Executive Director, Strategic Engagement

HumanAbility is a Jobs and Skills Council for the health, human services, aged care and disability, sport & recreation and early childhood industries.

HumanAbility’s objective is to advance education by supporting skills and workforce development for the above specified industries. It is a values-based organisation, that is not-for-profit, industry-owned and led, that is contracted by the federal government.

HumanAbility will achieve its objectives through:

- Implementation of the Jobs & Skills Councils – Strengthening Australia’s National Vocational Education and Training System program, or its replacement program, and similar programs supported by governments and/or industry;
- Workforce planning activities that develop strategies to address workforce challenges, using high-quality data and evidence on current and emerging skills needs (in collaboration with Jobs and Skills Australia) associated with a range of educational pathways, including vocational education and training (VET) and higher education;
- Formal and informal training product development, including resources aligned with standards set by Skills Ministers to improve the quality, speed-to-market and responsiveness of nationally recognised training products;
- Contributions to the implementation, promotion and monitoring of VET; and
- Industry stewardship to advance education by acting as a source of intelligence on issues affecting relevant industries and national training system opportunities.

We have an opportunity for an Executive Director, Strategic Engagement to join us on a full-time basis in an ongoing capacity subject to funding (currently funded until mid-2028).



This role can be based anywhere in Australia and will require availability to travel as required in fulfilling the key accountabilities.

About the Position

The Executive Director leads the engagement efforts of HumanAbility, specifically by:

- Strategic engagement and partnerships that build influence and support for HumanAbility’s objectives, informed by a strong understanding of the policy, political and broader reform landscape within which HumanAbility operates.
- Achieving the strategic plan and the development, implementation and review of the operational plan.
- Building of a positive culture, in collaboration with the executive team.
- Developing and leading a robust and high performing team.
- Embedding the tripartite arrangements of HumanAbility across all our work..

Key Accountabilities

Strategic Leadership and Vision

- Lead the development and implementation of a high-value tripartite stakeholder engagement strategy that identifies, prioritises, and intensively manages the organisation's most significant relationships and aligned with organisational priorities and government policy objectives.
- Define and implement tiering criteria and engagement intensity levels for stakeholders, with bespoke engagement plans.
- Provide authoritative advice to the executive team on stakeholder sentiment, emerging issues, and engagement opportunities.




- Work with the Executive and their teams across HumanAbility to embed stakeholder insights into workforce planning, strategic workforce development projects, training package reviews, government relations and other projects and initiatives.
- Champion a culture of proactive, meaningful engagement across the organisation.
- Establish and drive the vision for how the organisation builds and sustains influential relationships nationally.

National Tripartite Stakeholder Coverage and Relationship Management

- Oversee and maintain a national portfolio of high-importance stakeholder relationships spanning all HumanAbility’s sectors, including, for example, peak bodies, industry groups, training providers and centres of excellence and unions.
- Lead the high value Industry Advisory Council (IAC) and ITAB engagement strategies and maintain strong relationships with their members, in addition to other committees that are formed from time to time.
- Ensure equitable and consistent engagement across all jurisdictions, and tripartite groups, with tailored approaches reflecting their differing priorities and contexts.
- Personally manage a defined portfolio of critical, senior-level stakeholder relationships and support the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief of Staff and Executive in their portfolios of relationships.

Deepening and Growing Engagement

- Design and implement strategies to deepen the quality and frequency of stakeholder engagement, moving relationships from transactional to collaborative and influential. This will require working closely with other members of the executive team to ensure thi

📌 Executive Director, Strategic Engagement (Melbourne)
🏢 HumanAbility
📍 Melbourne