Chief People Officer

Edith Cowan University; Perth; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous leave entitlements

Wellbeing program

Industry-leading superannuation

Flexible working arrangements

Job summary

Edith Cowan University invites applications for the Chief People Officer role at Joondalup Campus. You will lead the people, culture, safety and workforce agenda across the university, reporting to the Provost, Vice President, to deliver the People and Culture Strategy.

You are an experienced executive with a proven track record of large-scale organisational transformation within complex environments, with strong industrial relations and governance capabilities.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience leading people, culture and transformation in large organisations.
• Strong knowledge of industrial relations, governance and risk management.
• Ability to balance strategic priorities with effective execution.
• Experience in higher education is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and delivery of ECU's People and Culture Strategy.
• Drive workforce planning, culture, safety and operational excellence.
• Collaborate with executive, board and stakeholder groups.

Job description

Competitive salary, market rate + 17% Super

PEOPLE & CULTURE JOONDALUP CAMPUS COMPETITIVE SALARY, MARKET RATE PLUS 17% SUPERANNUATION ONGOING, FULL TIME Edith Cowan University Are you ready to belong to a dynamic community where courage, creativity, and optimism are essential elements of our DNA? At ECU we’re inspired by the incredible achievements of Edith Cowan, the first woman elected to an Australian parliament and a lifelong champion of education. Empowered by her legacy, we’re united in our vision to lead the sector in educational experience and expand our impact through world-class research.Embrace an opportunity to become part of something extraordinary.

People and Culture

People and Culture is the service centre dedicated to empowering the talent and potential of our people. We champion the experience of every employee and work to maintain our thriving work culture and excellent reputation in the higher education sector.

About the Opportunity

As Chief People Officer, you will serve as a key member of the senior leadership team, providing strategic leadership across the University’s people, culture, safety, and workforce agenda. Reporting directly to the Provost, Vice President, you will drive the delivery of ECU’s People and Culture Strategy, ensuring the University has the capability, culture, and operating model required to achieve its strategic objectives.

About you

You are a highly accomplished executive leader with significant experience leading large-scale people, culture, and organisational transformation agendas within high focus on compliance in complex organisations.

While experience within tertiary education will be highly regarded, we welcome candidates from diverse sectors who have successfully led workforce strategy, organisational change, industrial relations, and cultural transformation in large and complex environments.

You bring:

• A proven track record of developing and delivering people strategies that drive organisational performance and business outcomes.
• Extensive experience leading significant organisational transformation, workforce modernisation, and cultural change initiatives.
• Strong commercial and operational acumen, with the ability to balance strategic priorities with effective execution.
• Deep expertise in industrial relations, workplace legislation, governance, and organisational risk management.
• Exceptional stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships across executive, board, employee, union, and external stakeholder groups.
• A leadership style that inspires high performance, fosters collaboration, and develops inclusive and engaged teams.

Most importantly, you are a transformational leader who understands that culture is a strategic enabler of organisational success and can create an environment where people, performance, and purpose align to deliver outstanding outcomes for the University.

Benefits of working at ECU

At ECU we’re committed to fostering a positive employment experience and believe this is fundamental to the success and satisfaction of our employees. Growth and development matter here, because we recognise people are at the centre of everything we do. Our thriving work culture is guided by the ECU values and complemented by a range of employee benefits; visit our website to read about flexible working arrangements, generous leave entitlements, our commitment to Wellbeing, exclusive corporate discounts and industry-leading superannuation.

Advert Closure

Applications close Wednesday, 21 October 2026 at 11:30pm AWST.

ECU reserves the right to close the advertisement before the stated closing date, and encourage applicants to submit their applications early.

PLEASE NOTE: APPLICATIONS WILL ONLY BE ACCEPTED FROM CANDIDATES WHO HAVE THE RELEVANT WORKING RIGHTS TO FILL THIS POSITION.

ECU is a diverse and inclusive workplace with specific strategies and initiatives in place to address underrepresentation of specific groups. We strongly encourage applications from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.

We are dedicated to attracting, retaining and developing our people regardless of gender identity, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, age and faith. For more information on our commitment to equity and diversity, please visit our Inclusive Workplace website.

At ECU, we are committed to supporting adjustments throughout the recruitment and selection process, as well as during employment. We actively encourage people with disability to apply to ECU. To discuss how we can support adjustment requirements, please contact the person listed above.