"Manager, Care and Welfare"

PRIMARY DETAIL

Competitive annual package circa $160K (including superannuation)

Full-time, continuing, based at Macquarie University, Wallumattagal Campus, North Ryde

Supportive and collaborative team with hybrid working arrangements

Are you a leader with a passion for student wellbeing and a flair for navigating complex welfare needs? Join Macquarie University as our Manager, Care and Welfare and lead a team dedicated to making a real difference in students’ lives.

About the role

In this newly created and pivotal role, you will oversee the triage, initial assessment, and coordinated response for students requiring wellbeing care, welfare support, or critical incident management. You will lead a multidisciplinary team and work closely with internal and external stakeholders to ensure timely, student-centred support through pathways like the CARE Form and THRIVE Hub.

This is a hands-on leadership role where your expertise in psychosocial care, risk assessment, and strategic service delivery will shape the wellbeing experience for thousands of students.

What you’ll be doing

As the Manager, Care and Welfare, you’ll be at the forefront of student wellbeing at Macquarie University. Your day-to-day will be dynamic, impactful, and deeply student focused. You will:

• Lead the intake and triage process for student referrals received through the CARE Form, CARE Referral form and theTHRIVE Hub, co-located Student Wellbeing spaces.
• Work closely with your team to plan and design tailored support strategies that address a wide range of student psychosocial needs, from mental health challenges to crisis intervention.
• Lead the development and delivery of critical incident responses in accordance with University policies and higher education standards.
• Develop and implement risk assessment and safety planning protocols for students presenting or referred to Student Wellbeing.
• Coordinate emergency responses in collaboration with internal teams and external agencies, including police, crisis services, and health providers—acting as the University’s after-hours emergency responder on a rotating roster.
• Coach and develop a multidisciplinary team, including Welfare Advisors, Wellbeing Officers, and Student Support Officers.
• Collaborate across the University, partnering with faculty leaders, Campus Security, and the Dean of Students portfolio to ensure a unified and effective approach to student wellbeing.
• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with community organisations, mental health services, and welfare agencies to strengthen referral pathways and enhance support options for students.
• Drive service improvement by analysing data, identifying trends, and implementing evidence-informed changes that elevate the quality and responsiveness of care.
• Contribute to proactive wellbeing initiatives, including education campaigns, resilience-building programs, and early intervention strategies that empower students to seek help and thrive.

To Apply

To be considered for this position, please apply online by submitting your CV and a separate (2-page maximum) cover letter that demonstrates how you meet the following selection criteria below.

What you’ll bring (Selection criteria)

To thrive in this role, you’ll bring a strong blend of leadership, clinical insight, and strategic thinking. Specifically, we’re looking for someone with:

• Tertiary qualifications in Health Management, Social Work, Psychology, or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience in wellbeing or welfare services.
• Extensive experience leading multidisciplinary wellbeing or welfare teams in in the higher education industry.
• Expertise in psychosocial care, including risk assessment, safety planning, and crisis intervention for individuals experiencing mental health challenges, trauma, or acute distress.
• Strong strategic and operational leadership skills, with a proven ability to manage services, guide teams, and respond effectively to high-pressure situations.
• In-depth knowledge of best-practice wellbeing interventions and support services for students within the Australian Higher Education context.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to influence, negotiate, and build trust across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Experience developing and implementing policies, education programs, and service improvements that enhance wellbeing outcomes and foster a culture of care.
• Analytical and problem-solving capability, with a track record of using data and evidence to inform decisions and drive continuous improvement.
• Flexibility and resilience, including the ability to participate in an after-hours on-call roster for emergency student welfare response.

Please note this role requires pre-employment Working with Children Check and National Criminal History Check.

Role specific enquiries: Jessica Luquin, Head of Student Wellbeing - jessica.luquin@mq.edu.au

Applications Close: 06/11/2025 11:59 PM