Overview

About the Department of Youth Justice and Victim Support

The department is committed to keeping Queensland communities safe. Everyone deserves a life free from violence and fear. We are actively tackling the complex causes of youth crime and addressing serious repeat offenders and ensuring our systems and services not only meet but anticipate the needs of victims. We do this by providing:

early intervention, statutory Youth Justice, and detention services to ensure that youth offenders are held accountable.
support to youth to become responsible members of the community through programs and community partnerships, which foster the achievement of positive life outcomes.
trauma-informed support and resources to victims to ensure they can recover and heal, whilst ensuring the voices and experiences of victims are heard and respected.

We employ an inclusive culture that respects and promotes human rights and diversity. We respectfully journey together to aspire to be the most culturally capable youth justice and victim support agency in the nation. We are an inclusive, equal employment opportunity employer and place value on our diverse workforce. We encourage applicants representing all genders, ethnicities, ages, languages, sexual orientations, and people with disability or family responsibilities to apply.

More information about Youth Justice and Victim Support is available from Queensland Government, Department of Youth Justice.

Our vision and purpose

The department is responsible for supporting the Minister for Youth Justice and Victim Support. In supporting our minister, the department maintains high-quality services, focusing on implementing the government's objectives for the community and its government commitments.

Vision

A safer community with fewer victims of crime by restoring consequences for action and reducing reoffending through effective and early intervention and empowering youth offenders to turn their lives around.

Purpose

Keep Queenslanders safe by delivering stronger laws and fewer victims of crime, providing meaningful support to victims of crime through victim support services.

Read the Strategic Plan 2025-2029

About the Role

Deputy Director-General, Strategic Policy, Performance & Partnerships

Download Position Description

As a member of the department's executive leadership team, you will provide strategic leadership and executive stewardship of a significant service delivery and investment portfolio, shaping policy, reform and operational performance to deliver government priorities and improved outcomes for Queenslanders.

A trusted adviser to the Director-General, Minister and Board of Management, you will provide authoritative advice on complex and sensitive matters relating to strategic legislative reform, commissioning, investment and organisational performance. You will lead transformational change, drive system-wide improvement and ensure the effective stewardship of substantial public resources.

This role requires exceptional judgement, political acumen and stakeholder influence. You will build enduring partnerships across government, industry and the community sector, bringing diverse interests together to achieve shared outcomes and advance reform priorities. Through strong governance, innovation and a commitment to excellence, you will foster a high-performing, future-focused organisation that delivers measurable impact and public value.

Key responsibilities

As the Deputy Director-General, Strategic Policy, Performance and Partnership, you will specifically:

Lead strategic, high-performing executive portfolio fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, continuous improvement and co-design to deliver on government priorities.
Provide executive stewardship of governance, investment, risk and service delivery performance, ensuring value, integrity and public confidence.
Build and maintain trusted relationships and strategic partnerships with Ministers, senior government leaders, central agencies, service providers, peak bodies and other key stakeholders to drive and deliver shared outcomes and system-wide reform.
Represent the Minister and Director-General in complex, sensitive and high-profile negotiations, consultations, committees and forums, providing authoritative advice and advancing the department’s priorities.
Drive service excellence through evidence-based robust performance, quality assurance and evaluation frameworks, using evidence, date and insights to improve productivity, outcomes and service quality.
Promote collaboration across government, community and service delivery partners, identifying emerging risks, trends, opportunities and innovative solutions to improve services and outcomes.
Strengthen organisational capability and workforce effectiveness, ensuring leaders and employees have the skills, systems and support required to deliver efficient, transparent and contemporary services.
Lead and inspire a workforce of approximately 214 FTE, ensuring capability, engagement and performance to deliver responsive, high quality and outcome-focused services.
Demonstrate cultural capability and/or a commitment to developing cultural capability to ensure an inclusive culture that aligns with the Human Rights Act 2019 and supports departmental programs and community partnerships aimed at preserving cultural connections for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

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What we are looking for

‍We’re interested to learn about your unique journey and the valuable skills, knowledge and experience you bring to the table alongside the personal qualities that set you apart. If you are passionate about contributing to a dynamic human service, social justice environment.

We will assess your suitability for this role by looking at what you’ve done previously – the knowledge, skills and experience you’ve built, your potential for development, and your personal qualities.

Every staff member is expected to role model leadership behaviours. This role requires the leadership capabilities of an executive profile, as outlined below and in the Leadership competencies for Queensland booklet .

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Building Queensland’s leaders of tomorrow, today.

Leadership Competencies for Queensland

How to Apply

To be considered, please provide the following information in your online application, for the assessment of your suitability:

A short (no more than two pages) statement focusing on:
- How you align with the core accountabilities outlined in the role statement
- Why you are the best suited person for this role
- How you could support our commitment to equity, diversity, respect and inclusion
Your current CV highlighting your relevant experience, qualifications, and achievements.

We value diversity and cultural capability, and the department is an equal opportunity employer which supports a healthy working environment that is free from all forms of harassment, workplace bullying, discrimination, and violence.

All applicants are encouraged to advise the panel of any additional support or reasonable adjustments required throughout the recruitment process; this could include communication needs, building access, interpreter services and so on. In doing so, we can ensure you have the best opportunity to demonstrate your ability to meet the inherent requirements of the role.

For more information or assistance with your application, including options for adjustments, please reach out to us.

apply now

Applications for this role close midnight, Wednesday 9th September 2026