THE ROLE The Communities and Families Transformation Program (CFTP) is a large-scale service transformation program that will replace legacy case management systems and deliver modern tools to approximately 10,000 users across nine program areas in the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) and the Department of Justice and Community Safety (DJCS). The program will also deliver improved case management and reporting capabilities to Community Sector Organisations (CSOs) and Aboriginally Controlled Community Organisations (ACCOs). The program will redesign how services are delivered to improve efficiency and outcomes while enhancing compliance and data privacy and security.

The first tranche of work, spanning three years, has been funded by government and will deliver: replacement of IRIS (the legacy sector reporting system); service design for Child Protection; complete foundational technology design and build; and procurement.

Reporting to the Product Manager - Child Protection, the Principal Service Designer is a key role within the Communities and Families Transformation Program. The role ensures ICT initiatives are grounded in evidence, shaped by genuine user needs, and positioned for investment decisions that drive long-term value. By leading discovery processes, problem framing, and service blueprint development, the Principal Service Designer establishes the foundations for effective, coherent, and strategically sound technology outcomes.

Operating at the intersection of user needs, technology capabilities, and organisational strategy, the Principal Service Designer creates key artefacts, design principles, and evaluation criteria that guide initiative development and solution assessment. Working in partnership with enterprise architects, business analysts, and business leads, they ensure design decisions align with long-term objectives and future state architectures.



They also foster strong collaboration with delivery teams to ensure solutions address cross-organisational needs seamlessly.

As a leader and advocate for human-centred design, the Principal Service Designer builds capability, models best practices, and influences senior stakeholders to embed design thinking into decision-making. Thriving in a agile and collaborative environment, they shape ICT initiatives to meet immediate and strategic needs, ensuring lasting impact for the organisation and its stakeholders.

Accountabilities Include

Foster collaborative and productive working relationships with the business and shared services delivery partners by communicating complex service insights clearly and confidently to senior stakeholders and decision-makers to ensure that service design activity reflects cross-organisational dependencies and that solutions are designed to work across organisational boundaries.

Lead workshops and co-design sessions with domain experts, business stakeholders, and technology teams to build shared understanding, surface assumptions, and align diverse perspectives around a common direction.

Act as a bridge between internal teams and delivery partners to ensure alignment throughout the shaping process and make sure the solution matches the agreed service intent.

How To Apply

Please open the position description to read more.

Applicants are encouraged to apply online. Attachments can be uploaded in .doc, .docx, .pdf, .txt or .rtf formats.Applicants are required to submit a CV and Cover Letter (max 2 pages) outlining their suitability to the role in line with the Key Selection Criteria. Applicants must be an Australian Citizen, Permanent Resident or hold a valid work permit or visa.

Work eligibility will be checked as part of the recruitment process. Preferred candidates will be required to complete pre-employment screening, including a national police check and misconduct screening.

For more information on working with us and our recruitment process, please visit Department of Families, Fairness and Housing Victoria | Jobs (www.dffh.vic.gov.au/jobs)

Please apply to submit your interest in this position.

📌 Principal Service Designer (Melbourne)
🏢 Victorian Department of Families, Fairness u0026 Housing
📍 Melbourne