Current board vacancies

Major DEECA agencies

Board vacancies for major DEECA agencies:

  • are listed on the Victorian Government's Join a public board website, and
  • may also be advertised by other means - for example newspapers, social media, below on this page.

Please note that while the Join a public board has a similar name to DEECA’s On Board, they are completely different websites with different purposes:

  • Join a public board is the central government site for advertising board vacancies.
  • On Board is a part of DEECA’s website. It provides governance guidance to assist board members of DEECA agencies in their roles – for example guidance notes, model policies and templates.

Small (category 3) committees of management

Vacancies for small (category 3) committees of management of Crown land reserves are usually advertised in local papers and occasionally on Join a public board.

How are board members chosen?

Board vacancies for major DEECA agencies are filled in accordance with the Victorian Government's Appointment and Remuneration Guidelines.

You will usually be required to submit an Expression of Interest for vacancies on boards of major DEECA agencies.

The principles of merit selection and due process apply.

Statutory requirements

The agency's establishing Act or terms of reference may have specific requirements in relation to the composition of the board or appointment of members, for example:

The Zoological Parks and Gardens Act 1995 requires the board to be comprised of people who have collective expertise in various fields, including zoology or veterinary science, business management, and education.

Skills and attributes

Consideration will be given to the candidate's skills and attributes and to the skills mix already present on the board:

Some skills and attributes are important for every board member to possess – for example integrity, strategic thinking, ability to contribute constructively as a team member.

Other skills and attributes are important for the board to possess collectively – each board member does not need to have all the skills necessary for the board to function effectively, but the board as a whole does.

Government policy – diversity and gender equity

It is government policy for public sector boards to reflect, where possible, the composition of the Victorian community for example people of all ages, Aboriginal people, people with disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and from lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, gender diverse, intersex and queer people).

For example:

  • Gender equity: The Victorian Government’s Women on Boards commitment has been in effect since 2015 and is ensuring that all public boards have no less than 50 per cent women.
  • Aboriginal representation on boards: In this DEECA video (1 min), Ian Hamm, Leanne Miller and Matthew Burns talk about their experiences of being on boards and encourage Aboriginal people to consider board membership.

Probity checks

Personal and professional integrity are vital attributes for a board member. Before a person can be appointed to a board, they must give DEECA approval to undertake a police check and related probity checks.

Declaration of Private Interests

When applying for appointment to a board, an applicant must complete a Declaration of Private Interests. This form is a standard requirement for applicants for appointment to the boards of all major public sector agencies in Victoria.

Retention of information provided

Applicants need to be aware that probity checks and other information provided in their application will be:

  • stored securely and dealt with in accordance with the Privacy Protection and Data Act 2014
  • retained as required by the Public Records Act 1973.

Recommended reading for applicants

Boards of major DEECA agencies

In addition to the information noted in a board vacancy advertisement, to learn about the role, duties, and standard of conduct that apply to board members of major DEECA agencies, please read the DEECA guidance notes available in the Induction and education support module.

You may also find it useful to look at other resources listed on the Governance guidance page of On Board. There are support modules on a range of key governance topics.

Small (category 3) committees of management

For small (category 3) committees of management vacancies, see the Committees of management support module.

The materials on this page were last reviewed on: 14/08/2024

Page last updated: 15/01/25