Director – Mandurah Universities Centre

Maternity leave cover: 22 March 2027 to 13 April 2028

We are seeking an experienced manager to run the Mandurah Universities Centre while its Director is on maternity leave.

About the Centre

The Mandurah Universities Centre (MUC) is a study hub funded by the Australian Government's Suburban University Study Hubs Program and operated by Regional Development Australia (RDA) Peel. It gives students enrolled with any Australian publicly funded university or tertiary provider a place to study close to home, with academic and wellbeing support.

The Centre focuses on students who face barriers to tertiary study, including people from low socio-economic backgrounds, First Nations students and people with disability.

The role

This is an operational role. You will run the Centre day to day, support its students and staff, keep its partnerships with universities and tertiary providers working and deliver the Centre's funding contract. You will report to the Chief Executive Officer of RDA Peel.

This is a temporary engagement to cover the Director's parental leave. The Director has the right to return to the role when her leave ends.

Key responsibilities

- Manage the Centre's daily operations, facilities, systems and suppliers, including workplace health and safety.

- Oversee student recruitment, engagement, attendance and retention, working with the Student Support Officer.

- Supervise and support Centre staff.

- Maintain relationships with partner universities and tertiary providers, and bring new providers into the Centre.

- Work with schools, local government,



employers and community organisations to connect students with study and work.

- Manage the Centre's budget, purchasing and records within RDA Peel's policies and delegations.

- Track performance against the funding contract and prepare progress reports for the CEO and the Department of Education.

Essential criteria

Please address each essential criterion in a statement of no more than two pages.

- Experience running a small service or facility day to day, including supervising staff, managing suppliers and meeting workplace health and safety obligations.

- Experience supporting students or clients from groups under-represented in tertiary education, with a working knowledge of university and vocational study pathways.

- Experience delivering a government-funded program to its contract: managing a budget, tracking performance measures and writing clear progress reports.

- Proven ability to keep partnerships with universities and tertiary providers working, and to bring new providers into a service.

Desirable

- A tertiary qualification in education, business, management or a related field.

- Experience with a Commonwealth-funded program or a university study hub.





- Knowledge of the Peel region and its schools, employers and community networks.

Employment conditions

Term: Full time (37.5 hours a week), fixed-term maternity leave cover from Monday 22 March 2027 to Thursday 13 April 2028. This includes a two-week handover from the Director before her leave and a two-week handover back to her when she returns. The dates may move if the Director's leave dates change. Employment after 30 June 2027 is subject to confirmation of Commonwealth funding for the Centre.

Location: Mandurah, with travel across the Peel region.

Salary: $120,000 to $130,000 a year plus superannuation (Superannuation Guarantee plus an additional 3% employer contribution).

Leave: 20 days' paid annual leave and 10 days' paid personal/carer's leave a year, pro rata.

Requirements: a current driver's licence and reliable vehicle, a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check, a current Working with Children Check and the right to work in Australia.

How to apply

Review the position description here http://muc.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/Director-Position-Description-Maternity-Leave-2027.pdf

Email your CV and your statement against the essential criteria to Ashley Maynard, Chief Executive Officer, RDA Peel, at ••••@rdapeel.org.au by 5.00 pm AWST on Friday 4 December 2026.

Interviews will be held in Mandurah on Thursday 10 December 2026.

For a confidential discussion about the role, contact Gabriella Bristow, Director, Mandurah Universities Centre, on 04•• ••• 362.

📌 Director (Mandurah)
🏢 Mandurah Universities Centre
📍 Mandurah