Student Success Officer

Melbourne Polytechnic; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 75,000 - 101,000; Full time

Job summary

Melbourne Polytechnic is seeking a Student Success Officer to support students at risk of disengagement through proactive outreach, case management and early intervention to improve retention, progression and completion.

Reporting to the Senior Executive Officer, Education Strategy, Policy Planning & Improvement, you will coordinate referrals, develop student support plans and monitor outcomes to strengthen engagement and participation across multiple campuses.

Qualifications

• Experience supporting students or clients with complex barriers to participation.
• Proven case management skills: assessing needs, developing plans, coordinating interventions.
• Knowledge of student support services, referral pathways, and engagement strategies.

Responsibilities

• Proactively identify students at risk using data indicators to coordinate outreach and early intervention.
• Provide case management: assess needs, develop and monitor support plans, adjust interventions.
• Coordinate referrals to internal and external support services for wellbeing, housing, financial aid and more.
• Deliver engagement activities, orientation and transition support to strengthen belonging.
• Collaborate with directors, educators and external providers to identify required assistance.

Skills

Case management

Student support

Communication skills

Data interpretation

Trauma-informed approach

Interpersonal skills

Education

Relevant qualifications or equivalent experience

Job description

Position Title: Student Success Officer
Employment Type: Fixed Term
Contract Period: 3 years
FTE / Hours: Full Time, 1.0 (38.0 hours per week)
Department: Educational Excellence
Location: Multi-Campus (as directed by the Manager)
Award / Agreement:Melbourne Polytechnic Academic and Professional Staff Agreement 2025(PACCT)
Classification Level: PACCT 6.1
Salary: $87,724 per annum, plus superannuation
Applications Close: Tuesday, 24 November 2026

Job Summary

Support students at risk of disengagement through proactive outreach, case management and early intervention to improve retention, progression and completion.

Why You'll Love Working Here

Melbourne Polytechnic has delivered hands-on, future-focused education for more than 110 years. Our people play a vital role in supporting students, industries and communities across Victoria.

In this role, you’ll enjoy:

• Meaningful work that supports education, training, innovationand student success
• A supportive and collaborative team environment
• Flexible work arrangements, where applicable
• Exposure to diverse programs, systems and continuous improvement initiatives
• A values-driven organisation committed to inclusion, wellbeing and quality

About the Role

Reporting to the Senior Executive Officer, Education Strategy, Policy Planning & Improvement, the Student Success Officer supports the delivery of Melbourne Polytechnic's Student Success Program, funded through the Wrap Around Services Program under the National Skills Agreement Improved Completions initiative.

You will provide proactive, student-centred outreach, early intervention, case management and referral support to students at risk of disengaging from training due to personal, financial, wellbeing, family or transition-related barriers. You will identify individual support needs, coordinate appropriate interventions and develop and monitor student support plans to strengthen student engagement, retention, progression and completion outcomes.

Working collaboratively with academic directorates, educators, student support services and external providers, you will facilitate timely access to appropriate support, contribute to student engagement and transition activities, and support the continuous improvement of program processes, referral pathways and service delivery.

This is a 3 years fixed-term opportunity from January 2027 to December 2029.

What You'll Do

• Proactively identify and contact students at risk of disengagement or withdrawal, using student data and engagement indicators to coordinate timely outreach and early intervention at critical points in their learning journey
• Provide student-centred case management, assessing individual circumstances and support needs, developing and monitoring student support plans, and adjusting interventions to support continued participation and progression
• Coordinate referrals to internal and external support services, including counselling, wellbeing, accessibility, learning support, financial assistance, cultural support and housing services, escalating complex or elevated risks where required
• Deliver and support student engagement, orientation, transition and targeted group activities that strengthen student confidence, belonging, connection and participation
• Collaborate with academic directorates, educators, student support teams and external service providers to identify students requiring assistance and coordinate appropriate interventions and follow-up
• Maintain accurate, timely and confidential student case records, documenting support needs, interventions, referrals, follow-up actions and outcomes in accordance with privacy and information management requirements
• Monitor student engagement, participation and progress, using student data, feedback and case management information to inform outreach priorities, evaluate interventions and contribute to program reporting
• Contribute to the operational delivery and continuous improvement of the Student Success Program, including outreach processes, case management practices, referral pathways, engagement activities and reporting systems
• Apply trauma-informed, culturally responsive and inclusive approaches, exercising sound professional judgement, maintaining appropriate boundaries and ensuring student support is delivered safely, ethically and in accordance with relevant policies and procedures

What You'll Bring

• Experience supporting students or clients experiencing complex personal, financial, wellbeing or other barriers to participation
• Demonstrated case management skills, including assessing support needs, developing individual plans, coordinating interventions and monitoring progress
• Sound knowledge of student support services, referral pathways and engagement strategies that promote student retention and progression
• Ability to identify and respond to complex or elevated risks, exercise sound judgement and maintain appropriate professional boundaries
• Understanding of trauma-informed, culturally responsive and inclusive approaches to student support
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with empathy, cultural awareness and the ability to engage effectively with diverse students and stakeholders
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including interpreting student data and feedback to inform interventions and improve outcomes
• Excellent organisational and time management skills, with the ability to manage caseloads, competing priorities and changing operational requirements
• Strong digital and administrative skills, including maintaining accurate, confidential records, applying relevant policies and contributing to continuous improvement

Qualifications & Mandatory Checks

Appointment to this position is subject to meeting the qualification requirements (where applicable) and the successful completion of all mandatory employment checks.

Qualifications

To be considered for this role, applicants must hold relevant qualifications and/or equivalent experience aligned to the requirements of the role, as outlined in the Position Description.

Mandatory Checks

Appointment to this position is subject to the successful completion of all mandatory employment checks.

You must hold, or be eligible to obtain:

• A valid Victorian Working with Children Check (Employee)
• A National Police Check
• Any other role-specific employment, regulatory or safety checks required for the position

What Happens Next

• An interview (in person or via Microsoft Teams)
• Reference checks
• Employment and qualification verification

We aim to provide a respectful and timely recruitment experience for all applicants.

Diversity and Inclusion

Melbourne Polytechnic is an equal opportunity and child-safe employer. We value the knowledge, skills and perspectives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and strongly encourage applications from First Nations candidates. We also welcome applications from people with disability, people from culturally diverse backgrounds, women in underrepresented areas, and people of all genders, gender identities, sexual orientations and LGBTQIA+ communities.

Recruitment Agencies

Melbourne Polytechnic manages all recruitment directly. We do not accept unsolicited applications from agencies unless engaged through the State Purchasing Contract and with prior written approval.