Senior Policy Officer

Senior Policy Officer

• Help children have the best start in life through high-quality education & care.
• Improve outcomes for children and families in early education and care.
• Join an expert team working across governments at the national level.

About ACECQA

We want children in Australia to have the best start in life through quality education and care.

We provide national leadership on the implementation of the National Quality Framework (NQF) and collaborate with the Australian and state and territory governments to:

• implement changes that benefit children birth to 13 years-of-age and their families
• monitor and promote the consistent application of the Education and Care Services National Law across all states and territories
• support the early childhood education and care sector to improve quality outcomes for children

We strive for innovation and continuous improvement and are committed to keeping the sector and the community informed with the latest developments in early childhood education and care.

ACECQA is committed to being a child-safe organisation, implementing the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations and actively promoting the safety and wellbeing of children.

The Role

The Senior Policy Officer supports the Register, Future Directions Team to develop policy advice, legislative policy, implementation planning and governance materials for the future development of the National Early Childhood Worker Register. The position contributes to Stage 1B delivery and future reform work by undertaking policy analysis, coordinating workstream inputs, preparing high-quality papers and briefings, supporting stakeholder and governance processes and tracking risk, issues, actions and dependencies.

This role is full-time and fixed term for up to 12 months at ACECQA Band 5/6 ($106,584 - $145,629).

About You

To be successful in this role you will need:

• Highly developed conceptual, analytical and research skills, including the ability to interpret legislation, policy, operational requirements and complex reform issues.
• Strong written communication skills, including demonstrated experience preparing clear, concise and well-structured policy papers, briefings, submission, reports or governance materials.
• Demonstrated ability to support policy development, legislative policy, implementation planning and complex issues resolution.
• Strong organisation and project coordination skills, including the ability to manage competing priorities, track actions and dependencies and deliver high-quality work within agreed timeframes.
• Demonstrated ability to build and sustain productive working relationships with internal teams, government officials, Regulatory Authorities and other stakeholders.
• Sound judgement, initiative and attention to detail, including the ability to identify risks, escalate issues and provide practical recommendations.
• Strong oral communication and consultation skills, including the ability to communicate complex issues clearly and negotiate confidently.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary environment across policy, legislation, data, technology, operations and communications.

While not essential, the following attributes will greatly assist you in the role:

• Experience supporting policy reform, legislative reform, implementation planning or intergovernmental projects.

ACECQA is committed to removing barriers and opening up opportunities. As an employer we seek to ensure people with differing needs and abilities have the same opportunities to successfully gain skills, knowledge and experience through work, social activities, education and training irrespective of their age, disability, colour, race, gender, religion, sexuality, family responsibilities, or location. In particular, we are committed to improving opportunities and outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

You must have the right to work and live in Australia to apply for this role.

The successful candidate will be required to consent to a national police check.

How to apply

The closing date for applications is 6 September 2026 at 11.59pm.

Important Note: Please ensure you follow the recruitment process outlined below, otherwise you may not be considered for the role.

To apply, please register with the ACECQA Recruitment Candidate Portal, navigate to Senior Officer Policy vacancy and click Apply for Job. The application process will require you to:

• Attach a CV of no more than 5 pages which demonstrates your ability to meet the criteria contained in the position description.
• Provide the details of at least two referees who have directly supervised you within the last five years of employment.
• Attach a written response to the targeted questions below of no more than 2 pages

Targeted Questions

1. The National Early Childhood Worker Register is a national reform however implementation means dealing with jurisdictions that have separate legislation and regulatory approaches. Tell us how you've engaged group of stakeholders to achieve a mutually beneficial outcome or a consistent policy position where stakeholders have different starting points and/or views. How did you approach it, influence results, and what was the outcome?
2. How do you go about preparing advice to senior decisionmakers? What types of information do you consider? How do you ensure the advice is correct and stakeholder views are fairly represented? Please provide an example.

All complete applications will be acknowledged.

More information

If you have any questions about the role or recruitment process, please contact the Recruitment team at recruitment@ acecqa.gov.au.

Notice to agencies

ACECQA will not accept applications from any source other than directly from a candidate for this vacancy. Recruitment agencies must have received instructions from ACECQA in relation to a specific vacancy in order to submit applications on behalf of candidates.

ACECQA is collecting the information requested in the advertisement for the purpose of selection, recruitment and engagement of staff. ACECQA is authorised to do so by the Education and Care Services National Law. Please refer to our Privacy Policy which can be accessed at http://www.acecqa.gov.au/privacy-policy.