Senior Project Officer in Parramatta

This is a comparative assessment recruitment for the development of a talent pool, which will be drawn upon to fill various Senior Project Officer roles within the HCEA Strategy Unit, as the need arises, and may be used by other business units and divisions, across Child Protection and Permanency and the broader Department of Communities and Justice.

A hybrid mix, including working from a primary work location at least 50% of the time and working from home, can be negotiated.

Employment type: Talent Pool for future Ongoing and Temporary, Full-Time opportunities

Salary: Clerk Grade 9/10 ( $133,348- $146,945 pa ), plus employer’s contribution to superannuation and annual leave loading

We acknowledge the harm caused by past government policies and practices and the significant impact these have had on First Nations children, families and communities. We commit to recognition of past injustices, truth-telling, and working in partnership with First Nations children, parents, families, communities and the sector to improve outcomes for children and young people who can’t live at home right now.

If you are aligned with our commitment and goals of inclusion, collaboration, courage and integrity – we encourage you to apply for this role.

The HCEA Strategy Unit fosters a collaborative and respectful working environment built on trust, equity, and inclusiveness. Our approach is based around shared responsibility, mutual respect, and collective action to improve outcomes for children and young people.

Our multidisciplinary teams work together to:

• Reduce the number of children and young people entering HCEAs in first instance by undertaking a preventative approach alongside districts and NGO casework teams.
• Reduce the number of children and young people currently in HCEAs by supporting restoration efforts, finding kinship placement options and addressing vacancies across the funded service system.
• Scrutinise and reduce costs associated with these arrangements.
• Increase placement supply and implement strategies to stabilise out-of-home care (OOHC) placements.

Your role as a HCEA Support Squad Senior Project Officer in the HCEA Strategy Unit involves collaborating with DCJ and NGO casework teams to prevent unnecessary entries into HCEA, support safe and timely exits when a HCEA has been established, and ensure holistic care that focuses on permanency, cultural connection, and wellbeing.

What you’ll do:

• Provide practical support (e.g. home visits, group supervisions, assessments or other required operational or field work activities) and expert advice to prevent entries into HCEAs.
• Monitor and review children in HCEA, support exit planning, and coordinate transitions and access to therapeutic supports.
• Engage in system advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and navigating complex service systems to remove barriers and improve outcomes.
• Oversee financial approval processes, contribute to quality assurance, and use data to inform decision-making and drive continuous improvement across the broader service system.

What we’re looking for:

• Demonstrated experience providing high level advice and guidance to improve policy and programs with a focus on outcomes for children and young people.
• Ability to work autonomously and effectively manage competing priorities.
• Highly developed knowledge of ChildStory and proficiency using Microsoft packages (Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and SharePoint).
• Excellent written communication skills including preparing written correspondence, briefs, reports and resources.
• Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills supporting communication with a broad range of stakeholders including potential foster carers and funded service providers.
• Relevant tertiary qualifications in Social Work, Psychology, Sociology or other related degree if you can demonstrate your knowledge skills and experience working with vulnerable children, young people, families and carers.

Appointments are subject to reference checks and the following pre-employment checks:

• National Criminal History Record Check in accordance with the Disability Inclusion Act 2014.
• Working with Children Check clearance in accordance with the Child Protection (Working with Children) Act 2012.

We focus on hiring people who share our commitment and goals of inclusion, collaboration, adaptability, courage and integrity. If you meet the essential requirements and the role resonates with you, we do not require every desired requirement to be met for us to want to talk to you.

What We Offer:

• A challenging and rewarding career
• Flexible, autonomous work environment
• Competitive pay and conditions
• Training and development opportunities to build and maintain capabilities
• Health & Wellbeing and Employee Assistance Programs.

Applications close Sunday, 25 October 2026 at 11:59pm AEST.

Inclusion and Diversity lies at the heart of how we recruit. We continue to hire great people with a wide variety of skills, experience and backgrounds. This includes people with disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, women, people identifying as LGBTIQ+, culturally and linguistically diverse people, carers and other diversity groups.

A talent pool may be created for future ongoing and temporary roles and is valid for a period of up to 18 months.

Thank you for your interest in this role. We look forward to receiving your application.