successful candidate will be required to undergo pre-employment checks which may include reference checks, nationally coordinated criminal history checks (NCCHC), and misconduct screening. Dependant on the role, other checks may include VicRoads checks, drivers licence checks, medical checks, Working with Children Checks, and Declaration of Private Interests (for executive and responsible officer roles).

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: CHILD SAFE STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT: The Department of Justice and Community Safety is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. We seek to prevent harm of any kind impacting children and young people and have zero tolerance for racism, child abuse and inequality. Children and young people's rights, relationships, identity, and culture must be recognised and respected, their voices heard, and their concerns acted upon. We aim to foster a culturally safe, child safe and child friendly environment for all children and young people we have contact with, deliver services to, or are impacted by our work.

Applications close Sunday 15 November 2026 at 11.59pm.