Academic Director | Executive Leadership | Higher Education Growth

Southern Cross Education Institute - Higher Education (SCEI-HE)

Reporting to: Director / CEO

Employment Type: Full-time | Permanent

Location: North Melbourne, VIC

Southern Cross Education Institute - Higher Education (SCEI-HE) is a well-established and respected education provider delivering nationally recognised vocational and higher education qualifications across Australia. Since 2007, we have proudly graduated nearly 40,000 students, many of whom have built successful careers in nursing, aged care, early childhood education, community services, and pathology.

With campuses in Victoria and South Australia, and ambitious expansion plans into Queensland and Western Australia, we are seeking a proactive, strategic, and detail-oriented Academic Director to help drive our continued growth and commitment to educational excellence.

Purpose of the Role

As Academic Director, you will provide academic leadership, strategic direction, and operational oversight for SCEI-HE's academic department. You will ensure the quality, development, and continuous improvement of our curriculum while leading a high-performing Academic team that delivers contemporary, demand-driven education and outstanding student outcomes.

You will play a key role in policy development, organisational management, and the successful delivery of strategic educational initiatives that strengthen SCEI-HE's reputation as a provider of high-quality higher education.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership

- Lead the development and execution of strategic and operational plans for the academic portfolio, ensuring alignment with SCEI-HE's broader mission, vision, and goals.
- Provide authoritative, evidence-based advice and reports to the CEO and academic governing bodies on higher education program delivery and the student journey.




- Monitor and benchmark the Institute's teaching and community engagement activities against comparable higher education providers.
- Shape strategic direction and policy settings that enhance SCEI-HE's reputation for educational excellence.
- Chair and actively contribute to committees and working parties as required.
- Cultivate a shared vision for the future of SCEI-HE and inspire academic staff to innovate and deliver leading-edge education.
- Provide strong academic and educational leadership, ensuring consistent application of policies and procedures across all programs.
- Lead performance management, mentoring, and professional development for academic, administrative, and support staff reporting to this role.

Curriculum Design, Delivery & Continuous Improvement

- Advise on course content design and the alignment of learning outcomes, activities, and assessments as part of ongoing continuous improvement.
- Oversee quality assurance processes for courses, assessment, and moderation to ensure consistency, compliance, and high academic standards.
- Foster a culture of critical review and continuous improvement that drives positive student outcomes and teaching excellence.
- Uphold rigorous academic integrity standards and provide ongoing support to staff and students.
- Support applications and responses related to Institute registration, course accreditation, and TEQSA or professional body requirements.
- Lead budget development, forecasting, and resource allocation for program delivery, adjusting as needed to meet targets.
- Ensure all areas under your leadership actively implement Institute policies,



particularly those relating to occupational health and safety and anti-discrimination.

Stakeholder Engagement & Relationship Building

- Monitor and act on student feedback, participation, academic progress, and attendance.
- Coordinate academic support and pastoral care activities across Institute stakeholders.
- Manage the relationship with TEQSA on academic matters and ensure ongoing compliance through research and scholarship activities.
- Build and nurture strategic relationships with industry, professions, employers, other education providers, government, and alumni.
- Lead engagement initiatives that strengthen connections with industry and the broader community.
- Initiate and oversee scholarly and research activities that enhance course delivery and contribute value to the wider sector.
- Foster excellence in teaching and professional activities across the Institute.
- Develop and monitor SCEI-HE's scholarship profile in line with the Institute's Research Framework.
- Contribute to research outputs and support appropriate budget planning for scholarly activities.
- Maintain your own scholarship of learning to stay current with professional standards, ethical requirements, and industry developments.
- Provide leadership and guidance to staff and students on research, scholarly activity, and qualified practice.

Administration & People Management

- Participate in the recruitment, selection, and induction of academic and general staff.
- Support HR in the fair and effective management of academic staff grievances.
- Assist with student recruitment and marketing activities as required.
- Undertake other duties as directed by the CEO.

This is an opportunity for a strategic academic leader who wants to build capability, raise standards and shape the next chapter of a growing higher education provider.

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📌 Academic Director (Melbourne)
🏢 Southern Cross Education Institute Higher Education
📍 Melbourne