Associate Director - Education and Professional Development

First People Recruitment Solutions; Canberra; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

The Centre for Indigenous Economic Transformation (CIET) at The Australian National University seeks an Associate Director for Education and Professional Development to lead learning programs for First Nations rights holders, governments and industry.

You will design executive education, build curricula, and cultivate partnerships with First Nations communities, ensuring culturally grounded and impactful capability-building across sectors.

Qualifications

• Leadership of executive education, professional development or capability-building programs.
• Ability to translate research into accessible learning for diverse audiences.
• Experience building strategic partnerships across sectors.
• Experience working across First Nations communities and ICIP protection.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Centre's education and capability-building portfolio.
• Design, pilot, deliver and scale executive education and leadership programs.
• Develop curricula, microcredentials and learning tools.
• Collaborate with First Nations partners to align with priorities.
• Oversee governance, risk, budget, and evaluation.
• Lead and develop the Education and Professional Development team.
• Contribute to strategy, planning and reporting.

Skills

Executive education

Professional development

Capability-building

Strategic partnerships

Program management

People leadership

Communication and negotiation

Indigenous cultural knowledge

Education

Postgraduate qualifications in education

Postgraduate qualifications in business

Postgraduate qualifications in Indigenous studies

Equivalent combination of experience

Job description

Associate Director - Education and Professional Development

The Centre for Indigenous Economic Transformation (CIET) is a First Nations-led policy centre at The Australian National University, advancing First Nations economic self-determination. Through research, policy, partnerships and education, CIET works alongside First Nations leaders and rights holders, governments, industry and investors to influence economic and institutional reform, strengthen capability and expand opportunities for First Nations peoples to build and manage wealth.

Key Duties

• Reporting to the Deputy Director, the Associate Director, Education and Professional Development leads the Centre's education and capability-building portfolio, developing culturally grounded learning that strengthens the financial and commercial capability of First Nations rights holders and organisations, while building the capability of governments, industry and other institutions to support Indigenous economic self-determination.
• Leading the design, piloting, delivery and scaling of executive education, professional development, short courses, leadership programs and other capability-building initiatives.
• Developing culturally grounded curricula, microcredentials, masterclasses, tools and resources that draw on First Nations knowledges, Centre research, policy expertise and practitioner experience.
• Working with First Nations partners to ensure programs respond to their priorities, recognise cultural authority and protect Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP).
• Building and managing executive education partnerships across First Nations organisations, government, industry, philanthropy, education providers and international Indigenous institutions, and representing the Centre in senior forums.
• Overseeing the program pipeline, delivery models, workforce, resources and budgets, and identifying funding and earned-income opportunities.
• Maintaining effective governance, quality assurance, risk management, evaluation and continuous improvement across the portfolio.
• Leading and developing the Education and Professional Development team, fostering a collaborative, accountable and culturally safe team culture.
• Contributing to First Nations leadership of the Centre and providing advice on Centre-wide strategy, planning, governance and reporting.

Key Skills and Capabilities

• Postgraduate qualifications in education, business, Indigenous studies or a related field, with relevant senior experience; or an equivalent combination of experience, education and training.
• Extensive experience leading executive education, professional development or capability-building programs, including strategy, delivery, partnerships, quality and sustainability.
• Demonstrated ability to translate research, policy or professional expertise into accessible, high-quality learning for diverse audiences.
• High-level Indigenous cultural knowledge and judgement, with extensive experience working respectfully across diverse Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and organisations, including Indigenous-led co-design and protection of ICIP.
• Proven ability to build and sustain strategic partnerships across First Nations organisations, government, industry, academia, philanthropy and other sectors.
• Strong strategic and program management capability, including managing priorities, resources, budgets, risk, performance and outcomes.
• Demonstrated people leadership skills, with the ability to foster a collaborative, accountable, culturally safe and high-performing workplace.
• Excellent communication, negotiation and influencing skills, with the ability to provide authoritative advice and represent the Centre effectively.