Senior Policy & Projects Officer - Service Design

About this role

Senior Policy & Projects Officer – Service Design Location - Parramatta (Flexible working arrangements, in office 2-3 days per week) Employment type – Temporary full-time role until 30 June 2027 Salary - $133,348.00 - $146,945.00 pa, plus superannuation and leave loading About us At Women, Family and Community Safety (WFCS), we're doing reform differently. We're building an in-house human-centred design capability to tackle some of the most complex challenges facing communities across NSW. From improving access to justice and responses to domestic and family violence, to making legislation more human and shaping the future of justice technology, our work sits at the intersection of people, policy and services. We're looking for an experienced Senior Policy and Projects Officer – Service Design to help grow this capability and lead projects that support policy, program and service reform across some of the department's highest-priority initiatives. This is a unique opportunity to combine policy, reform and human-centred design to improve outcomes for people and communities across NSW. Your role Working closely with the HCD Manager, you'll lead and support policy, reform and service improvement initiatives across WFCS. You'll use research, stakeholder engagement and human-centred design approaches to better understand community needs, identify opportunities for improvement, and support the design and implementation of practical solutions to complex social issues. You will also help build human-centred design capability across the division by supporting teams to apply customer and community-centred approaches to policy development, service reform and project delivery. What you’ll do You will: * Lead and support policy, reform, service improvement and innovation projects. * Undertake research, analysis and stakeholder engagement to inform decision-making. * Translate evidence and insights into practical recommendations for policy, program and service improvement. * Facilitate workshops, co-design activities and consultation processes. * Prepare high-quality briefs, reports, presentations and executive correspondence. * Build productive relationships across government, community organisations and service providers. * Contribute to the implementation, evaluation and continuous improvement of policies, programs and services. * Build capability in human-centred and user-centred approaches across the division. What we’re looking for You’ll bring: * Experience delivering policy, reform, project, service design or service improvement initiatives in government, consulting, not-for-profit or other complex environments. * Strong research, analytical and problem-solving skills. * Experience translating evidence and stakeholder feedback into actionable recommendations. * Excellent stakeholder engagement and relationship management skills. * Strong written and verbal communication skills. * The ability to manage competing priorities and deliver outcomes in complex environments. * Experience working collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams. About you You are someone who: * Is curious and enjoys solving complex problems. * Thinks strategically while remaining focused on practical outcomes. * Builds trusted relationships and collaborates effectively. * Is comfortable navigating ambiguity and change. * Can influence decision-making through evidence-based advice. * Cares about improving outcomes for communities across NSW. Essential requirements * Tertiary qualifications in a relevant discipline and/or equivalent knowledge, skills and experience. * Demonstrated commitment to ongoing professional development. Highly regarded Experience in one or more of the following: * Policy development, program design, reform or service improvement. * Human-centred design, service design or co-design approaches. * Human services, social policy, justice, housing, community services or health. * NSW Government policy or service delivery environments. Download the role description. To apply directly via the DCJ Careers site click here. Search for the job and click the ‘Apply now’ button. We focus on hiring people who share our commitment and goals of inclusion, collaboration, adaptability, courage and integrity. If you meet the essential requirements and the role resonates with you, please apply – you do not need to meet every desired requirement for us to want to talk to you. What We Offer We offer a variety of benefits, including: * A challenging and rewarding career * Flexible, autonomous work environment * Competitive pay and conditions * Training and development opportunities to build and maintain capabilities * Health & Wellbeing and Employee Assistance Programs. Want more information? Visit our website to see more information on Working for us. We do work that really matters Working for the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) provides lots of opportunities to make a real difference. We collaborate with other agencies and community partners, to improve lives and realise the potential of children, adults, families and communities. We're focused on breaking, rather than managing, disadvantage. It’s work that really matters. Apply now and join Australia’s top public sector employer where we will support you and provide an exciting and flexible working environment! Are you ready to join us? Click apply, attach an up-to-date résumé (maximum 2 pages) and a cover letter (maximum 2 pages) addressing the 2 targeted questions below along with a brief outline on how you meet the requirements of the role: Targeted Question 1: Briefly outline a piece of work where you needed to navigate a complex problem involving multiple stakeholders with different priorities. How did you build shared understanding, manage competing perspectives and achieve an outcome? (400 words max) Targeted Question 2: Briefly outline your experience leading a human-centred design or service improvement project. How did you identify user needs, translate insights into recommendations, and influence stakeholders to support implementation? (400 words max) Applications close Monday, 10 August 2026 at 11:59 pm AEST. Got a question? For more information about the role or what it’s like to work for DCJ, please contact the hiring manager Scott Young via scott.young@dcj.nsw.gov.au If you’ve got a question about applying or would benefit from an adjustment in the recruitment process to help you perform at your best (including an alternate method submission of the application), please call Anjy Fayad on 02 9765 3042 or via anjy.fayad@dcj.nsw.gov.au Visit Recruitment adjustments on the DCJ website to learn more. Inclusion and Diversity lies at the heart of how we recruit We continue to hire great people with a wide variety of skills, experience and backgrounds. This includes people with disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, women, people identifying as LGBTIQ+, culturally and linguistically diverse people, carers and other diversity groups. To find out what DCJ are doing to build an inclusive and diverse workforce, visit Inclusion and diversity on the DCJ website. Other Information A talent pool may be created for future ongoing and temporary roles and is valid for a period of up to 18 months. For more information visit Applying for DCJ jobs on the DCJ website. Thank you for your interest in this role. We look forward to receiving your application. To keep up with recruitment opportunities at DCJ, follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/CareersatDCJ/ The Welcome Experience Thinking about moving to regional NSW? Get free, personalised support with housing, schools, jobs, and settling in. Learn more: www.nsw.gov.au/welcomeexperience The careers site currently promotes this service on the ‘Discover roles with DCJ in regional NSW’ page.