At the Department of Justice and Community Safety, we are looking for people who want to make a difference. People who take pride in their work. People who get things done. People who are committed to making Victoria a safer place.

We embrace diversity and strive to have a workforce that reflects the community we serve. We’re all about recruiting the best people, regardless of gender, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation or cultural background. If you think you can do the job and would be a good fit for our department, we’d love to hear from you.

The department is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children and recognises that children’s rights need to be respected, their views welcomed and valued, and their concerns taken seriously and acted upon.

If you require adjustments to the recruitment and selection process, or require an alternative format to any of the application material, adjustments can be arranged.

We are proud of the important work we do across Victoria. Want to be part of it

- Provide cultural and practical support for Aboriginal prisoners and provide support and advice to key stakeholders
- Ongoing, full-time opportunity to work with high-performing and passionate teams in various locations
- VPS Grade 3: $81,496 - $98,955 plus superannuation

This is an Aboriginal Designated Position, classified under special measures of section 12 of the Equal Opportunity Act 2010. A Certificate of Aboriginality will be required prior to an offer of employment being made.

NEW SIGN-ON BONUS

New candidates who are successful in obtaining a position as an Aboriginal Wellbeing Officer AWO will be eligible for a bonus of up to $8,000. If you are successfully appointed on or after 14 January 2026, you will receive a payment of $4,000 six months after commencing your role. Then, after one year's full-time employment, you will receive an additional payment of $4,000. This incentive is designed to attract AWOs with strong cultural understanding and to encourage retention within this critical role.

About the role

The AWO role was established under the Victorian Aboriginal Justice Agreement, as a response to the findings of the 1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.



AWOs are part of Corrections Victoria's commitment to reducing the over-representation of Aboriginal people in the criminal justice system and ensuring that Aboriginal Victorians achieve the same justice outcomes as the broader Victorian community.

Some of your duties will include

- Provide cultural and practical support for Aboriginal prisoners by identifying their strengths, aspirations and obtainable goals for returning to a non-offending lifestyle in their community
- Interview and complete a wellbeing checklist with Aboriginal prisoners as soon as practicable following reception, aiming to provide information regarding Indigenous-specific programs and services that are available
- Provide cultural and wellbeing support to Aboriginal prisoners that helps their individual pre and post release needs to be met, advocating on their behalf where appropriate
- Assist Aboriginal prisoners to access programs and entitlements, to assist with reintegration into the community
- Regional travel to locations may be required due to business demands and annual leave release

About you

To be successful in this role, you will have

- Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the Victorian Aboriginal community, both society and culture, and the issues impacting it
- Demonstrated ability to communicate sensitively and effectively with members of the Victorian Aboriginal community
- Please read the attached position description

You will be required to attend an Assessment Centre as part of the recruitment process. This will involve travelling to various prison facilities across Victoria. If you are successful, the location of your Assessment Centre will not necessarily determine your final placement.





Applicants are welcome to utilise support from the Aboriginal Recruitment Team throughout the recruitment process for cultural support and guidance.

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

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

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 protected, 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.

Sign-on bonus terms and conditions

- be successfully appointed to an AWO position, on or after 14 January 2026
- have completed your probationary period and had your employment confirmed in accordance with the provisions within the VPS Enterprise Agreement 2024
- be employed as an ongoing Aboriginal Wellbeing Officer after 6 months of continuous service (to receive the first bonus)
- be employed as an ongoing Aboriginal Wellbeing Officer after 12 months of continuous service (to receive the second bonus)
- not be subject to formal under-performance processes or proven misconduct

Current Department of Justice and Community Safety DJCS employees are not eligible for the sign-on bonus.

Applicants outside of DJCS, including but not limited to individuals currently working in Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations, private prisons, other Victorian-based government agencies and interstate applicants from equivalent organisations are highly encouraged to apply and will be eligible for the sign-on bonus.

Continuous service means the total time you have spent working as an Aboriginal Wellbeing Officer with the Department of Justice and Community Safety since commencing

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📌 Aboriginal Wellbeing Officer (Melbourne)
🏢 Corrections Victoria
📍 Melbourne