Senior Business Partner

Location: Melbourne - CBD and Inner Metro suburbs

Reference: VG/DE/VSBA/

The Senior Business Partner drives financial insight and reporting across the VSBA, partnering with project teams to translate data into clear, actionable advice. You'll oversee forecasting, analyse trends, and enhance reporting processes to support strategic decisions. Ideal for a collaborative finance professional with strong analytical skills and a passion for continuous improvement.

The Portfolio Partnering Unit is a team in the Partnering and Support Branch, in the Corporate Division of the VSBA. The team complements the finance and reporting functions of the VSBA and partners with the business to further enhance key inputs as part of reporting and accountability responsibilities, to be a trusted source of information and to drive insights across the organisation.

The Senior Business Partner will oversee the work of the business partner team in the Portfolio Partnering Unit. The Senior Business Partner will report to the manager of the Portfolio Partnering Unit and deeply engage with internal stakeholders across the VSBA. The Senior Business Partner will support a portfolio of projects.

Fixed term - Full Time till 30/06/2027

• Foster strong relationships with the operational and delivery project managers to understand the complexities of the projects
• Interpret and transform the financial and non-financial data to enable effective reporting
• Develop and revise monthly forecasts and accruals for expenditure
• Analyse data to articulate trends, provide rationale for variances and provide recommendations for embedding insights from analysis to drive action
• Provide insights regarding performance of project management reporting and data quality
• Prepare reports to inform project status to various VSBA executives and committees
• Drive continuous improvement to lift the quality of all reporting processes and outputs in line with the Victorian Government best practice standards for accounting, reporting and audit advice

• Well-developed engagement skills to develop and maintain effective working relationships
• Proven finance and budgeting skills within a project environment
• Commitment to continuous improvement and attention to details
• Ability to negotiate and influence

All VSBA staff have a shared responsibility to meet the same service standards outlined in the VSBA Customer Service Charter. Our goal is to make every interaction with the VSBA a positive one for our customers, colleagues and key partners regardless of our individual role or team.

Planning and Organising

• Recognises actual and potential barriers and finds effective ways to deal with them
• Sets clearly defined objectives and priorities and operates accordingly, reviewing and adjusting as required

Problem Solving

• Analyses issues from different perspectives and draws sound inferences from information available
• Implements solutions, evaluates effectiveness and adjusts actions as required

Service Excellence

• Constructively deals with service issues that arise in a timely manner
• Looks beyond the obvious to provide outstanding levels of service
• Uses understanding of the client or stakeholder's organisational context to tailor services and ensure a high quality response

Detail Focus

• Highlights practical considerations of plans and activities
• Identifies gaps in information
• Looks for logical sequences of information and observes fine details

Relationship Building

• Builds trust through consistent actions, values and communication
• Forges useful partnerships with people across business areas, functions and organisations
• Promotes harmony and consensus through diplomatic handling of disagreements

• Desirable : Relevant tertiary qualification in Finance
• Desirable : Accreditation from CPA Australia

The role of the Department of Education is to support Victorians to build prosperous, socially engaged, happy and healthy lives. It does this by supporting lifelong learning and healthy development, strengthening families and helping to equip people with the skills and knowledge for a 21st century economy and society.

The VSBA upgrades and expands existing schools and plans, designs and builds new schools to meet enrolment demand. We also support schools to maintain their buildings and grounds by offering expert advice and coordinating maintenance programs and grants.

The Corporate Division provides corporate support to all VSBA teams and fulfills an important assurance and oversight role. They guide VSBA to achieve strategic objectives and ensure decision-making is transparent and accountable. The division also coordinates communication and consultation with local communities about their school building projects.

Applicants are required to submit a CV and cover letter (max. 2 pages for cover letter) which summarises their skills, relevant experience and suitability to the role.

For more details regarding this position please see attached position description for the capabilities to address in application.

The department values diversity and inclusion in all forms - gender, religion, ethnicity, LGBTIQ+, disability and neurodiversity. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. For more information about our work, working for the Department, diversity and inclusion, and our employment conditions visit the Department website and our Diversity and Inclusion page

Applicants requiring adjustments can contact the nominated contact person.

Information about the Department of Education's operations and employment conditions can be located at .

For further information pertaining to the role, please contact Michael McCormack Acting Manager, Portfolio and Partnering unit via or 3 .

Preferred applicants may be required to complete a police check and may be subject to other pre-employment checks. Information provided to the Department of Education will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Please let us know via phone or email if you require any adjustments to ensure your full participation in the recruitment process or if you need the ad or any attachments in an accessible format (e.g large print) due to any viewing difficulties or other accessibility requirements.

Applications close 11:59pm on 7/11/2025.