Senior Manager, Academic Governance

Deakin; City of Greater Geelong; Hybrid; AUD 92,000 - 154,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work arrangements

Parental leave

Flexible leave options

Leave purchase option

Learning & development opportunities

Job summary

Deakin University invites applications for a Senior Manager, Academic Governance, to lead governance and policy development across the university. This role shapes standards, ensures compliance, and partners with senior leaders to drive excellence in academic governance on campus and online.

The successful candidate will bring postgraduate qualifications and extensive governance experience, with a track record of influencing executive decisions and managing risk in higher education contexts.

Qualifications

• Postgraduate qualifications and extensive relevant experience.
• Experience leading major functions, portfolios or strategic initiatives.
• Ability to operate at a senior leadership level.
• Strong strategic thinking and decision-making capability.
• Experience managing governance, policy and regulatory contexts for universities.

Responsibilities

• Lead Deakin's academic governance framework, shaping policies, standards and practices that enable academic excellence.
• Partner with senior leaders to influence strategic decisions and deliver impactful governance outcomes across the University.
• Champion academic quality and compliance, ensuring alignment with legislative and regulatory requirements.
• Lead the Academic Board function, driving effective governance, decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Provide trusted expert advice on academic policy, governance, quality assurance and emerging academic initiatives.
• Build governance capability and collaboration, embedding leading practice, managing risk and enabling strategic priorities.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Leadership

Governance

Policy development

Risk management

Executive influence

Stakeholder engagement

Regulatory compliance (HE/university)

Education

Postgraduate qualifications

Job description

• Flexible location + hybrid work arrangements
• Full-time and continuing
• HEW 10 $153,668 + 17% Superannuation

Why work with us?

At Deakin you will have access to benefits such as a variety of leave options including generous parental leave and the ability to purchase additional leave; flexible working arrangementsto help manage your work-life balance; ongoing learning and development opportunities to grow your career; an inclusive and supportive culture and environment to work in, both online and on campus.

Who are we?

Deakin is a cutting-edge public university headquartered in Victoria, revolutionising education with 61,000 students across our campuses: Melbourne Burwood, Geelong Waurn Ponds, Geelong Waterfront, Warrnambool, Deakin University Lancaster University Indonesia (DLI), GIFT City, India, and our vibrant online environment. We're proud to be a progressive and open-minded university, delivering the highest student satisfaction in Victoria and consistently ranked in the top 1% of the world's universities.

As the Senior Manager, Academic Governance you will:

• Lead Deakin's academic governance framework, shaping policies, standards and practices that enable academic excellence.
• Partner with senior leaders to influence strategic decisions and deliver impactful governance outcomes across the University.
• Champion academic quality and compliance, ensuring alignment with legislative and regulatory requirements.
• Lead the Academic Board function, driving effective governance, decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Provide trusted expert advice on academic policy, governance, quality assurance and emerging academic initiatives.
• Build governance capability and collaboration, embedding leading practice, managing risk and enabling strategic priorities.

To be successful, you’ll have:

• Postgraduate qualifications and extensive relevant experience.
• Experience leading major functions, portfolios or strategic initiatives.
• Proven ability to operate at a senior leadership level.
• Strong strategic thinking and decision-making capability.
• Demonstrated ability to influence at executive level.
• Experience managing complexity, risk and organisational performance.
• Deep understanding of governance, policy and organisational context including statutory and regulatory context in which Universities operate, with specific regard to academic standards, encompassing academic governance; higher education standards and other relevant legislation; and higher education quality assurance.
• Experience in managing committee governance functions and operations.

Applications for this position close on 30 August 2026

Advertised: 14 Aug 2026 AUS Eastern Standard Time

Applications close: 30 Aug 2026 AUS Eastern Standard Time

Pre-employment safety and suitability checks: In accordance with the National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence, appointment to this role is subject to successful completion of relevant pre-employment checks, including Working With Children Checks and candidate gender-based violence declarations.

Candidates may be asked to declare whether they have been investigated for an allegation of Gender‑based Violence, or determined to have engaged in conduct that constitutes Gender‑based Violence during the course of their previous employment, or otherwise in a legal process. A declaration is not required from individuals who have experienced gender‑based violence. A ‘Yes’ response does not automatically exclude a candidate from employment, and any information provided will be treated confidentially and considered only for relevance to the role and the University’s safety obligations.

Are You Ready?

Deakin is a Victorian university with a global impact. We are an agile, dynamic, and innovative university committed to making a positive impact through our excellence in education, research and innovation and the contributions we make to the wider community.

We understand that our reputation has been built on the dedication and expertise of our staff and we offer a dynamic and diverse working environment with opportunities to grow and develop careers. We believe that a progressive, thriving culture will ensure that people choose to come, and stay at Deakin and contribute to our ongoing success.

We value diversity and aim to build an inclusive environment that champions, embraces and respects differences. We support and encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and people of all abilities, cultures, sexual orientation, and genders.