Lecturer/Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor: Design

Collarts International; Waterloo; Hybrid; AUD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Collarts (Australian College of the Arts) invites applications for Lecturer/Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor – Design, to contribute to leadership and teaching across Design programs. You will support ongoing development, quality and delivery of courses with an industry-informed curriculum.

You will collaborate with staff to enhance teaching, scholarship and student success, mentoring junior colleagues and strengthening industry partnerships.

Qualifications

• Experience teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate levels (Level B/C/D).
• Experience coordinating courses or units within higher education.
• Student-centred approach to support learner success.
• Develop scholarship, scholarly practice or industry engagement.
• Understanding quality assurance, governance and financial processes in HE.

Responsibilities

• Lead teaching and curriculum development across Design programs.
• Support course leadership and contribute to scholarship and industry engagement.
• Mentor junior staff and collaborate with academic and professional teams.
• Foster an inclusive, high-performing academic culture.

Skills

Teaching experience

Course coordination

Student-centred approach

Industry engagement

Communication

Education

AQF Level 8 qualification

Working With Children Check

Job description

Shape the future of Australia’s creative industries through high quality, high impact tertiary education.

Collarts is currently recruiting for a exciting opportunities, including in Design, Film, and Fashion. These roles provide opportunities for experienced academic and industry professionals to combine leadership, teaching and curriculum innovation in a collaborative, forward-thinking higher education environment.

Collarts (Australian College of the Arts) is a dynamic creative space full of energy, passion and opportunity. Combining a staff of industry leaders, an incredible community of students, campuses in Melbourne, Sydney and online, we strive to support those who want to succeed in the design, performing arts and creative industries.

We are dedicated to providing innovative, industry-connected education that prepares students for creative careers. Our hands‑on approach and commitment to real‑world learning ensure that students graduate with the skills and confidence to thrive in their chosen fields.

This year we are expanding our creative education offerings in Sydney (Waterloo Campus) and are seeking experienced, industry‑connected academics to join our team.

About us:

Collarts (and its predecessor, Ausmusic) began more than 30 years ago with just three programs, a handful of students, and a small team of passionate lecturers. Founded on music and audio, we’ve grown into one of Australia’s leading creative education providers.

Today, operating as Collarts, we teach more than 2,000 students from over 30 countries across five campuses in Melbourne and Sydney, and in 50 partner high schools. We offer a wide range of degree programs and vocational certificates, and are rankedAustralia's #1 Comprehensive Creative Arts Course Provideraccording to the2024 and 2025 Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT)national surveys. Our community includes ARIA Award winners, renowned actors and playwrights, leading film directors, DOLBY Atmos practitioners, and some of Australia’s most respected educators and creative industry professionals.

The role:

As Lecturer/Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor – Design, you will contribute to academic leadership and teaching excellence across Design (including but not limited to Graphic Design, Interior Design, and Social Media) programs within the Design and Communication discipline area.

You will support the ongoing development, quality and delivery of courses, ensuring students experience a contemporary, engaging and industry‑informed curriculum that reflects current Australian and international design practices.

Working collaboratively with academic and professional staff, you will contribute across teaching, curriculum design, scholarship, student success, industry engagement and course leadership. You will bring strong knowledge of at least one design‑related discipline, while helping foster an inclusive and high‑performing academic culture.At more senior levels, you will bring a capacity to provide leadership at a disciplinary level, expertise in design principles and concepts that go beyond a specific field or industry, and an ability to mentor and supervise more junior colleagues who may bring expertise in one design field.

This role suits someone who enjoys balancing strategic thinking with hands‑on teaching, mentoring students, supporting students to develop the academic, creative and professional capabilities needed to pursue their ambitions in the design industry, and building meaningful industry relationships.

The Level B position is well suited for industry professionals with extensive experience who are looking to transition to an education‑focused role, and/or those with higher education teaching experience and some limited leadership experience. The Level C position is well suited to experienced higher education academics who have success in blending high level scholarship, teaching excellence, and leadership at course/program level.The Level D position requires applicants to hold substantial academic experience (teaching, course leadership, and support for governance and continuous improvement activities) in comparable providers and have evidence of leadership and impact within the sector at national level.

Please indicate in your application whether you are applying for this role at Level B, C, or D.

This position is primarily based at our Waterloo campus, with potential for travel to other campuses and flexibility to work from home by agreement.

About You

You’ll bring a combination of academic capability, industry credibility and collaborative leadership, along with:

• Demonstrated experience teaching at undergraduate (Level B/C/D) and postgraduate (Level D) level.
• Experience coordinating courses or units within higher education.
• A student‑centred approach with a proven ability to support learner success.
• A developing (Level B), established (Level C), or nationally recognised (Level D) record of scholarship, scholarly practice and/or industry engagement.
• Understanding of (Level B), experience with (Level C) or leadership of (Level D) higher education quality assurance, governance and financial processes.
• Excellent communication, relationship‑building and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Contemporary professional expertise in Design or a closely related discipline.
• A collaborative mindset and commitment to continuous improvement.
• An AQF Level 8 qualification in a relevant field (AQF Level 9 or above required for Level C, AQF Level 10 required for Level D).
• A current Working With Children Check.

Why Join Collarts?

• Shape the future of creative industries education.
• Influence curriculum that responds to a rapidly evolving creative economy.
• Work within a collaborative and supportive academic culture.
• Build meaningful partnerships with industry.
• Make a lasting impact on the careers of emerging creative professionals.

If you’re passionate about shaping the future of creative higher education, we’d love to hear from you.

Advertising closes:5pm AEST, Thursday 30 October

As shortlisting will commence immediately, we reserve the right to close this recruitment earlier than the stated closing date. You must have the legal right to live and work in Australia to apply for this role plus obtain a working with children check.

At Collarts we are committed to a workplace that celebrates the rich heritage and contributions of First Nations peoples. We encourage and welcome applications from First Nations individuals, recognising the unique skills, perspectives, and knowledge they bring to our team. Join us on our journey toward a more inclusive future!