Senior Evaluation Officer

Job Description

Location: Melbourne - CBD and Inner Metro suburbs

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Reference: VG/DE/SSSR/1946398

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Reporting to the Manager, Evaluation Services, the Senior Evaluation Officer leads and contributes to a range of evaluation activities across the policy and funding cycle. This includes advising on evaluation strategies for business cases and budget bids, scoping and designing evaluations, supporting program areas to commission evaluations through the department's Evaluation Panel, and providing quality assurance on evaluation deliverables.

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About the Department

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The role of the Department of Education is to support Victorians to build prosperous, socially engaged, happy and healthy lives. It does this by supporting lifelong learning and healthy development, strengthening families and helping to equip people with the skills and knowledge for a 21st century economy and society.

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About the Group

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The Evaluation Services (ES) team stewards evaluation in the department. Working with internal and external stakeholders, ES is responsible for the department's Evaluation Policy and providing support for the annual budget cycle with a particular focus on strengthening implementation and insights from evaluations.

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Our work includes:

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• Advising on the evaluation strategies for business cases and budget bids
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• Managing the department's Evaluation Panel and supporting program areas to commission evaluations through this arrangement
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• Leading scoping and design of program evaluations that are required by the Department of Treasury and Finance Providing quality assurance and review of key evaluation deliverables from suppliers and contributes to evaluation governance across the department
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• Generating insights from evaluation evidence through synthesis and monitoring of the department's evaluation activity.
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About the Role

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The Senior Evaluation Officer plays a key role in strengthening evaluation across the department and ensuring evidence informs policy, program improvement and strategic decision-making. Working within the Evaluation Services team, the role supports the department's Evaluation Policy, annual budget processes and evaluation governance, with a strong focus on implementation, quality and insight generation.

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Reporting to the Manager, Evaluation Services, the Senior Evaluation Officer leads and contributes to a range of evaluation activities across the policy and funding cycle. This includes advising on evaluation strategies for business cases and budget bids, scoping and designing evaluations, supporting program areas to commission evaluations through the department's Evaluation Panel, and providing quality assurance on evaluation deliverables. The role also synthesises findings across multiple evaluations to strengthen the department's evidence base and identify themes that inform future policy and programme design.

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The position works closely with internal and external stakeholders, including program areas, senior departmental staff, the Department of Treasury and Finance, and external suppliers. Success in the role requires strong applied social research and evaluation expertise, excellent attention to detail, sound judgement, and the ability to build trusted relationships. The Senior Evaluation Officer is a collaborative and proactive professional who thrives in a dynamic environment and contributes to continuous improvement across the department.

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Qualifications and Experience

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Please refer to the position description

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Further Information

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The department values 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 more information about our work, working for the Department, diversity and inclusion, and our employment conditions visit the Department website and our Diversity and Inclusion page

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Applicants requiring adjustments can contact the nominated contact person.

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Information about the Department of Education's operations and employment conditions can be located at www.education.vic.gov.au .

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For further information pertaining to the role, please contact Ben McNally, Manager, Evaluation Services via ben.mcnally@education.vic.gov.au .

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Preferred applicants may be required to complete a police check and may be subject to other pre-employment checks. Information provided to the Department of Education will be treated in the strictest confidence.

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Please let us know via phone or email if you require any adjustments to ensure your full participation in the recruitment process or if you need the ad or any attachments in an accessible format (e.g large print) due to any viewing difficulties or other accessibility requirements.

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Applications close 11:59pm on 29 September 2026