Address- $157,266.00 per annum + superannuation
- Multiple full time, ongoing opportunities
- Melbourne CBD based role (hybrid work from home – 3 days in office)
About the role
WorkSafe Victoria is expanding its Worker Compensation Independent Review Service (WCIRS), and looking for multiple Senior Independent Review Officers to join a newly created team.
The Workers Compensation Independent Review Service provides a non-statutory review framework for decisions made by claims agents under the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2013 and Accident Compensation Act 1985 on behalf of WorkSafe.
WCIRS reviews disputed workers’ compensation decisions in a manner that ensures fair, reasonable and sustainable outcomes that assist WorkSafe to support workers through their recovery and provide effective occupational rehabilitation and early return to work through suitable employment opportunities.
The Senior Independent Review Officer is expected to undertake a high level of complex investigative and analytical work that has significant implications across WorkSafe Victoria operations while working within clear and established management systems, legislative/regulatory provisions and professional standards.
Key accountabilities
- Investigate and determine applications for review of disputed WorkSafe agent decisions and other WorkSafe decisions in a fair, reasonable and timely manner.
- Supports Lead Counsel of WCIRS in sustainable decision-making relating to workers’ compensation claims and entitlements.
- Engages and consults with relevant internal and external stakeholders in the operation of the Independent Review function, including the development of processes, precedents and training of relevant non-statutory Independent Review staff and associated internal stakeholders.
- Gather and analyse information relating to quality decision making frameworks, procedures, processes and policies which will facilitate the design and implementation of the non-statutory review function.
- Build and maintain collaborative working relationships with internal stakeholders and provide support and learning opportunities relating to or arising out of a non-statutory review.
- Write clear and logical decisions setting out the basis for decision, relevant findings of fact and the material on which those findings were based.
- Communicate decision outcomes of reviews and the reasons for those outcomes to workers, agents or other authorised decision-makers and relevant WorkSafe staff in a timely and professional manner.
About you
You have demonstrated experience as a technical expert or a complex specialist as a legal advocate or policy specialist in the Victorian workers’ compensation framework. Your written and verbal communication skills will be highly developed and you will have the ability to work independently with minimal supervision in an environment of internal and stakeholder pressure, and strict statutory deadlines.
More specifically you will have:
- Highly developed and demonstrated knowledge of the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Act (Vic) 2013 and the Victorian workers’ compensation statutory framework.
- Highly developed alternative dispute resolution, conflict resolution and facilitation skills.
- Demonstrated ability to provide solutions for defined functional objectives to improve current practices.
- Demonstrated capacity to deal with a wide range of stakeholders effectively, empathetically and tactfully in the review context, including workers, employers, decision-makers, the legal profession and other external stakeholder representatives.
- Demonstrated ability to assess competing and complex evidence and to reach logical and sustainable conclusions based on relevant material.
- Demonstrated ability to write sound logical and sustainable decisions capable of withstanding internal and external review, including scrutiny by Courts and Tribunals.
- Demonstrated ability to work independently with minimal supervision in an environment of internal and stakeholder pressure, and strict statutory deadlines.
Highly Desirable
- Sound understanding of the principles of administrative review, and their application to the WorkSafe review context.
- Understanding of the principles of statutory interpretation and legal precedent.
- A tertiary undergraduate degree in law or equivalent.
- Post-legal admission experience of 7 years in Victorian compensation litigation and/or administrative review.
Working with Us
At WorkSafe, we aspire for every employee to feel connected, safe and valued in their team, for teams to feel valued in the workplace, and for WorkSafe to be valued in the community.
We believe that a diverse workforce is the key to delivering the best outcomes for the Victorian community and strongly encourage applications from all people, including First Nations people and people with disability, diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, sexualities and genders.
What’s next?
Applications close 11:00pm Monday 13 May 2024. Click the link to apply, and join us in making a difference to Victorian lives.
Only people with the right to work in Australia may apply for this position. You may be required to undergo a National Police Check (and/or Medical Assessment) as part of the recruitment process.
Candidate screening may take place prior to the advertisement closing, so get your application in.
For further enquiries please contact Bianca Stojanovski via email ***************@worksafe.vic.gov.au
About us
WorkSafe's Strategy has our core purpose front of mind – reducing workplace harm and improving outcomes for injured workers. We don’t shy away from the importance of our purpose to the Victorian community, that’s why we have a stated ambition to be world leading.
We want Victoria to be the safest place to work in Australia and one of the safest in the world; and we aspire to be a world leader in return to work after a workplace injury.
WorkSafe are striving to build a diverse workforce that reflects the Victorian community we serve.
