Senior Policy Officer

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (the Commission) was formed on 1 January 2019. The role of the Commission is to protect and enhance the safety, health, wellbeing, and quality of life of people receiving aged care.

The Commission is the national end-to-end regulator of aged care services and the primary point of contact for consumers and providers in relation to quality and safety. Our vision is to support a world-class aged care system driven by empowered consumers who enjoy the best possible quality of life.

We aim to build confidence and trust in aged care, promote best practice service provision, promote quality standards, and hold providers to account for their performance against the expected standards of care. We seek to promote an aged care system that develops safer systems of care, inculcates a culture of safety and quality, and learns from mistakes, while providing the oversight that can assure the community that aged care services are operating as they should, including working on continuous improvement.

Meet some of our people and learn more about the Commission and our Regulatory Strategy on our website www.agedcarequality.gov.au

Operational Policy and Support

The Operational Policy and Support (OP&S) section of the Commission is seeking applications for a full-time, ongoing Senior Policy Officer in any one of our offices - Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth or Hobart.

As a section of the Regulatory Policy and Intelligence Group, OP&S contributes to the Commission’s strategic purpose to protect and enhance the safety, health, well-being, and quality of life of people receiving aged care by developing and providing advice on whole-of-Commission and function-specific policy, guidance and tools that drives how we work and explains how to apply broad policy within all operational environments. The Section also contributes to the development and implementation of regulatory and aged care program reform, including policy development to operationalise legislative reform.

Position Description

The Senior Policy Officer role provides high level, strategic operational policy advice and support, with a focus on ensuring best practice, quality assurance and continuous improvement is implemented into decision making processes and that lessons are translated into regulatory policy development. In the context of a significant aged care legislative reform agenda, there may be specialist Senior Policy Officer roles who will provide strategic legislative policy advice and regulatory policy operationalisation expertise to support reform implementation. The Section’s approach to understanding effective regulation is evidence and risk-based, strategic, coordinated and line with best practice. Improving the quality and safety of care and service delivery to consumers is at the centre of our operations.

Workflow in the Section is dynamic and requires a flexible approach to adapt to rapidly changing priorities.

Position Duties

• Provide high level policy support to inform operationalisation of the legislative reform program and to support the Commission’s ongoing operational areas and regulatory functions through:

-  providing policy advice on relevant legislation, standards, and sector information

-  researching and drafting high-level communications, including briefing documents, for a range of audiences about complex policy, procedural and legal topics

-  supporting the implementation of improvements to Commission regulatory functions, such as compliance, risk-based monitoring, and Home Care Services regulation 

-  developing policy and operational guidance documents for consideration by other team members

-  supporting co-design and reviewing guidance material on policy and procedural changes with operational subject matter experts.

• Work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to build and maintain positive working relationships and respond to all enquiries and requests in a positive and timely manner.
• Mentor other staff and share information for the purpose of ensuring knowledge transfer and a common understanding of Commission legislation, Aged Care Quality Standards, Regulatory Strategy, and organisational goals.
• Work effectively and flexibly as a team member to accomplish organisational goals in a virtual environment in a team that works in office locations across Australia.
• Represent the Commission with credibility and professionalism.
• Adhere to the APS Values and Code of Conduct. 

Position Eligibility Requirements

• Ability to anticipate and identify policy issues, and evaluate risks relating to policy development and implementation
• Ability to undertake independent research
• Display sound judgement, analytical skills, and the demonstrated ability to understand legislation and support the development of sound policy and guidance
• High-level analytical and problem-solving skills
• Capacity to manage internal and external stakeholders as well as external suppliers
• Highly developed verbal and written communication skills and a demonstrated ability to communicate information coherently and concisely to a diverse audience
• Effective organisational and time management skills to plan and deliver identified priorities
• Ability to work effectively without supervision and to guide team members
• High-level proficiency in systems such as Microsoft and Adobe e.g., Excel, Word, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Teams or similar

Position Notes

Salary offered will be between $89,394 and $100,849 per annum depending on skills and experience. In addition, 15.4% superannuation will be paid.

*Note; these figures do not include the newly agreed APS Enterprise Agreement bargaining pay offer.

Only candidates who hold Australian citizenship can apply. Appointment is conditional on successfully completing a national police check. For more information, please visit www.apsc.gov.au/citizenship-aps

In your application, please provide a statement of claims against the Eligibility Requirements in no more than 600 words.

Non-ongoing opportunity will be offered for an irregular/intermittent term. Opportunities will be offered for varying periods up to a maximum of two years.

Merit Pool established through this selection process may be used to fill current or future ongoing and non-ongoing vacancies.

How to Apply?

1.     Navigate to ‘Current Vacancies’ section of the careers page and locate the relevant job title. All documentation relating to the role and application process will be located here.

2.     Click on the job title and at the bottom of the Advertisement you will be asked to create an account If you are a first-time user or to sign in to complete your application.

3.     As part of your application, you will be requested to complete a statement of claim and attach your Resume. Cover letter is optional

4.     Click ‘Apply Now’ when you are ready to submit your application.

Please complete an online application form and submit to https://www.agedcarequality.gov.au/about-us/careers by 11:59pm (local time), 17 April 2024.

Only completed applications will be accepted. 

Contact Officer:

Please contact our recruitment team on (02) 9633 3*** or ***********@agedcarequality.gov.au for assistance with accessing our website or with lodging your application.

Specific questions about the role can be directed to Catherine Spiller by emailing ***************@agedcarequality.gov.au with Position title in the subject line.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Commission is committed to fostering a workplace with flexible work arrangements to support a diverse, respectful, and inclusive culture for all staff. 

The Commission recognises the richness of First Nations cultures and is committed to the implementation of our Reconciliation Action Plan. The Commission values the unique knowledge and experience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees which strengthens and supports our focus on protecting and enhancing the safety, health, wellbeing and quality of life of aged care consumers.

Further information:

For further information about the Quality Commission, office locations and other related resources, please visit https://www.agedcarequality.gov.au/.

For more information on the Australian Public Service, please visit

https://legacy.apsc.gov.au/cracking-code