Make an impact at DHS

The Department of Human Services (DHS) is one of South Australia’s most diverse Government departments. Our commitment is to create a society where all people feel valued and have access to quality services. Working for DHS is a hugely rewarding experience, whatever role you choose.

So if you would like to:

• help people who may be disadvantaged, marginalised and vulnerable;
• support people to be informed, active participants in decision-making and local solutions;
• increase opportunities for positive development of children and young people;
• pursue the full participation of women in the state’s social and economic life;
• engage with Aboriginal families and communities to connect them with access to meaningful services

and more, then working for DHS could be your next career move.

DHS celebrates diversity and strives to improve the lives of all people. We want our services and workplaces to be safe and inclusive for all. We value our workforce and offer a wide variety of career prospects, flexibility, work-life balance, as well as promotional opportunities and excellent employment conditions. Here is what you can expect when you work with us:

• a strong culture and vision driven by our leaders;
• learning, professional development and training;
• a flexible and family-friendly work environment;
• career pathways and opportunities to develop new skills through mobility and secondments;
• salary sacrifice arrangements and superannuation benefits; and
• an environment where diversity is valued and individual contributions are recognised.

All our current vacancies are advertised on our Careers page and I Work for SA, the South Australian Government Jobs Board. If you find a role you are interested in, simply click 'Apply'. Refer to our Job Application Guide for more information about applying.

Yes, we do. To support us to deliver crucial and complex services, we need to be able to draw on talented, skilled and qualified workers. By using a pool, we can access registered applicants who may be suitable for consideration for roles across the department when we need them. This also means we do not need to re-advertise a vacancy, making the recruitment and selection process more efficient and flexible.

Our current recruitment pools are listed here.

Yes, we welcome and value the professional expertise, cultural knowledge, and life experience Aboriginal people bring to the workplace. We are committed to increasing the participation of Aboriginal people across all classifications and divisions in the department, with a focus on retention and development in an inclusive workplace respectful of cultural needs as outlined in our Aboriginal Workforce Strategy.

In addition to our vacancies, we offer avenues and initiatives to support Aboriginal people to gain employment, including via the Aboriginal Employment Register, our Aboriginal Traineeship Program, Aboriginal University Student Pathways and Aboriginal Workforce Supports.

We have partnered with the Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment, Tauondi College and HitSa to open some exciting entry level employment opportunities for members of the South Australian Aboriginal community. There are office-based and frontline service roles available, with the opportunity to undertake nationally recognised qualifications during the traineeship.

You must be 17 at the time of applying to be considered for these opportunities.

Contact DHSEmploymentPrograms@sa.gov.au to apply.

If you are an Aboriginal student and are currently studying university level education, we want to hear from you. We can work with you to tailor a university partnership, with office-based and frontline service roles available.

You will have the opportunity to develop and apply your academic knowledge in a work environment, with mentoring specific to your needs.

contact DHSEmploymentPrograms@sa.gov.au to apply.

We pride ourselves on providing a safe and inclusive work environment for all. It is important to us that each member of our team can be empowered to bring their full unique selves to work. We equally pride ourselves on recognising Aboriginal life experience as a core capability to the roles we have on offer.

We have invested and taken the next step in our reconciliation journey by launching our Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan to which we commit ourselves in all areas of our business. Other supports for Aboriginal staff and initiatives include:

• DHS Aboriginal Leadership Group
• DHS Aboriginal Community Reference Group
• DHS Nunga Network
• Principal Aboriginal Workforce Consultant
• Professional development and career pathways
• Study leave provisions
• Cultural mentoring supports.

We recognise people living with disability represent an important pool of talent that can enhance our service delivery capability.

Our Disability Access and Inclusion Plan sets out the actions we are taking to achieve a more inclusive South Australia and our commitment to increasing the representation and career opportunities for people living with disability in DHS. Applicants living with disability who have registered with a Disability Employment Service (DES) provider can apply for all government internal facing vacancies, including our vacancies, even if not currently employed in the public sector. Job Access provides further information on DES providers and the supports they can offer.

Traineeship and graduate opportunities are published on our Careers page and I Work for SA, the South Australian Government Jobs Board.

For more program and eligibility information, visit the Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment website.

Placements are offered for students who require this as part of their course work through a university degree, Technical and Further Education (TAFE) or a Registered Training Organisation (RTO).

For more information, visit the department’s Student Placement website page or complete our Student Placement Enquiry Form.