"Director, Centre for Inclusive Employment"

Senior leadership position at the Centre for Inclusive Employment (CIE) within the Centre for Social Impact (CSI)

• Full-time, fixed-term position (until 30 June 2029), Hawthorn campus
• Academic Level D/E salary + 17% super. Additional leadership loading subject to negotiation.

About the Role

We are seeking an accomplished, strategic leader to join our senior leadership team and provide visionary leadership to the Centre for Inclusive Employment (CIE) at Swinburne University. The Centre brings together peak bodies, employment and training services, employers, researchers, people with disability and their families to improve economic participation and employment opportunities of people with disability.

As the Director of the centre, you will manage all aspects of the governance requirements and delivery of the centre, reporting to the Director of the Centre for Social Impact Swinburne (CSI). You will lead a team of personnel including research, evidence and evaluation personnel, and knowledge translation and mobilisation personnel. You will collaborate with an operational team of financial, administration and communications personnel to plan and operationalise the budget and activities of the centre. A key responsibility is the development and implementation of an annual work plan of activities and building strong collaborations across the sector to execute the vision of the Centre. This position plays a critical role in leading the centre to realising its vision to transform the employment outcomes of people with disability by uplifting the capabilities of employment services (across sectors and programs) and their staff.

We strongly encourage candidates who have a lived experience of a disability to apply for this role.

We are seeking an academic or industry leader in the specific field of scholarship who possesses a deep understanding of the disability employment sector to guide the key work of the Centre. As the Centre for Inclusive Employment is designed to be disability-led, applicants with lived experience of disability will be highly regarded.

Lived experience in this context means:

• a person with disability
• a family member or unpaid supporter of a person with disability who has a deep involvement in that person’s life, now or in the past.

*This is a fixed-term role, aligned with the funding of the Centre for Inclusive Employment. There are likely to be opportunities for an extended appointment into aligned roles within the Centre for Social Impact._

About You

To be suitable for this role you will need to have experience in the below key accountabilities:

• Demonstrated ability to lead, develop, and manage a large program of research/evidence activities and/or practice-based change activities, including multi – partner projects, and teams in disability or disability employment.
• An outstanding national and/or international reputation as a leader of research, research translation and/or industry engagement in disability employment or a strongly related field (for example, as evidenced by publications in top-tier or discipline-relevant journals and/or Non-Traditional Research Outputs, thought leadership activities).
• Demonstrated experience in inclusive governance, consultation, service design and/or research methods involving people with disability, their families, and representative organisations.
• Demonstrated links with relevant industries, organisations and research/evidence communities and demonstrated competence in working with relevant professions and stakeholders in community, industry and government, including the ability to foster collaborative strategic and/or research outcomes
• Knowledge and understanding of University systems and processes, particularly in relation to leading and managing externally funded research activities is preferred.
• Applicants with lived experience of disability will be highly regarded.

Qualifications

• An earned PhD related to disability, disability employment, or other related field or equivalent qualifications and experience.

For appointment at Level E

The candidate will need to demonstrate an overall outstanding contribution to one or more of the research, scholarship, teaching and administration activities of the organisation, including leadership within a large organisational unit, or interdisciplinary area and would normally have at least one portfolio area of eminent attainment. Eminence in the context of a University Professor (Academic Level E appointment) can be expressed as high level of standing and distinction in your field in the international academic community. You will have attained recognition as an eminent authority in your discipline area and will have achieved distinction normally at an international level (or demonstrate significant national leadership).

About the Centre for Inclusive Employment

Swinburne University of Technology has been awarded funding by the Commonwealth Government (Department of Social Services) to establish and operate the Centre for Inclusive Employment as part of the Centre for Social Impact (CSI), Swinburne. The Centre for Inclusive Employment aims to support the employment services ecosystem to be person-centred and to deliver effective services that increase the employment of people with disability.

The Centre for Inclusive Employment works closely with a national consortium led by CSI Swinburne, including:

• Inclusion Australia (as conduit for Disability Representative Organisations),
• Disability Employment Australia (DEA),
• National Disability Services (NDS),
• Family Advocacy (as conduit for the National Alliance of Capacity Building Organisations, NACBO), and
• The University of Melbourne.

These consortium members operate as a Centre Advisory Committee along with up to three independent members and a Chair with lived experience of disability. The Advisory Committee meets regularly to inform the strategy and collaborative opportunities of the Centre for Inclusive Employment.

About Swinburne University of Technology

Swinburne’s strategy draws upon our understanding of future challenges. We choose to build Swinburne as the prototype of a new and different university – one that is truly of Technology, of Innovation and of Entrepreneurship. We are committed to a differentiated university proposition in education and research.

Our Ad Astra strategy is the cornerstone of Swinburne’s bold ambition to lead globally in technology-driven education and research. This strategy positions us to create transformative solutions, empower learners, and partner with industry to thrive in an ever-changing world.

What We Offer You!

• Work your way with flexible working arrangements, including hybrid options and generous parental leave to support a balanced lifestyle.
• Exclusive staff discounts, including discounted Medibank health insurance, 50% off Swinburne courses and other partner offers.
• Swinburne offers 17% super and salary packaging options, including car leasing and extra super contributions.

Want to learn more? Head over to our benefits page!

To Apply

Please submit the following:

• CV
• Statement of claims against the Key Selection Criteria

To review the Position Description and to apply, please scroll down to the bottom of the page.

If you are viewing this advert from an external site, please click ‘apply’ and you will be redirected to Swinburne’s Jobs website to access the Position Description at the bottom of the page.

Please Note: Appointment to this position is subject to passing a National Police Check and a Working with Children Check.

If you are experiencing technical difficulties with your application, please contact the Talent Acquisition team at talentacquisition@swin.edu.au

Applications Close: Sunday, 8 March 2026 at 11:30pm.

Swinburne offers flexible working options contained in our leave and parenting/carer policies to support work-life balance.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Swinburne has become a world-class university, driving social and economic impacts through science, technology, and innovation. As a dual-sector university, our vision is for people and technology working together to build a better world.

Central to our vision is our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We pride ourselves on being an equal opportunity employer focused on attracting, retaining, and developing great talent. We work to remove barriers related to gender identity, culture, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, and age.

We encourage applicants from diverse Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Our Moondani Toombadool Centre leads our Indigenous education and culture at Swinburne, guided by community wisdom and leadership.

We support applicants with disabilities. Adjustments can be requested at any time during the recruitment process. For Reasonable Adjustment requests, including accessible formats for the PD, application form or any other document, please contact at DCR@swin.edu.au or call +61 3 9214 3550.

_Please note the above number and DCR email address are for disability or reasonable adjustments queries only. General enquiries about the role can be sent to talentacquisition@swin.edu.au (general enquiries will not be answered by phone)._

Victoria’s Commitment to Action: Improving international student employment outcomes.

As a signatory to Victoria’s Commitment to Action, Swinburne seeks to remove barriers to international graduate employment. We welcome and encourage applications from international graduates.

_As a Circle Back Initiative Employer, we commit to responding to every applicant.

#LI-SW

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