Senior Manager, Rehabilitation and Outcomes | Melbourne - Western Metro

Job Description

• Join Victoria's Youth Justice Precinct at Cherry Creek.
• Lead the delivery of evidence-based rehabilitation and behaviour management services, including assessments, targeted interventions, and structured programs.
• Make a meaningful impact, supporting young people to manage their behaviour, progress in custody, and successfully reintegrate into the community.

The Department of Justice and Community Safety (the department) is responsible for the statutory supervision of young people in the criminal justice system in Victoria focussing on prevention, diversion, and early intervention as the most effective and fiscally responsible ways of reducing youth crime. As an area within the department, Youth Justice is committed to the demonstration of the Victorian Public Sector values. The values are: responsiveness, integrity, impartiality, accountability, respect, leadership and human rights.

Youth Justice Custodial Services aim to engage young people in change by addressing their offending behaviour and equipping them with the skills required for positive community participation, within a safe and secure environment.

The three Youth Justice custodial precincts in Victoria are managed by the Department of Justice and Community Safety:

• Parkville Youth Justice Precinct is in the inner northern Melbourne suburb of Parkville, approximately five kilometres from the central business district.
• Cherry Creek Youth Justice Precinct located to the west of Werribee.
• Malmsbury Youth Justice Precinct located approximately 100 kilometres north of Melbourne.

The Senior Manager, Rehabilitation and Outcomes reports directly to the Director, Operations – Cherry Creek. The Senior Manager, Rehabilitation and Outcomes directly manages a team of Youth Engagement Officers delivering structured programs to young people in custody. In addition, the position provides day to day management of the rehabilitation services team that delivers rehabilitation services and behaviour support services. This team provides young people in custody with developmentally targeted and multi-systemic offence-specific, offence-related, and psychosocial assessments and intervention services and structured programs to support their rehabilitation, manage complex behaviours in custody and support their reintegration with caregivers, education and other related support systems in the community.

The Senior Manager, Rehabilitation and Outcomes works closely with the education provider and the primary and mental health providers to ensure that young people in custody are able to access services that align with their case plans. The position acts as a conduit between the external providers and Youth Justice operations to help alleviate any barriers to service delivery and engagement from young people.

Through oversight of key service delivery areas and collaboration with external providers, the Senior Manager, Rehabilitation and Outcomes will ensure that each young person has appropriate and adequate access to programs and services.

The opportunity 

• Ongoing, full-time position based at the Cherry Creek Youth Justice Precinct however, with the ability to work flexibly across all Youth Justice Precincts (Malmsbury and Parkville), where needed to respond to operational requirements.
• VPS 6.2 role: $162,077 - $185,518 per year plus super.
• Support the delivery of rehabilitation services and other interventions to support a young person's behaviour in custody and reintegration into the community, maintaining the integrity and quality of services.
• Manage and lead a team delivering structured programs across Cherry Creek, including oversight and delivery of people management tasks.
• Lead the delivery of structured programs and behaviour support strategies to support the management of young peoples' behaviour in custody and reintegration into the community, maintaining the integrity and quality of services.
• Collaborate and work in close partnership with the Senior Manager, Statewide Rehabilitation Services, to ensure that young people receive coordinated, evidence-based rehabilitation services, including through participation in comprehensive clinical oversight and governance arrangements to oversee and drive quality and consistency in practice.
• Provide authoritative and strategic advice to the Director of Operations, senior executives and high level stakeholders on a range of strategic, programmatic and service delivery issues and complex cases/matters relating to the behaviour management, engagement and rehabilitation of young people in custody, maintaining a culture that supports best practice.
• Establish and maintain effective relationships and consultation processes with internal and external stakeholders, including the health, mental health and education service providers, to ensure appropriate services are delivered effectively.
• Proactively identify emerging issues and work to address these to deliver best practice programs and integration of services to meet the needs of young people in custody.
• Develop and maintain a culture of collaboration between custody, community and external providers through a multi-disciplinary, care team approach, that helps deliver better outcomes for young people in custody and supports their reintegration into the community.
• Support the development and implementation of key operational documents including operating manuals and procedures.
• Assist in the workforce planning and effective allocation of resources by leading the recruitment and selection of staff in the Rehabilitation and Outcomes team.
• As a subject matter expert, build capability amongst staff of the Rehabilitation and Outcomes team and other staff involved in the delivery of support services to young people in custody by developing, implementing and refining structured learning programs to enable and guide high performing teams.

To be successful in this role you will have:

• Demonstrated experience in leading and effectively managing a team of professionals to deliver services within a complex service system.
• Experience in the delivery of clinical rehabilitation programs or forensic allied health and services within correctional and/or complex health systems.
• Demonstrated understanding and operational knowledge of the Youth Justice system such as: 
  • experience working with young people presenting with multiple and complex needs, including offending behaviour, trauma, substance use and mental health issues; and/or
  • understanding of the key issues impacting on clinical service delivery for young people, including understanding of best practice young offender rehabilitation principles.
• A full driver's licence is required.

You will be required to obtain a Working with Children Check (WWCC) to be maintained by the employee for the period of employment.

To learn more about the type of skills you will need to thrive in this role, please read the position description.

What's in it for you?

You will be working for the Department of Justice and Community Safety, which is one arm of the Victorian State Government, a recognised top employer of choice nationally. All our staff work to the vision of a safe, just, innovative and thriving Victoria.

There are many advantages in working for the department, including:

• Job stability – position as a member of the Victorian Public Service (VPS).
• A fair salary– enjoy great work conditions and salary sacrificing options.
• Transparent performance framework– approach your work with confidence in how you're tracking, working to professional development plans agreed on by you and your manager.
• Generous leave entitlements– provisions for many forms of leave; including personal, parental, carers, study, cultural, compassionate, and sick leave.
• Employee Assistance Program support – you are encouraged to use this short-term, confidential counselling service if you're experiencing emotional stress, relationship problems, conflict with others or personal issues. It is also available for financial counselling and retirement planning.

If you have any queries, please contact Chelsea Leach on 0498 334 483 or chelsea.leach@justice.vic.gov.au

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people are strongly encouraged to apply.

Applicants are welcome to utilise support from the Aboriginal Recruitment Team throughout the recruitment process. Aboriginal candidates are encouraged to contact Aboriginalrecruitment@justice.vic.gov.au if they would like cultural support and guidance through the application process.

For Aboriginal Designated and Prioritised positions, a Certificate of Aboriginality (CoA) will be required prior to an offer of employment being made

We want to make sure all Victorians feel represented by the department's work. One of the ways we do this is by recruiting a diverse workforce – we welcome people of any gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability and cultural background. We are also committed to the Victorian Government's promise to increase the number of veterans working in the public sector.

We're proud of our individual differences. We're proud of the many languages we speak and the stories we can share with each other. We hope you will share your story too.

If this sounds like a compelling job that you believe your skills would be a great match for, please APPLY NOW. Applications close 11.59pm, Sunday 8^th March 2026.

How to apply

Please click the Apply button on this advertisement. Applications should include a resume and covering letter. Attachments can be uploaded in .doc, .docx, .pdf, .txt or .rtf formats.

The successful candidate will be required to undergo pre-employment checks which may include national police checks and misconduct screening.

If you require adjustments to the recruitment and selection process, or require an alternative format to any of the application material, please don't hesitate to get in touch with the contact person listed on this ad.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

CHILD SAFE STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT:

The Department of Justice and Community Safety is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. We seek to prevent harm of any kind impacting children and young people and have zero tolerance for racism, child abuse and inequality. Children and young people's rights, relationships, identity, and culture must be recognised and respected, their voices heard, and their concerns acted upon. We aim to foster a culturally safe, child safe and child friendly environment for all children and young people we have contact with, deliver services to, or are impacted by our work.