Director of Employability and Graduate Outcomes

Who we are? 

At Torrens University Australia, making a difference is in our DNA. As a Certified B Corporation, we belong to a global community of future-focused companies using business as a force for good. We believe in the transformative power of education to change lives, families, communities – and the world. That’s why we’re on a mission to increase access to higher education, so learners from all walks of life can chase their dreams. 

Just like our students, our employees are a diverse group who want to make an impact. When you join us, we give you the freedom to be bold, creative, and courageous – with flexible working arrangements that allow you to bring your best. We’ve built a culture that celebrates community, collaboration, and innovation, where people love what they do. 

What’s the job? 

As the Director of Employability and Graduate Outcomes, you’ll lead the University’s strategic employability operations and drive a coordinated, institution-wide approach to improving graduate employment outcomes. Working collaboratively across Academic, Student Experience, Growth and Industry Engagement functions, you’ll align strategy, services, partnerships and data to support students throughout their journey - from career preparation and industry engagement to graduate transition. 

You’ll design, implement and continuously enhance the University’s employability operating model, ensuring employability is embedded throughout the student lifecycle rather than delivered as a standalone service. You will provide strategic input across curriculum-embedded employability, workforce and labour market intelligence and industry engagement as well as drive student engagement with industry while leading the University’s operational employability portfolio.  

You’ll lead initiatives that strengthen student career development, expand applied learning and industry opportunities, build employer partnerships and support graduate transition including during the first twelve months after completing their studies. While graduate employment outcomes are a shared institutional responsibility, you’ll own the operational support, governance, performance framework, partnerships and continuous improvement required to enhance these outcomes over time. 

Principal accountabilities include (but are not limited to): 

• Lead the University’s employability and graduate outcomes operational strategy, governance and performance framework. 

• Advise senior leaders on employability, graduate capability and emerging workforce trends. 

• Drive institution-wide improvements in graduate employment, career readiness, industry engagement and employer satisfaction. 

• Partner with Academic leadership to support embedding employability, professional skills and authentic industry learning across curriculum, assessment and the student lifecycle. 

• Develop strategic partnerships with employers, industry bodies and professional associations to expand placements, internships, mentoring, projects and graduate opportunities. 

• Oversee careers education, employability development and graduate transition services, including support during the first 12 months after graduation. 

• Lead the operational delivery, compliance and continuous improvement of placements, applied learning and work-integrated learning. 

• Use graduate, employer and labour-market data, including QILT insights, to guide investment, measure performance and inform future workforce priorities. 

• Sponsor innovation, including AI-enabled employability initiatives, new technologies and scalable service models. 

• Lead and develop a high-performing employability function, managing people, budgets, resources, performance, succession planning and organisational capability. 

• Represent the University with external stakeholders and promote its position as a preferred partner for industry collaboration. 

• Foster a positive, inclusive and collaborative culture focused on accountability, innovation, professional development and continuous improvement. 

Who you are 

• A senior leader with experience leading employability, workforce development or student success strategies in a complex organisation. 

• A strategic thinker and systems leader who can design and implement organisation-wide strategies and translate ambition into measurable outcomes. 

• An influential executive communicator who can build alignment and deliver change across multiple functions without relying solely on direct authority. 

• An experienced partner to academic leaders, with the ability to embed employability, professional skills and industry-connected learning within curriculum and assessment. 

• A relationship builder with a strong track record of developing employer, industry, professional association or sector partnerships. 

• Comfortable using data, performance measures and labour-market intelligence to inform decisions, evaluate impact and improve organisational performance. 

• An inclusive, coaching-oriented people leader with experience leading multidisciplinary teams, including through other people managers. 

• A postgraduate-qualified professional in education, business, management or a related discipline, or with equivalent executive experience. Qualifications in career development, organisational development, higher education, change management or project management will be well regarded. 

• Higher education experience is highly desirable, along with a strong understanding of graduate employment, future skills, curriculum design and employability frameworks. 

To read more about the role please click here. 

This is a full-time leadership position with hybrid work flexibility. The role may be based at one of our Torrens University campuses, with occasional travel between campuses and to external forums, employer sites and industry events as required. 

Why join us? 

Bold, modern and agile, we’re Australia’s fastest-growing university, going from 164 students in 2014 to 40,000+ alumni across 115+ countries and 2000+ staff today. In 2020, Australian Financial Review named us one of the country’s most innovative companies. As we continue to establish ourselves as a truly global university, we never lose sight of our student-centric approach. Supported by teams of passionate people, you’ll find endless opportunities for professional development and career progression. 

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and committed to creating an inclusive workplace. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, religion, age, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or any other protected characteristic. 

We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for all positions. 

What we offer: 

We support your personal passions, development and wellbeing, to make your working life a more rewarding experience. At Torrens University Australia, you’ll benefit from: 

• Study free in a course/degree related to your position 

• B Corp certified university – values driven, and purpose led 

• Access to internal opportunities - Be supported to learn, grow and move across the organisation 

Hiring process 

We aim to provide you with the information you need at each stage of this process to help you present your best self. 

If you have any accessibility requirements, please contact us at yourcareer@torrens.edu.au for confidential support. We are committed to ensuring an equitable, barrier-free application process and have a Reasonable Adjustment Procedure in place to support you throughout the recruitment process. 

To learn more about what makes Torrens University Australia a great place to work, visit https://www.torrens.edu.au/blog. 

We’d love to hear from you.