Education Improvement Leader - North Eastern Victoria Region, Ovens Murray Area (20010061)

The Department leads the delivery of education and development services to children, young people and adults both directly through government schools and indirectly through the regulation and funding of early childhood services, non-government schools and training programs.

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

Schools and Regional Services comprises 17 Areas within four regions across the state, as well as 5 central Divisions. The responsibilities of Schools and Regional Services include:

• service delivery including performance, contract management, funding delivery and acquittal
• program implementation including detailed implementation planning and delivery
• local area engagement, advice, support and partnerships
• workforce capability development, professional practice leadership and delivery
• emergency management including critical incident response
• supporting strong regional partnerships with early childhood services, schools and other education providers to deliver high-quality services and outcomes with a 0-18 focus.

The regional model is designed to:

• connect between central government policy and the delivery of high quality services to Victorians
• drive outcomes across all stages of learning through expert advice and support
• connect with families, service providers, schools and communities
• lead, collaborate and partner at a local level to overcome social and economic challenges facing our communities, towns and cities
• deliver health, wellbeing and support services to children, young people and their families to assist them in their learning and development
• improve connectedness and transitions between important points in a child's life - such as between early childhood, kindergarten, school and tertiary education
• assist and support children and young people who are vulnerable, disengaged, and those with disabilities or challenging behaviour.

1. Victorian Public Sector Values as detailed in Organisational Values section above
2. Demonstrated ability to support/lead improvement strategies across school settings in order to lift performance and achievement levels
3. Demonstrated highly effective collaboration and stakeholder engagement skills
4. Demonstrated high level of written and verbal communication skills
5. Demonstrated ability to work as part of a highly effective performing team and a range of other stakeholders to drive improvement and contribute to agreed organisational outcomes
6. Demonstrated ability to provide high level, responsive and timely support and advice

Under the leadership of the area based Senior Education Improvement Leaders (SEILs) the Education Improvement Leaders (EILs) work closely and collaboratively as part of a multi-disciplinary team to improve outcomes for all students regardless of background or circumstance.  They will support the Senior Education Improvement Leader with the integration of the local area learning and development system and facilitate its contribution to lifting learner achievement and outcomes for all schools and early childhood services; the achievement of community aspirations; monitor learning and development system, school and early childhood service performance (in conjunction with central Groups) and support improvement strategies in the face of school and early childhood service failure where appropriate; and have a broad oversight role for government schools within that same area.

Education Improvement Leaders are accountable for their local area's contribution to improved learning and development outcomes by:

• Working collaboratively and productively with area based Senior Education Improvement Leaders
• Working proactively with school networks, principals and their teams to build their leadership and school improvement capacity through the Framework for Improving Student Outcomes and create a high-performance learning culture
• Actively supporting principals to manage their workforce, and in particular, helping them to regularly engage in meaningful performance conversations with teachers which use analysis of student outcomes data and evidence to identify professional learning needs, recognise high performance and address persistent underperformance or unsatisfactory performance. 
• Supporting area based Senior Education Improvement Leaders to:
• Work as part of a multidisciplinary area team drive strong school improvement and student outcomes
• Provide specialist curriculum and assessment expertise to Senior Education Improvement Leaders and schools
• Broker and facilitate the supports and resources required by a school, network or community of practice, including professional learning to deliver an agreed course of action aimed at lifting learner achievement and outcomes
• Assist schools to successfully implement curriculum (F-10, VCE, VCE VM, VPC, VEYLDF)
• Access, analyse and interpret data available on school performance indicators in order to assist with a robust self-evaluation and annual implementation planning and continuous improvement
• Assist in the facilitation of school networks
• Support the management of complex parent complaints
• Foster links with organisations, services and agencies that support the learning, development and wellbeing of students 
• Participate in joint work on areas of common practice and share excellent practice across the system, particularly relating to the high impact strategies in the Framework for Improving Student Outcomes
• Prepare departmental written communication as required, including briefings
• Support the Senior Education Improvement Leaders as required on the implementation of school reviews
• Show ability to be a strategic thinker, works collaboratively, co-creates, shows initiative, be responsible & self-mastering
• Exemplify integrity and set a standard for others, support others to manage conflicts of interest, and use resources responsibly
• model public sector values (integrity, accountability, impartiality, responsiveness, respect, leadership and commitment to human rights)

Strategy and service delivery development

• Support schools, particularly in the implementation of high impact strategies in the Framework for Improving Student Outcomes.
• Support the contribution of the development of regional priorities and service delivery improvement with a focus on the integration of the learning and development system at the local level - in particular secure transitions between the stages of learning.
• Support the area based Senior Education Improvement Leaders with regional learning and development system and service redesign and improvement. Maintain a focus on high risk and/or high impact areas and take personal responsibility for managing and escalating issues and risks effectively at the regional and local level, including integrity and compliance risks.
• Support schools and early childhood services in the recovery phase following a major emergency as required (e.g. major bush fire).

Facilitating and maintaining effective regional relationships

• Facilitate internal and external relationships to initiate and implement system change as related to the Education State and improve wider sector performance.
• Contribute to cross-agency and sector collaboration, providing the 'learning and development voice' in local relationships
• Support and foster change within the sector in that local area, including through the exchange of information, and through proactive advocacy for lifting learning and development outcomes and achievement

Specialisation - Planning for the learning and development system (Prioritise, plan and manage for results)

• Contribute to the implementation of the state wide initiatives under the Education State.
• Foster effective relationships with other government agencies, partnerships and education sector and community groups to improve integration of service delivery.
• Target and engage directly with regional communities of interest to gain input on strategy and implementation including from the sectors, agencies and other areas involved in implementation and delivery. This includes direct engagement with relevant Koorie communities.
• Broker partnerships and networks at the local level to improve child/learner outcomes. Place a strong focus on partnerships and networks which help address rural disadvantage.
• Facilitate integration across the sectors to ensure that children and young people make secure transitions from early childhood into primary school, primary into secondary school and from secondary school to further education or employment.
• Work with other government departments (including DHHS Area Managers), agencies, local government and community groups to establish structures and joint strategies that address the needs of vulnerable children and young people at the local level.

Required Capabilities

• Leadership
• Teamwork
• Influence and Negotiation
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Organisational Awareness
• Relationship Building

Teachers currently registered or eligible for registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching and qualified to teach and/or have demonstrated experience in the curriculum area(s) specified for the position.

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.

The Department of Education 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. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for roles within the Department. 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. It is our policy to provide reasonable adjustments for persons with a disability (see Workplace adjustment guidelines).

Additional support and advice on the recruitment process is available to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders from the Koorie Outcomes Division (KOD) via *******@education.vic.gov.au

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

• Desirable : Relevant Qualification in curriculum & assessment specialist expertise
• Applicants should keep a copy of the position description as it cannot be accessed once the job has closed.
• Applicants are required to submit a CV and a cover letter (no more than 2 pages).
• Visit http://www.careers.vic.gov.au/vacancies/tips-for-applying for guidelines and tips for applying for government positions and addressing key selection criteria.

• All staff employed by the Department and schools have access to a broad range of employment conditions and working arrangements.
• Appointment of successful applicants will be made subject to a satisfactory pre-employment conditions check.
• A probationary period may apply during the first year of employment and induction and support programs provided.
• Detailed information on all terms and conditions of employment is available on the Department's Human Resources website at http://www.education.vic.gov.au/hrweb/Pages/default.aspx

To be eligible for employment, transfer or promotion in the principal or teacher class a person must have provisional or full registration from the Victorian Institute of Teaching. In addition, from 3 August 2020, to be eligible for employment in the principal class or teacher class, a person who graduated from a Victorian Initial Teacher Education program after 1 July 2016, must demonstrate that they have passed the literacy and numeracy test for initial teacher education (LANTITE) requirements. This condition is satisfied where the LANTITE requirement is part of the Victorian Initial Teacher Education program completed by the person.