About us:
DEECA brings together Victoria’s energy, environment, water, agriculture, forestry, resources, climate action, and emergency management functions into a single department to maximise connections between the environment, community, industry and economy.
Our challenge is to improve Victoria’s liveability with a population that is expected to almost double by 2050, while responsibly tackling climate change and protecting our natural environment, infrastructure and heritage for future generations.
The opportunity for you:
Work with us to create thriving, productive and sustainable communities, environments and industries.
The DEECA Science Graduate Program is a two-year fixed-term learning and development initiative open to recent graduates of science, natural resource management, agriculture, ecology, conservation, or related fields.
This award-winning program provides you with varied and meaningful experiences to help kick-start your career. You’ll gain a mix of field and policy work, exposure to research, and be involved in community engagement activities to understand the work we do and build future leaders.
During the 2-year program, you’ll get:
* varied rotations across Victoria to develop your skills and explore different areas of the business
* a starting salary of more than $62,000
* learning and development opportunities tailored to your career goals
* flexible working arrangements
* mentoring
* an excellent social and networking base with other graduates.
To be eligible for the DEECA 2026 Science Graduate Program, you must:
* have completed your undergraduate degree between January 2021 and January 2026
* be an Australian / New Zealand citizen or an Australian permanent resident
* a citizen of another country with a current visa that allows you to work continuously and full-time in Australia, covering the entire duration of the 2-year program
* not have taken voluntary redundancy from the Victorian public sector in the 3 years up to the program start date of February 2026.
DEECA Science Graduate Program – General Timelines
* Applications open : 6, June 2025
* Applications close : 6, July 2025
* Video interviews : from July 2025
* Online assessment : July 2025
* Virtual assessment centres : August 2025
* Department interviews : from 2 September 2025
* Offer stage : September/October 2025
* Start day : 2 February 2026
Information for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander candidates
We recognise the significant responsibility the Department has as a land and natural resource manager to support self-determination and create opportunities for Traditional Owners to care for Country and provide opportunities to Enhance First Peoples’ connection to Country. We are committed to creating a culturally safe environment, where individuals feel safe, valued and able to enable their culture, spiritual and belief systems.
We are growing DEECA's Aboriginal employment to 3% of our workforce. OurAboriginal Employment Plan sets out how we will do this while achieving lasting change and sustainable jobs for Aboriginal people.
In response to our ongoing commitments and employment strategies, we highly recommend that Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander graduates apply.
For general information about Aboriginal Employment at DEECA please contact theAboriginal Employment and Cultural Strategy Unit
Information for candidates with disability
We want applicants with disability to have an equitable experience.
You can request a reasonable adjustment at any stage of the recruitment process. Each request will be considered on an individual basis. Some examples of adjustments include:
* materials in a larger font
* time to consider the questions in advance of the interview
* more time to complete the individual written activity
* longer break times between activities at the assessment centre
When you apply, tell us your preferred method of communication so that we can get in contact with you throughout the recruitment process.
If you get into the program, we will check in with you to see what support you need so you can perform at your best. This may include access to workplace adjustments, flexible work and connecting you to a colleague or peer with disability.
Roles available for 2026:
* 2 x Agriculture Graduate roles
* 7 x Bushfire and Forest Services roles
* 3 x Energy roles
* 1 x Water and Catchment role
Next steps:
Applications for the 2026 program open on June 6, 2025 and close in July 6 2025.
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