The Community Grants Hub (the Hub) is the service delivery arm of the Department of Social Services (DSS). It administers community-based grants on behalf of Australian Government departments and agencies as a shared services provider. With over 800 staff and contractors across Australia, the Hub plays a critical role in designing, selecting, establishing and managing grants across the Australian Government. The Hub supports over 33,000 community grants worth approximately $9.5 billion in grant recipient payments through the Grant Payment System (GPS). 

The Northern and Western Region Branch includes the department’s Queensland, Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia state offices. The Branch is responsible for administration of DSS funded grant arrangements in these jurisdictions, as well as pastoral care for co located colleagues in other business units. Each state office also has additional functional responsibilities. 

In Western Australia, the State Manager has line management responsibility for teams of Funding Arrangement Managers in Perth and operational teams supporting the Disability Employment Services program located in Perth, Canberra, Melbourne and Newcastle, as well as workplace health and safety responsibilities for the Perth office.

The key duties of the position include:

State Managers are connected in their communities to ensure grant programs are delivered effectively. They raise the profile of the department in their jurisdictions, engaging with grant recipients to understand the needs of the community. 

In this role, you will work collaboratively and build effective relationships across the department, with local community services and with other government agencies to improve service delivery and help inform appropriate government responses to community needs. 

This is a senior EL2 role, with line management responsibility for EL2 Directors in your team. You will work with your Directors to plan the work of your State Office in the context of competing priorities, and lead continued improvement practices in your State Office and as a senior leader in the Community Grants Hub. 

Key duties / tasks Duties may include some or all of the following:

• Overseeing the department’s operations in Western Australia, including line management for regional performance (contract management) teams and operational teams supporting the Disability Employment Services program nationally
• Proactively managing your workforce to ensure effective succession planning, capability development and achievement of key performance indicators
• Leading workplace health and safety initiatives in the Perth office and providing pastoral care to co located teams in these locations
• Representing the department in Western Australia, building relationships with stakeholders, including state government, community organisations and peak bodies, and providing locational intelligence to inform policy and program management activities in DSS
• Drawing on internal and external relationships to understand and respond to community needs, enhancing service delivery outcomes for DSS funded programs in Western Australia
• Contributing to the broader operations of the Northern and Western Region, and to the Community Grants Hub, by taking on specific portfolio responsibilities and driving continuous improvement with your sphere of influence
• Ad hoc duties as required.

Eligibility

To be eligible for employment with Department of Social Services (the department), you must be an Australian citizen. An applicant's suitability for employment with the Department will be assessed through a pre-employment screening process. This will include an identity and criminal history background check.

The suitable applicant must also obtain and maintain a security clearance conducted by the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA). 

Applicants also must be able to establish their background as checkable to be considered eligible for a security clearance. Any gaps or periods of time spent overseas for 12 or more months (cumulative) that cannot be verified by an Australian referee is deemed uncheckable, rendering the applicant ineligible for a security clearance. Background history must cover 5 / 10 years (Baseline / Negative Vet 1 or Negative Vet 2) of employment, education, residential, criminal history and anything else specified by the AGSVA. The suitable applicant must be willing to disclose all relevant and required information to fulfil this process.

Notes

This recruitment process is being used to fill current and future ongoing and non-ongoing vacancies. A merit pool of suitable applicants will be created which may be used to fill future vacancies should they become available over the next 12 months. Non-ongoing vacancies will be offered for a period of up to 18 months with the possibility of extension (up to a total period of 3 years). Some of these non-ongoing vacancies may become ongoing in the next 12 months. Should a position become ongoing then the merit pool established through this selection process may be used to fill the vacancy on an ongoing basis.

RecruitAbility applies to this vacancy. Under the RecruitAbility scheme you will be invited to participate in further assessment activity for the vacancy if you choose to apply under the scheme; declare you have a disability; and meet the minimum requirements for the job. For more information visit: https://www.apsc.gov.au/recruitability.