Working at DHS

We’re looking for people with passion and integrity who are committed to making a difference so South Australia thrives.

Our focus is to develop and implement innovative and relevant services across our community for people to be connected, included and safe.

We offer a dynamic and inclusive work environment designed to equip you to deliver changed for South Australians by:

• helping people who may be disadvantaged, marginalised or in vulnerable situation.
• supporting people to be informed, active participants in decision-making and local solutions.
• increasing opportunities for positive development of children and young people.
• pursuing the full participation of women in the state’s social and economic life.
• engaging with Aboriginal families and communities to connect them with access to meaningful services.

DHS has lead responsibility in several areas including:

• ageing
• concessions
• disability services
• gambling harm
• homelessness
• interpreting and translating
• screening checks
• women's services
• youth

Within these areas we have corporate teams who support our staff to deliver a range of services, funding and policy responsibilities, such as:

• Communications and Engagement
• Digital, Data and Technology
• Finance
• HR, Wellbeing and Safety
• Infrastructure
• Organisational Development and Learning/li>
• Procurement

We strive to celebrate and improve the lives of people of all ages, cultures, disabilities, ethnicities, faiths, gender identities, sex characteristics and sexual orientations. We’re committed to making our services and workplaces safe and inclusive for all people and ensuring the full diversity of communities we serve are represented in the strategies we lead.

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.

We welcome and value the professional expertise, cultural knowledge, and life experience Aboriginal people bring to the workplace and are committed to increasing their participation across all areas of our department. We are dedicated to providing a culturally safe workplace that respects cultural identity and needs by supporting Aboriginal recruitment, development and retention, as outlined in our Aboriginal Workforce Strategy.

We have opportunities for entry level roles, professional positions, student and traineeship programs, and service delivery roles to work with client. For more information about job opportunities for Aboriginal people, our Aboriginal Traineeship Program and Aboriginal workforce supports, visit the Aboriginal recruitment page.

The Department of Human Services (DHS) has a Disability Access and Inclusion Plan (DAIP) 2026-2030 that supports the State Disability Inclusion Plan. The DAIP outlines the actions DHS will take over the next four years to improve the accessibility and inclusiveness of our services and supports.

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).

Currently, we are only able to consider requests for Social Work and Clinical Psychology placements in our Child and Family Support, and Community and Aboriginal Partnerships divisions. All requests must be made through a Student Placement Coordinator, who can contact us to discuss the placements available.