Aaron Pinkus

Experience

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  The Psychology Centre

  Aug 2006 - Dec 2007

  Accounts Manager

  I worked part time in this role while still completing my university education. I used the financial software MYOB to manage the centre's client accounts.My responsibilities were:• Producing quarterly financial records.• Assisting the accountant with the preparation of tax statements.• Creating invoices and receiving payments.• Assisting front desk staff to take client bookings.• Advising clients of psychology services available through the centre.

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  Baha'i Centre of Learning for Tasmania

  Mar 2008 - Apr 2008

  Marketing Assistant

  In this short-term contracted position I worked closely with the Centre's management team to advise them on marketing, promotional and business issues prior to the Centre's opening.My responsibilities were:• Developing and writing promotional material.• Researching marketing and promotional opportunities.• Negotiating business opportunities with suppliers.• Writing and developing website pages.• Conducting competitor profiling and benchmarking• Making pricing recommendations to management.• Writing an application to achieve green star environmental certification. Show less

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  Australian Securities and Investments Commission

  May 2009 - Dec 2010

  Customer Services Officer

  In this position I worked with a small team to provide customer service and information to members of the public on the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).My responsibilities were:• Customer liaison.• Conducting daily banking and financial reconciliations.• Processing applications to register companies and conduct searches.• Taking payments.• Scanning and x-raying incoming mail.• Complaint handling.• Providing educational material and advice to clients.• Assisting in fraud and corruption investigations.• Providing property and office support services. Show less

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  Australian Government Department of Agriculture

  Jan 2011 - Jun 2015

  In this role I worked in the Fisheries and Marine Environment Section. I advised the Minister and Government on best practice approaches to fisheries management that would ensure environmental sustainability and profitability for Australia's fishing industry.My responsibilities were:• Developing environmental and economic policy for fisheries management.• Writing briefs for the Minister and senior departmental executives.• Reviewing fisheries rebuilding strategies.• Coordinating Australia's involvement in the Ogranization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the United Nation's (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) Committee on Fisheries.• Providing secretariat services for Australia's National Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks.• Managing a diverse range of stakeholders, including, environmental groups, industry representatives, government departments and agencies, and international organisations.• Writing ministerial and department correspondence.• Analysing fisheries trade data.• Reviewing and updating departmental webpages.• Writing media releases.Significant Achievements:• Rewrote the Commonwealth Policy on Fisheries Bycatch. Show less As part of the International Fisheries Section I advised the Minister and Government on best practice approaches to international fisheries management. This was an interesting policy area, intricately linked with international and foreign relations.My responsibilities were:• Developing environmental and economic policy for fisheries management.• Writing briefs for the Minister and senior departmental executives.• Developing international fisheries measures for the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) and the Pacific Island's Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA).• Coordinating the ratification of international fisheries treaties • Coordinating Australia's involvement in the WCPFC, including submission of reports, preparing Australia's policy position ahead of meetings, and arranging travel logistics.• Coordinating event management for international fisheries meetings being hosted in Australia.• Managing a diverse range of stakeholders, including, environmental groups, industry representatives, government departments and agencies, and international organisations.• Writing ministerial and department correspondence.• Reviewing and updating departmental webpages.• Writing media releases.• Producing team budgets and tracking expenditure.• Undertaking procurement activities.• Running international capacity building programs through departmental hosted events and grant management.Significant Achievements:• Wrote a measure to ban fishing Whale Sharks in the Pacific, leading to an estimated reduction in Whale Shark mortality of over 200 sharks per year.• Coordinated the hosting of the WCPFC annual meeting in Cairns for over 600 international delegates. Show less As a graduate I rotated through three different sections of the department; Freedom of Information, Trade and Market Access Division, and Plant Biosecurity Division. This gave me an equal mix of corporate services, government program management, and public policy.My responsibilities were:• Providing policy advice to senior executives on new whole-of-government measures affecting freedom of information.• Investigating and writing reports for senior executives on legal claims brought against the department.• Coordinating freedom of information requests lodged with the department.• Providing trade policy advice to the Minister and senior executives.• Developing capacity building workshops for international delegations.• Writing funding applications and program completion reports.• Providing secretariat services for the Emergency Response Committee on Plant Pests and Diseases.• Writing ministerial and department correspondence.• Analysing trade data.• Reviewing and updating departmental webpages.• Writing media releases.Significant Achievements:• Involved in the set up of the Atlas of Living Australia.• Provided advice on the Transpacific Partnership Agreement. Show less

  • Policy Officer

    Oct 2013 - Jun 2015

  • Policy Officer

    Jan 2012 - Oct 2013

  • Graduate - Policy and Project Officer

    Jan 2011 - Dec 2011
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  Department of Education and Training, Victoria, Australia

  Jul 2015 - Apr 2016

  Resource Analyst

  In the Resources Strategy Division, I straddled two unique functions of the Department by coordinating the department’s annual budget submission processes, and by providing policy analysis and advice on present and future school infrastructure requirements.My responsibilities were:• Coordinating and preparing the Department’s annual state budget submission to the Department of Treasury and Finance and the Department of Premier and Cabinet.• Coordinating departmental responses to the Victorian Government’s Portfolio Strategy Budget Committee.• Providing advice and assistance to departmental program areas to strengthen and improve budget submissions and business cases.• Analysing population projections and school capacity data to provide Ministers and senior executives with advice on school infrastructure requirements.• Writing departmental reports and briefs for Ministers and senior executives on best utilisation of school infrastructure and spending.• Managing and liaising with a diverse range of stakeholders including internal program areas, educational lobby groups and other government departments and agencies.• Writing ministerial and departmental correspondence on educational planning issues in Victoria.• Developing presentation and talking points for Ministers and Senior Executives.• Developing planning documents, including the divisional business plan in line with the department’s corporate strategy and key responsibilities. Show less

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  Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources

  Apr 2016 - Feb 2017

  Policy Analyst

  As a Policy Analyst in the Forest Industries and Game Section of the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, I provided regulatory, legislative and policy advice to government on a range of complex and sensitive political issues. My advice balanced economic development opportunities with environmental conservation to ensure the sustainable management of Victoria's natural environments and resources.My responsibilities included:• Developing economic and environmental policy for primary industries, including forestry and game hunting.• Developing and coordinating implementation of whole-of-government sustainability action plans.• Writing departmental reports and briefs for Ministers and senior executives on best utilisation of Victoria's natural resources to maximise economic development while ensuring sustainability of forests and native species.• Reviewing existing legislation and regulations and advising government on possible amendments and existing legal requirements.• Advise the government on decisions to close wetlands and specified hunting areas dependent upon environmental conditions, risk to threatened and native species, human safety, and economic and social impacts on communities and stakeholders.• Managing a diverse range of stakeholders, including, environmental groups, industry representatives, government departments and agencies, and international organisations.• Analysing economic forestry and game hunting data to provide Ministers and senior executives with advice on sustainable resource management.• Writing ministerial and department correspondence that explains regulatory requirements and current government policy to constituents and members of parliament.• Writing media releases. Show less

• 

  Department of Education & Training, Victoria

  Nov 2020 - now

  As Manager I lead the Strategic Reporting and Outcomes Analysis team to deliver three key documents and processes: the Department’s Strategic Plan, Annual Report and submissions and representation at the Victorian Parliament's Public Accounts and Estimates Committee (PAEC) hearings. As the team's manager, I place a high-level of importance on supporting my staff to achieve the bests results for the Department. This requires building and maintaining a healthy team culture that supports staff and their development.Significant achievements:• Produced and quality assured the Department’s 160+ page response to the 2020-21 Financial Performance and Outcomes PAEC inquiry under significant timeframes and pressures before its submission to Parliament.• Produced a comprehensive briefing pack for the Secretary and additional witnesses totaling over 1,000 pages. All financial and non-financial figures were checked for accuracy and public availability.• Set the Department's strategic direction and articulated its key initiatives to achieve its vision in the Department's 2021-25 Strategic Plan.• Produced the Departments 2020-21 Annual Report and Additional Information and ensured the Annual Report's tabling in Parliament in accordance with legislative requirements. Show less As a Senior Advisor in the Portfolio Strategy and Planning Division, I provided high-level strategic advice to the department’s executive and board. My advice assisted to strategically position the department to meet its medium and long term objectives by analysing the department’s operating environment, its performance and results, risk management and its current strategies and priority actions.For periods of up to 6 months at a time, I acted as Manager of the Governance, Planning and Strategy team. As Manager, I conducted recruitment and employee induction, manage employee workloads and task allocations, ensure the quality of team outputs and manage and improve team culture.My responsibilities included:• Reviewing and developing the department’s governance, business planning, and risk management processes in accordance with legislation, regulatory requirements and best practice.• Developing quarterly strategic reviews for the department’s board that provide an overview of the department’s operating context, analysis of performance data and an examination of strategic risks and challenges.• Developing and communicating the department’s annual priorities and the department’s annual strategic plan.• Coordinating and preparing the department’s annual report for publication and tabling in Parliament.• Coordinating and preparing election commitment implementation reporting to Ministers and Cabinet.• Coordinating and preparing incoming government briefs (red and blue books) in preparation for new ministers following the Victorian State election.• Providing training in, and resources to facilitate, business planning, risk management and performance reporting.• Developing and maintaining relationships to deliver holistic reporting and advice incorporating all department business areas.• Writing briefings for the board and ministers on the department’s strategic priorities and progress against achieving key activities. Show less In January and February 2021, I led a team of eight staff responsible for the delivery of the Department’s written response to the Victorian Parliament’s Public Accounts and Estimates Committee (PAEC) inquiry into the 2019-20 budget outcomes and preparing the department’s executives and witnesses for the hearings. This involved producing a comprehensive briefing pack, facilitating mock hearings, and coordinating parliamentary logistics. To do this, information was compiled on all departmental programs and topical issues during 2019-20 and checked and cross referenced against available sources.Significant achievements• Producing and quality assuring the Department’s 150-page written response to the PAEC inquiry under significant timeframes and pressures before its submission to parliament.• Producing a comprehensive briefing pack for the Secretary and additional witnesses totaling over 1,000 pages. All financial and non-financial figures were checked for accuracy and public availability. Show less The Strategic Coordination Team supports the department’s key governance bodies by providing secretariat functions and building governance capability across the department. This includes supporting the department’s Education State Board, Budget and Financial Management Committee, Culture and People Committee, Infrastructure Planning and Development Committee, and the Information and Technology Management Committee. Over a three-month period I led the team through a period of extensive change and cultural improvement.Significant achievements• Rejuvenating the team, by recruiting three staff members to fill upcoming vacancies.• Improving team culture and a shared understanding of responsibilities by establishing job descriptions and performance development plans for all positions and staff.• Establishing new team processes, such as developing consistent secretariat documentation, developing an annual calendar of all committee meeting dates and key deliverables, and introducing team work instructions for key processes.• Developing a new, strategic-focused annual planning session for the department’s committees. Show less

  • Manager

    Sept 2021 - now

  • Senior Advisor

    Feb 2017 - Sept 2021

  • Manager

    Jan 2021 - Feb 2021

  • A/Manager

    Nov 2020 - Feb 2021