Chief Academic Officer

Derwent Search Pty; Sydney; On-site; AUD 200,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

The College of Law is seeking a Chief Academic Officer to lead academic strategy, curriculum governance and teaching quality across its locations in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Auckland.

Reporting to the Group CEO, you will chair or support the Academic Board, shape award curricula, oversee research and scholarship, ensure rigorous professional relevance, and build strong relationships with the legal profession, regulators, courts and universities.

Qualifications

• Senior academic leader with experience in strategy, curriculum and teaching in higher education.

Responsibilities

• Lead academic governance, compliance and quality assurance with regulators and admitting authorities.
• Provide strategic leadership of award curricula and ensure professional relevance.
• Oversee teaching quality and the capability of the academic and teaching workforce.
• Champion student learning, achievement and outcomes.
• Lead a research and scholarship strategy aligned to the College's mission.
• Build relationships with the legal profession, law firms, courts, regulators and universities.

Skills

Academic leadership

Curriculum strategy

Higher education governance

Stakeholder engagement

Research leadership

Education

Doctorate or equivalent

Job description

About the College

The College of Law is the school of professional practice for lawyers, with locations in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Auckland. A non-university higher education provider with self-accrediting authority, it delivers practical legal training, continuing legal education and fully accredited postgraduate programs in applied law. More than 60,000 graduates have come through the College, and more than 400 staff support its work.

The Role

As the College's most senior academic leader and a member of the Executive Committee, the Chief Academic Officer is accountable for the quality, integrity and relevance of everything the College teaches. Reporting to the Group Chief Executive Officer, you will establish a clear academic direction and a robust academic culture. Your responsibilities include:

• Leading academic governance, compliance and quality assurance with higher education regulators and admitting authorities, and supporting the independent Academic Board, which you may chair.


• Providing strategic leadership of award curricula, ensuring qualifications are rigorous, professionally relevant and future focused.


• Leading teaching quality and the capability of the College's academic and teaching workforce.


• Championing student learning, achievement and outcomes.


• Leading a research and scholarship strategy aligned to the College's mission.


• Building relationships with the legal profession, law firms, courts, regulators and universities, as a senior ambassador for the College.

The College is considering an alternative organisational design. This role will continue, although some accountabilities may change.

What We Are Looking For

You are a senior academic leader with significant experience leading academic strategy, curriculum, and teaching and learning in a complex higher education environment, preferably in a legal education or related professional discipline. You hold a doctoral-level postgraduate qualification or equivalent academic and professional standing, with a strong record of academic achievement, scholarship, research or professional practice.
You understand academic governance, quality assurance, academic integrity and the Australian higher education regulatory environment. You have credibility and networks in the legal profession or higher education sector, and you lead change, build high-performing academic teams and operate confidently at executive and governing body level. You are collegial, able to challenge and influence at senior levels, and committed to student success.
The role requires flexible working hours and interstate and international travel to support operations across Australia, New Zealand and the UK.

Applications close

25th October 2026