Commissioner for Children and Young People
Job reference: 841441
Location: 5000 - ADELAIDE
Job status: Short Term Contract
Eligibility: Open to Everyone

About the Commissioner for Children and Young People
The South Australian Commissioner for Children and Young People (CCYP) is an independent statutory authority established under the Children and Young People (Oversight and Advocacy Bodies) Act 2016 (“the Act”)
The Commissioner promotes and advocates for the rights, development and wellbeing of all children and young people in South Australia, particularly those who are vulnerable and at-risk.
The Act sets out the Commissioner’s role, including advocating and promoting children and young people’s participation in the making of decisions that affect their lives.

The Act specifically requires the Commissioner to advise and make recommendations to Ministers, State authorities and other bodies (including non-Government bodies), undertake and commission research, and prepare and publish reports on matters related to the rights, development and wellbeing of South Australia’s children and young people at the systemic level.

The Commissioners commitment to having children and young people’s voices at the forefront means you’ll be empowered to lead transformative policy initiatives, influence state and national reforms, and foster strong relationships across government and community networks.

Purpose of the role
Your expertise will help shape policy and advocacy platforms that keep children and young people’s needs and their voices at the forefront of decisions and embedded in the co-design of services that impact their lives.

The Data and Policy Analyst is accountable for developing and maintaining a number of data collections and registers required by the CCYP to meet legislated responsibilities for overseeing and monitoring the wellbeing of children and young people in SA and system wide performance reporting.
 
The Commissioner is exploring the potential for a more contemporary, evaluative approach to how government and oversight bodies report on data on children and young people across SA that increases transparency, builds understanding of shared accountability to different intervention points, and generates whole of system insights that will more directly improve the wellbeing of children and young people across SA, particularly for those who are currently touching multiple government support systems. This role will pay a pivotal role in progressing this key project.

In addition, this role will analyse policy and legislative developments and contribute to policy submissions, ensuring that robust multi-modal and current data sources inform the proposals and recommendations put forward by the Commission.

Role Responsibilities and Key Outcomes

The Data and Policy Analyst has a strategic role in supporting the CCYP to ensure that multiple sources of data and evidence underpin program development, advocacy activities and policy recommendations made by the office to ensure legislative responsibilities are met.

This position plays a key role in conducting research and data analysis to support the development and evaluation of policy recommendations for the Commissioner with the purpose of improving the outcomes experienced by South Australian children and young people. Supporting the Manager of Policy and Advocacy, and working closely with the Research and Strategic Engagement Lead and Senior Systems and Project Innovation Office, this position will also contribute to the preparation of submissions, reports and recommendations on changes to current policy and legislation and/or new policy initiatives.

The Data and Policy Analyst will have responsibility for driving the collation and analysis of quantitative data that effectively tracks and monitors the wellbeing of children and young people in South Australia and the effectiveness of the CCYP.

This role will develop dashboards for multiple communication mediums, update and ensure currency of the data drawn upon by the Commissioner in speeches, presentations and media engagements, and make a significant contribution to identifying and translating data for oversight and monitoring purposes and broader communication.

Data Collation and Analysis

• Identify and provide data and evidence for responses to major inquiries, proposed legislative change or other political, educational, or system change initiatives or developments.
• Maintain a data system that is current, captures and identifies system issues and trends, and monitors the wellbeing of children and young people.
• Identify indicators that best measure the outcomes achieved by the CCYP in line with its outcomes framework, which includes both any positive changes in the wellbeing of children and young people, as well as indicators to measure how well the CCYP is meeting its stated principles and ‘system’ outcomes.
• Undertake demographic analysis, cohort segmentation, regional and place-based analysis of data.
• Supporting development of an online dashboard with live data
• Present data in an accessible way to communicate, inform and educate a diverse range of audiences including children and young people.

Policy Advice

• Contribute to providing expert analysis and advice on fair and effective social policy from an evidenced perspective drawing on national and state department quantitative data sources, and understanding the intersection with qualitative data on child and youth voice, and those who support them professionally and as caregivers.
• Inform evidence-based practice, advocacy, and campaigning, through research and data analysis.
• Engage effectively with diverse stakeholders at all levels through clear communication, negotiation, and relationship management skills.
• Preparing region by region analysis of data relevant to children and young people
• Consult, negotiate, influence and collaborate with a broad range of stakeholders, including government and non-government sectors, universities and other research groups.

Collaborative Leadership

• Manage performance targets for yourself and in alignment with the objectives and workplan of your team through regular monitoring, feedback, and alignment with agreed objectives set by the Commissioner and Director
• Demonstrate initiative, collaboration and open communication with team members across the office.
• Contribute to maintaining a safe and healthy work environment, role modelling respectful behaviours at all times (noting the office employs and supports young people and volunteers experiencing their first work environment).
• Take personal accountability by identifying and reporting incidents, hazards, and injuries in accordance with policy & procedure.
• Cooperate and comply with reasonable instructions of line management and WHS Officers.
• Work with a high level of personal and professional integrity and motivation.

Key Capabilities
Essential

• Demonstrated expertise with quantitative data collation, analysis and reporting and ability to present data in graphs and dashboards capturing multiple data points and intersections.
• Experience with collating and interpreting multiple evidence sources from Federal, State and Local government data sets, research and advocacy bodies, including qualitative, quantitative and case studies/narrative data story telling
• Familiarity and competency with a range of data analysis tools, for example Microsoft Power BI and/or Tableau.
• Demonstrated high level written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to research, compile and prepare reports, submissions, and documents, and present data in compelling ways.
• Experience in researching and analysing a broad range of literature to interpret, review and formulate evidenced policy reforms.
• Ability to work to very tight deadlines under broad direction only, including experience in successfully prioritising and managing project work and a range of related tasks.

Desirable

• Sound knowledge of social policy frameworks and policies and political drivers impacting on children and young people in South Australia.
• Experience creating and implementing outcomes and impact frameworks

Special Conditions

The Commissioner has gained amendments to the Public Sector Variations 2010 to employ people under a “direct employment model”. The Variation Regulations, titled: Public Sector (Commissioner for Children and Young People) Variation Regulations 2017, came into effect in 2018. Staff are employed under Part 7 of the Public Sector Act 2009 and are considered a Public Sector employee.

• Some out of hours work is required and Inter and Intra-state travel may be required.
• The incumbent will be required to achieve performance targets as negotiated and mutually agreed with the Commissioner.
• The successful applicant is required to gain a Working with Children Check (WWCC) screening prior to being employed, which is required to be renewed every five years before expiry.
• The incumbent will be required to undertake RAN – Responding to Abuse and Neglect Training full-day course and the updated online course posted online every three years.
• An appropriate tertiary qualification in a relevant discipline and/or relevant vocational experience and knowledge.
• Australian residency or current work permits (responsibility of the applicant to provide evidence of a current work permit).

The Commissioner for Children and Young People is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

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

The role will be offered as a 12 month, full time contract with the view to extend.
Applicants will need a valid Working With Children Check and Reporting to Abuse and Neglect Training or must be willing to obtain them.
Candidates with an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background are encouraged to apply.

Enquiries and Application

As part of your application process, you will be required to submit a resume and a cover letter address the job requirements.

Applications via this link only. Enquiries can be directed to Lynda Forrest - Director, Partnership and Impact Lead via email lynda.forrest2@sa.gov.au or phone 08 8226 3355

Applications close: 26/04/2026

Applications close: 26/04/2026 11:45 PM

Flexibility Statement
The South Australian public sector promotes diversity and flexible ways of working including part-time. Applicants are encouraged to discuss the flexible working arrangements for this role.