Victoria is on the hunt for its first Chief Data Officer as it prepares to open a new agency to ‘transform’ the way it uses data.
The Chief Data Officer will also serve as the Director of Data Insights in a newly created ‘data agency,’ which is scheduled to open by the end of January as part of the Victorian government’s ICT Strategy released in May last year.
The state began advertising for the role on Tuesday, with applications open until 29 January.
The timing means the data agency may be running behind the schedule set out in the ICT Strategy timeline, with the centre expected to open in the coming months.
A Victorian Government spokesperson says the centre’s first focus will be on helping to prevent domestic violence.
“We’re getting on with making sure that we are better using all available data to deliver the services the community needs,” a government spokesperson told InnovationAus.com.
“The first priority of the Centre for Data Insights will be to support the work of the Andrews Labor government to protect women from family violence and help deliver on the recommendations of the Royal Commission.”
The Victorian Centre for Data Insights will be located within the Department of Premier and Cabinet and will have a whole-of-government role in “leading the better use of data for decision making in Victoria”, the job posting says.
“It will help transform the way the Victorian government uses data to inform policy making and service design,” the ad says.
“The centre will be a key new capability within the Victorian government for driving the enhanced use of data by senior decision makers.”
The successful candidate with “extensive” experience in data management and executive level experience in major data transformation projects will attract a salary of between $202,489 and $324,100.
The Chief Data Officer will be responsible for establishing the data centre, leading a range of “strategic, operational, financial and technical planning discussions across government”.
The creation of the new data agency was flagged in last year’s ICT Strategy as part of the ‘information and data reform’ priority.
“A data agency will be established to facilitate risk management and information sharing between agencies,” the ICT Strategy says.
“Part of this work will involve identifying legislative and other barriers to information sharing. New arrangements for information sharing and data management across government will be development.”
The information provided by Data Insights will then be used by “policy designers and decision makers to improve policy, service design and operational delivery”.
Data Insights will also conduct data integration and analysis, build capability in data analytics, contribute to improving data standards and lead the Victorian data reform agenda.