Director, Capital Funding

The Schools Group drives the Australian Government's contribution to the goals of the Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration 
 

shaping a school education system that promotes excellence and equity and supporting young Australians to become confident and creative individuals, successful lifelong learners, and active and informed citizens. 

The Group oversees the Australian Government's significant investment in recurrent school funding to drive collaboration on national policy initiatives with state and territory governments (though the National School Reform Agreement) and the non-government school sector. 

The Funding and Data Collection Division manages school funding arrangements and administers funding for all Australian schools and schooling systems who are eligible for Commonwealth funding under the Australian Education Act 2013.

Reporting to the Branch Manager, Payments and Collections Branch, the Director of the Capital Funding Section is responsible for the oversight and administration of the Capital Grants Program for non-government schools and the Building Boarding Schools on Country measure. The Capital Grants Program is a long standing program that enjoys bipartisan support. The Building Boarding Schools on Country is a more recent initiative ($70.758 million), which provides education options for indigenous students to access schooling on country, through supporting new boarding school facilities. 

The key duties of the position include:

The EL2 will be responsible for leading the team and ensuring the provision of timely and high-quality policy and operational advice in relation to:

• The Capital Grants Program (CGP) provides funding for non-government schools to improve capital infrastructure, where they otherwise may not have access to sufficient capital resources. In 2023 the program provided $215.8 million for non-government schools capital infrastructure projects. Relationship Management, particularly with the Block Grant Authorities (BGAs) which act on behalf of non-government schools, is central to the role and strong stakeholder management skills are required. In addition, there is an opportunity to consider how improved technology can further streamline processes for the administration of these programs, with the development of a new IT platform to manage payments to schools (including capital grants) underway.  
• The Building Boarding Schools on Country measure. This Closing the Gap initiative aims to expand the Studio Schools educational model across remote Western Australia by building a new middle-year (Years 7–9) boarding school in the Kimberley as a feeder school to the existing Yiramalay Studio School (Years 10-12). Excellent organisational skills, including the ability to anticipate and establish priorities and monitor progress to deliver outcomes.

Eligibility

Citizenship: Please note, under section 22(8) of the Public Service Act 1999, employees must be Australian citizens to be employed in the APS unless the Agency delegate has agreed, in writing.

Security Clearance: This is a designated security assessed position. The successful candidate will have the ability to obtain and maintain a Baseline security clearance. 

Getting to know the Department of Education

The Department of Education contributes to Australia's economic prosperity and social wellbeing by creating opportunities and driving better outcomes through access to quality education and learning.A strong early childhood education system built around early learning and child care gives children the best start in life—supporting them to build social and behavioural skills to help prepare them to transition to school.For parents and carers, affordable child care enables them to participate in the workforce, pursue further education or other opportunities to contribute to their community — bolstering the social wellbeing and economic prosperity of the nation.As children continue their journey through school, access to quality education creates the foundation for a bright future – it opens a world of possibilities and equips children and young people with the skills, knowledge, and career advice to prepare them for further work or study to fulfil their dreams.An affordable, and accessible higher education sector allows Australians and international students to pursue their passion in life or reskill for the jobs of the future. A strong higher education and research sector in step with national priority areas provides people with an opportunity to choose a career path that addresses skill shortages or the challenges of the future including, clean energy, advanced manufacturing, health, and education.Through education and learning, we change lives, create opportunities, and support Australia's economic success and social wellbeing.