• Exciting opportunity to create a lasting, youth-led approach to engagement
• Be part of meaningful change and work for Victoria's peak body for specialist family violence services
• Generous salary packaging (total of up to $18,550), as well as above award wages and conditions under the Enterprise Agreement
• Work for an organisation that is committed to access and inclusion and has achieved the Rainbow Tick Accreditation
• Salary: $99,430.79, plus 11.5% superannuation (pro rata, 0.8EFT)
• Office Location: Carlton

About the Organisation

Safe and Equal is the peak body for Victorian organisations that specialise in family and gender-based violence across the continuum, including primary prevention, early intervention, response and recovery. Our vision is a world where everyone is safe, respected and thriving, living free from family and gender-based violence.

We apply an intersectional feminist lens in our work to address family and gender-based violence and their intersections with other forms of violence, oppression and disadvantage.

At Safe and Equal, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive organisation. We strongly encourage people from all backgrounds to apply to work with us, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people of colour and people from migrant and refuge communities, people of any age or gender, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse, intersex and/or queer (LGBTIQA+) people, people with lived experience of family violence, and people with disability. We also consider applicants regardless of contact with the justice system and experiences of criminalisation, consistent with our legal requirement. If you have any support or access considerations that requires accommodation, we encourage you to let us know.

We are an Equal Opportunity and affirmative action organisation/employer and do not tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment.

We are aware that employees have different needs and responsibilities and recognise the importance of work and home life balance and prioritise flexible work practices.

If you are interested in the role but feel you may not meet the full range of selection criteria, we encourage you to contact us to discuss your experience and application for this position. At Safe and Equal we celebrate and support difference and know that one size doesn’t fit all – we endeavour to be flexible, meet your needs, and support you at every stage of your contact with us.

Safe and Equal's office is located in Carlton, with flexible and remote options available. We encourage applications from candidates based in rural and regional Victoria. We remain open to new approaches and actively foster an inclusive workplace that celebrates the contribution made by all our people.

Safe and Equal offers employees a monthly RDO option, individual annual Professional Development budget, generous leave benefits including (but not limited to) Christmas Shutdown Leave, Gender Affirmation leave, Family Violence Leave and Cultural and Ceremonial Leave, and access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

The Role

Safe and Equal’s Lived Experience Program works with survivor advocates to improve family violence policies, systems, and services. However, the voices of children and young people— who are victim survivors of family violence in their own right —are often missing from these conversations.

Research, including the 2024 ANROWS report In Their Own Right, shows the need for better ways to engage young victim survivors in a meaningful and lasting way. Safe and Equal’s member organisations have also pointed out gaps in how young people’s specific needs are addressed. In response, Safe and Equal is launching a Youth Engagement Project (YEP) to better include young people’s perspectives into advocacy and reform. This aligns with our strategic priority of ‘developing a client-centred family violence system’.

The YEP is an 18-month initiative that will bring together key groups to help create a lasting, youth-led approach to engagement. The goal is to develop a youth-focused approach that shapes advocacy and changes in the family violence system. Insights from the consultation process will help create a long-term model for youth engagement. This model will also support Safe and Equal in securing ongoing funding and making sure youth perspectives remain a key part of family violence reforms.

The Youth Engagement Officer (YEO) will lead this work, engaging with a broad range of stakeholders, including young people, service providers, advocacy groups, Safe and Equal colleagues and experts in youth participation. They will work to ensure the project is youth-led, meaningful, and aligned with Safe and Equal’s advocacy goals.

Here are some examples of what you will achieve in the next 12 months as Youth Engagement Officer:

• Develop a youth engagement plan to ensure young people with lived experience of family violence can safely share their ideas and contribute to Safe and Equal’s work.
• Collaborate with young people, survivor advocates, experts in youth engagement, Safe and Equal staff, member organisations, and community groups.
• Develop and run a six-month trial to test the youth engagement model.
• Use what was learned from the trial to create a long-term plan for including young people in Safe and Equal’s work.
• Outline what is needed (such as funding and resources) to keep the program going.

To be successful in this role, you must have:

• A qualification in community development, youth work, or equivalent experience:
  • in youth engagement and community consultation, including working with different groups and organisations
  • working with young people, especially those from diverse or marginalised backgrounds.
• Lived experience or a strong understanding of how gender inequality and other forms of discrimination make it harder for people to access support, services, and safety.
• Knowledge of family violence and trauma-informed approaches, ensuring safe and respectful engagement with people who have lived experience.
• Strong communication and facilitation skills, with the ability to build positive relationships and create safe spaces for discussions.
• Ability to gather and analyse feedback and turn it into clear recommendations for action.

For more information about the key responsibilities, pre-employment checks and salary expectations of the role, download the position description.

If you have questions about this position contact Hayley Williamson on [email protected] using the subject line: Youth Engagement Officer enquiry via EthicalJobs.

A position description is attached.

Applications close at 9am on the closing date.