PSA has been established to provide public safety and government workforces with a stronger voice to ensure Australia’s vocational education and training (VET) sector delivers better outcomes for learners and employers. We bring together employers, unions and governments in a tripartite arrangement to find solutions to skills and workforce challenges across Police, Fire and Emergency Services, Corrections, Defence and Local, State and Federal Government.

A primary function of PSA is the provision of industry stewardship which is defined as a source of intelligence on workforce issues affecting our industries and providing advice on national training system policies.

The Projects and Research Officer role will form part of the Projects Portfolio team which is responsible for delivering on all work assigned to the team including:

• projects required by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR)

• research and analysis projects initiated to deliver on identified workforce strategies

• internal projects to support continuous improvement and business operations

• surge capacity to other areas of the business as and when required.

The position of Projects and Research Officer will be accountable to the Manager responsible for Projects Portfolio and will support the progression of projects from the conception through to the final deliverable and closure (end to end).

The Projects and Research Officer will provide insights into current and long-term issues affecting PSA and our industries. The Project and Research Officer will be expected to deliver on several items of work simultaneously, including various tasks in collaboration with subcontractors, such as analysis and interpretation of quantitative and qualitative research, stakeholder consultation, report drafting and facilitation of technical committee meetings.

We are looking for applicants with demonstrated experience delivering quality work as outlined in varied project plans and also have demonstrated experience in secondary and applied research, literature reviews and benchmarking activities to prepare research summaries/reports. You will be part of a relatively new team and taking up a new role within the organisation and so we are looking for an experienced project and research person, who is resilient, curious and innovative. The successful applicant will also be able to deliver high quality, accurate information in a variety of formats to inform the decision-making of PSA and our industries.

For further information, please see the attached Position Description including key selection criteria and responsibilities.

Your application should include a CV/Resume of no more than 4 pages and a Cover Letter of no more than 2 pages. The Cover Letter should not repeat information contained in the CV but should specifically address the ‘essential’ Key Selection Criteria.

Any queries should be directed to the HR and Recruitment Officer at careers@publicskillsaustralia.org.au.

Applications close at midnight, Thursday 11 July 2025.

About the position

Projects and Research Officer is accountable to the Manager responsible for the Projects Portfolio Team. The position delivers on all work assigned to the team including:

• projects required by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR)

• research and analysis projects initiated to deliver on identified workforce strategies

• internal projects to support continuous improvement and business operations

• surge capacity to other areas of the business as and when required.

They will support the progression of projects from the conception through to the final deliverable and closure (end to end). The Project and Research Officer will be expected to deliver on several items of work simultaneously, including various tasks in collaboration with subcontractors, such as analysis and interpretation of quantitative and qualitative research, stakeholder consultation, report drafting and facilitation of technical committee meetings. They will work with and regularly present high quality, accurate, verbal and written information to Executive level internal and external stakeholders, including the Management and Executive Teams, and project technical committees.

The Project and Research Officer will be required to promote and support the vision of the Board, the outcomes of the VET Reform program and ensure robust compliance, good governance, fiscal responsibility and adherence to federal requirements. The position is required to build and maintain strong relationships with all staff within the company.

Key responsibilities of the position

In partnership with internal stakeholders, external stakeholders and external service providers, with the intent of ensuring compliance with all relevant legislative, grant and company compliance obligations, the Project Officer (VET Workforce Research Project) will:

1. Deliver on work assigned to the Projects Portfolio team, as outlined in approved project plans and any subsequent variations.

2. Undertake secondary and applied research, literature reviews and benchmarking activities to prepare research summaries/reports.

3. Deliver quality work on time, in line with governance and consultation processes and to the required standard.

4. Facilitate workshops with key stakeholders (both online and in-person). Be able to build consensus through negotiation with different stakeholders, in the development of policy content.

5. Demonstrate appropriate professional behaviour in line with company values and encourage colleagues to do the same by leading by example.

6. Contribute to other team member responsibilities and company functions enabling cross collaboration, demonstrating corporate maturity

7. Support the decisions, direction and vision of the Executive and Management teams by acting cohesively and presenting a unified front.

8. Undertake responsibilities and key work activities, diligently, in a planned and purposeful way.

9. Utilise verbal communication and presentation skills to brief and present products to a variety of audiences.

10. Use strong written ability to draft workforce plans, policy products and research report as required.

11. Be required to demonstrate originality of thought, encouraged to be curious and demonstrate innovative approaches.

12. Other reasonable duties as may be required.

Key selection criteria

Essential

1. Tertiary qualification(s) and/or equivalent experience relevant to the responsibilities of the position.

2. Working knowledge of Vocational Education and Training and/or compliance requirements, as outlined in the Training Package Organising Framework.

3. Demonstrated experience delivering qualitative and quantitative research projects within a company in partnership with internal and external stakeholders, with relevance to vocational education and training, workforce planning and/or labour market research.

4. Demonstrated experience in analysing and interpreting qualitative and quantitative data within VET or a related field.

5. Demonstrated experience consistently delivering high quality verbal and written content (such as Project Reports) on time and to required standards.

6. Demonstrated experience delivering successful outcomes through collaboration and consultation with internal and external stakeholders.

7. Demonstrated experience acting cohesively within a workplace and outcomes whilst exhibiting professional behaviour in line with organisational values.

8. Demonstrated ability to support and advocate company position(s) with internal and external stakeholders.

9. Demonstrated experience planning, delivering and forecasting key responsibilities and associated work activities within an area of responsibility to successfully achieve organisational requirements.

10. Willing to be hands-on working in a dynamic team environment.

Desirable

1. Demonstrated experience working within service-focused companies including public safety, not-for-profit companies and/or government.

2. Demonstrated understanding of corporate governance and compliance requirements.

3. Demonstrated experience working within the vocational education and training sector.

4. Vocational qualification(s) in training and assessment (eg. TAE40122 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, TAE50122 Diploma of Vocational Education and Training)

Other

1. For the duration of employment, the incumbent is required to:

• pass and maintain a National Police Record Check
• pass and maintain an ‘employee’ type Victorian Working with Children Check (WWCC)
• be vaccinated against COVID-19
• be legally allowed to work within Australia.

1. It is strongly preferred that the applicant hold a current Australian State or Territory drivers’ licence (car).

2. There will be times when it is required to work outside normal business hours i.e. evenings and weekends to meet stakeholder requirements.

3. Travel may be required for this position, including overnight stays and journeys by road, public transport and commercial airlines.

Type of employment

This is a full-time, fixed-term position, with the duration aligning to project milestones through till 30 June 2026.

Experienced staff within the public service will be considered for secondment arrangements.

Applicants should note that a six (6) month probationary period applies to all new PSA employees (external candidates).

Location

Although this position is based at the company’s office within the Melbourne Central Business District (CBD), the candidate’s work location may be undertaken from other locations within Australia by negotiation with line management. The candidate will be required to attend the Melbourne office as necessitated by business and deliverable requirements.

PSA supports flexible working arrangements, with a focus on balancing staff needs with work requirements.

Periodical Review

All PSA positions are subject to regular review and amendment as appropriate following consultation with the Chief Executive Officer.

This Position Description serves to illustrate the scope and responsibilities of the post and is not intended to be an exhaustive list of duties. You will be expected to perform other job-related tasks requested by management and as necessitated by the development of the organisation.

Please include a Cover Letter as part of your application, addressing the Key Selection Criteria.