Chief Executive Officer

Department for Education, Children and Young People TAS; Hobart; On-site; AUD 200,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

An educational governing body in Tasmania is seeking a visionary Chief Executive Officer to lead its first Multi-School Organization. This role offers a unique opportunity to shape educational strategy and policy from the ground up. The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong leadership skills, strategic design abilities, and a commitment to fostering inclusive educational environments. Responsibilities include managing school principals and overseeing shared services to enhance educational outcomes.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to lead and scale complex organizations.
• Experience in strategic design and evidence-informed planning.
• Commitment to public service and educational excellence.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and implementation of multi-year strategies.
• Provide direct management to school principals.
• Oversee shared services including finance and compliance.
• Establish collaborative structures to improve education standards.

Skills

Leadership skills

Strategic design

Operational expertise

Interpersonal skills

Job description

Overview

Lead a bold new chapter in Tasmania’s reform of government schools. In January 2025, following the Independent Review of Education in Tasmania, the Tasmanian Government announced a trial of Multi-School Organisations (MSOs) within the government school system. MSOs are strong families of schools, brought together under shared leadership and governance to drive improvement, equity, and innovation at scale. The MSO model is inspired by England’s Multi-Academy Trust model, identified as international best practice in Grattan Institute’s 2024 Spreading Success report. The trial is delivered through a partnership between the Tasmanian Government and McKinnon – an independent not-for-profit organisation. The Department for Education, Children and Young People (DECYP) is seeking a visionary and strategic Chief Executive Officer to lead Tasmania’s first MSO, launching in early 2026. This is a rare opportunity to shape a new educational institution, as well as broader statewide policy, from the ground up.

Responsibilities

• Leading the development and implementation of multi-year education, operations and business strategies, aligned with DECYP policies – applying systems thinking to drive sustainable improvement.
• Providing direct line management to school principals, supporting their leadership through mentoring, coaching, and performance oversight. The CEO will also lead and manage the MSO’s executive team – initially a Head of Operations and expanding to include an Education Director as the MSO grows.
• Overseeing the MSO’s shared services, including finance, human and physical resources, compliance, communications and risk management – ensuring ethical, efficient, and transparent use of public resources.
• Establishing collaborative structures across schools to improve education standards and reduce the administrative burden on teachers and school leaders, ensuring inclusive, safe, and supportive environments for students and staff.

What we are seeking

We are seeking an exceptional leader with a proven ability to lead and scale complex organisations to achieve results through strategic design, evidence-informed planning, and continuous improvement. You may come from education, but we also welcome candidates from government, corporate, or not-for-profit sectors who bring strategic acumen, operational expertise, and a deep commitment to public service. You will set and uphold high standards across all areas, fostering a culture of excellence, inclusivity, and continuous improvement – ensuring every decision supports improved student outcomes and closes equity gaps. You will be entrepreneurial with a ‘can do’ mindset and a deep commitment to creating safe, respectful learning environments for all children and young people so they can achieve their full potential. You will have strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build inclusive cultures and influence stakeholders. You will be the public figurehead of the MSO, providing ethical leadership across diverse settings, careful stewardship of public resources, and collaborating with education leaders and departmental executives to deliver statewide improvements.

How to apply

DECYP are partnering with an external agency, Perrett Laver, for the recruitment of this role. Applications must be submitted through Perrett Laver directly via the following link, quoting reference 7962 for Chief Executive Officer. Please submit a CV and covering letter detailing how you fulfil the role description and personal specification.

• You can also view the Statement of Duties here.

The deadline for applications is 9am AEST, Monday 13th October.

Formal interviews will be taking place virtually in late October and in Tasmania in early–mid November. If you require any reasonable adjustments to assist you in the selection process, please advise us of these so that we can make appropriate arrangements.