"Head of Program, Foundation Studies"

Overview:

RMIT Vietnam is seeking a Head of Program, Foundation Studies to join our academic leadership team within the School of English & University Pathways (SEUP). This role is central to leading the strategic, academic and operational delivery of the Foundation Studies program across Vietnam, ensuring high-quality student outcomes, academic standards, and alignment within a transnational education framework.

Expected start date: at the earliest available opportunity.

Message from the Director of School

As the School of English & University Pathways (SEUP) enters its next phase of development, growth, and expansion, we are commencing recruitment for a number of key academic leadership roles, including Head of Program – English for University (EU), Head of Program – Foundation Studies (FS), and a newly established role of Team Leader, Curriculum (Foundation Studies).

We are taking this opportunity to strengthen the School’s academic leadership capability at a pivotal point in our development. These positions will play a critical role in building on the strong foundations already in place, further enhancing program quality, driving innovation in curriculum design and delivery, and supporting the continued success of our students, staff, and programs.

This is an exciting time to join SEUP. With a clear focus on enhancing academic offerings and expanding our impact, these roles will play a central part in delivering on our strategic priorities and positioning the school for sustained success in the years ahead.

WHY JOIN RMIT VIETNAM?

At RMIT Vietnam, international exposure meets real-world impact through strong industry and government collaboration. Working at RMIT means building a meaningful career while creating impact in a high-performing environment.

Further insight into our mission, impact and global connections is available in the RMIT Vietnam Profile.

WHAT WE OFFER

Expatriates

• Competitive remuneration package USD for expatriate candidates
• Relocation allowance package starting at US$6,000
• Relocation flights from home location to Vietnam for candidate and direct dependents (if applicable)
• International repatriation flights for the staff and direct dependents at the end of their contract.
• School tuition fees for children to attend the K-12 program in Vietnam, up to US$20,000 per child or US$40,000 for two children per year.
• Premium private medical insurance for employee and immediate family, plus Personal Accident Insurance
• Dedicated support from Global Mobility Team to support with immigration and relocation to Vietnam.

Vietnamese candidates

• Competitive remuneration VND package for Vietnamese candidates.
• 13th month Tet bonus
• Private Health insurance for you and your family, plus Personal Accident Insurance

Other benefits

• Generous annual leave, career leave, volunteer leave and public holidays (Christmas and Tet Holidays)
• Professional development and career advancement
• Access to state-of-the-art facilities and resources
• A vibrant and diverse campus life and more!

POSITION SUMMARY

The Head of Program, Foundation Studies provides strategic, academic and operational leadership for RMIT Vietnam’s offshore delivery of the RMIT University Pathways (UP) Foundation Studies program across RMIT VN Campuses. Reporting to the SEUP Director and working in close partnership with the Associate Director, Academic Pathway Programs at RMIT UP, the role is accountable for overall program performance, academic standards, offshore comparability, student outcomes, and long-term program sustainability across Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, and for leading the planning and implementation of program delivery in Danang.

The position has overall responsibility for leadership and performance of the local Foundation Studies program, including direct line management of the Team Leader, Streams, the Team Leader, Curriculum, the Academic Administration Officer, and a small group of teachers, with staff leadership distributed across the program leadership structure. The role ensures alignment between transnational program requirements and local delivery, while driving continuous improvement, innovation, and a high-performing academic culture.

Key Accountabilities summary

• Lead overall delivery and performance of Foundation Studies in Vietnam across all campuses, ensuring academic quality, student experience, operational readiness and alignment with program objectives.
• Lead the strategic planning and implementation of Foundation Studies delivery in Danang, ensuring readiness across academic delivery, staffing, operations and student support
• Provide strategic and day-to-day leadership through the local Foundation Studies leadership structure, integrating the work of the Team Leader, Streams, Team Leader, Curriculum and Academic Administration Officer.
• Maintain offshore comparability with RMIT UP requirements, acting as the senior Vietnam counterpart for pathway program matters and ensuring local implementation remains consistent with agreed standards and transnational delivery expectations.
• Oversee program quality, assessment governance, moderation, academic integrity and continuous improvement, with clear accountability for program standards even where operational work is delegated through team leaders.
• Lead student success, progression and support strategy, including early identification of students at risk, attendance and engagement monitoring, support escalation, pathway guidance and coordination of key transition and support mechanisms, with a focus on retention, progression, and readiness for university study.
• Lead staffing, workforce planning and people management for the program, including recruitment, workload allocation, coaching, performance development, succession planning and cultivation of a collaborative, accountable culture, ensuring leadership capability development.
• Oversee program compliance, governance reporting, documentation and audit readiness, ensuring effective management of risks, issues and actions across academic and operational areas, including proactive identification and mitigation of compliance and quality risks.
• Use data, reporting and stakeholder feedback to monitor program performance, communicate achievements and risks, and inform decision-making and improvement priorities.
• Work in partnership with RMIT UP, RMIT Vietnam schools and central service teams on curriculum implementation, stream development, localisation, pathway alignment and other strategic or operational priorities.
• Represent Foundation Studies in meetings, committees, student matters and university initiatives, and undertake other leadership duties consistent with the scope of the role.

Key Selection Criteria

• Postgraduate qualification in Education, TESOL, Applied Linguistics, Academic Leadership, Academic Management or a related field; relevant undergraduate qualification essential.
• Substantial leadership experience in Foundation Studies, pathway, ELICOS, pre-tertiary or comparable higher-education preparation programs, ideally in a transnational or offshore-delivery environment.
• Demonstrated expertise in curriculum implementation, assessment and moderation quality assurance, academic integrity processes, comparability assurance and continuous improvement.
• Demonstrated success leading student-support, progression and intervention systems for diverse cohorts, including students transitioning into English-medium higher education.
• Strong people-leadership capability, including experience with recruitment, line management, workload planning, coaching, performance development and development of middle leaders.
• Strong partnership and stakeholder-management skills, including the ability to work effectively across matrix structures, onshore/offshore relationships and cross-functional university environments.
• Strong analytical, reporting and operational problem-solving capability, with experience using data and evidence to guide decisions, manage risk and improve performance.
• Excellent communication, judgement and behavioural capability, including integrity, collaboration, accountability, inclusion, agility and commitment to high standards in line with RMIT Values.

For full details of the accountability, please refer to the Job Description.

HOW TO APPLY

To be considered for this role, it is mandatory to submit both a resume and a cover letter. Please click on the 'Apply' link provided in this Job Ads to initiate the application process.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and the University reserves the right to appoint prior to the closing date.

Compliance Requirements

All academic appointments at RMIT Vietnam must meet University and local regulatory requirements, including English proficiency, background checks, and (for international candidates) eligibility for a work permit.

English is the language of teaching and communication at RMIT Vietnam. For this role, the minimum requirement is IELTS (General) with a score of at least 7.5 (or equivalent, as outlined in the Recruitment, Selection and Onboarding Guidelines).

Further guidance will be provided during the recruitment process.