Professor of Maternal and Family Health

• $220,621 pa (Level E)
• Full time, ongoing, Joondalup Campus
• Open to candidates with relevant working rights

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Joondalup campus

$220,621 pa (Level E)

Ongoing, full-time

Edith Cowan University

Are you ready to belong to a dynamic community where courage, creativity, and optimism are essential elements of our DNA? At ECU we’re inspired by the incredible achievements of Edith Cowan, the first woman elected to an Australian parliament and a lifelong champion of education. Empowered by her legacy, we’re united in our vision to lead the sector in educational experience and expand our impact through world-class research. 

Embrace an opportunity to become part of something extraordinary.The School of Nursing and Midwifery

The School of Nursing and Midwifery is at the cutting-edge of nurse education and research, through the provision of innovative, high-quality education and translational research that makes a difference to the lives of people in our communities locally, nationally, and internationally. Our purpose is to improve the health and wellbeing of communities for today and future generations by educating aspiring/ transformational nursing and midwifery leaders through a lens of humanitarian principles of social justice, equity, and inclusion. 

The School rated number 1 in WA public universities and number 2 in Australia for nursing (Undergraduate Overall Educational Experience, Good Universities Guide 2023) and graduates the most registered nurses in Western Australia, as well as providing a comprehensive range of postgraduate programs of study which prepare students for positions in the nursing and midwifery professions.  

The School has two centres of research: Centre for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Services.

Research (CNMHSR) and the Centre for Research in Aged Care (CRAC). Both CNMHSR and CRAC share a common mission to improve the health and wellbeing of communities and society through evidence-based innovations in nursing and midwifery practice. Our research is world leading, with our work being cited 1 ½ times more than the word average. The research we do is in collaboration with our well-established health care partnerships and we create opportunities to share, learn, mentor, create, and promote top-quality nursing and midwifery knowledge to improve care worldwide.

About the Opportunity

The Professor will:

• Provide senior academic and research leadership across nursing and midwifery, with a focus on maternal and family health
• Lead and develop high-impact research programs spanning maternal health, midwifery, mental health, and family-centred care
• Provide principal HDR supervision and mentorship to HDR candidates, ECRs, and MCRs
• Strengthen the School’s external grant funding performance through leadership of competitive national and international grant applications
• Mentor academic staff in grant development, research leadership, and programmatic research design
• Foster interdisciplinary collaboration across ECU health disciplines, including mental health, public health, primary care, and allied health
• Contribute to School, Faculty, and University-level leadership, strategy, and academic governance
• Support national and international partnerships aligned to maternal and family health and WHO priorities

About you

The Professor will:

• Be registered with AHPRA as a midwife, dual registration as a nurse is desirable
• Hold a Doctoral level qualification
• Be senior academic and with significant research leadership across the profession(s), with a focus on maternal and family health
• Have a track record of high-impact research programs spanning maternal health, midwifery, mental health, and family-centred care
• Have a track record of principal HDR supervision and mentorship to HDR candidates, ECRs, and MCRs
• Have a track record of securing external grant funding through leadership of competitive national and international grant applications
• Have senior leadership in interdisciplinary collaboration across health disciplines, including mental health, public health, primary care, and allied health
• Importantly, you will demonstrate personal attributes that align with the University’s values.

Benefits of working at ECU

At ECU we’re committed to fostering a positive employment experience and believe this is fundamental to the success and satisfaction of our employees. Growth and development matter here, because we recognise people are at the centre of everything we do. Our thriving work culture is guided by the ECU values and complemented by a range of employee benefits; visit our website to read about flexible working arrangements, generous leave entitlements, our commitment to Wellbeing, exclusive corporate discounts and industry-leading superannuation.

Contact

Please contact Prof Karen Strickland, Executive Dean, on 0449071780 or k.strickland@ecu.edu.au for more information.

Application Process

Please upload an up-to-date resume summarising your experience and achievements, along with a brief covering letter of no more than 2 pages outlining your suitability for the role.

Advert Closure

Applications close Wednesday 11 March 2026, at 11:30pm AWST.

ECU reserves the right to close the advertisement before the stated closing date, and encourage applicants to submit their applications early.

PLEASE NOTE: APPLICATIONS WILL ONLY BE ACCEPTED FROM CANDIDATES WHO HAVE THE RELEVANT WORKING RIGHTS TO FILL THIS POSITION.

ECU is a diverse and inclusive workplace with specific strategies and initiatives in place to address underrepresentation of specific groups. We strongly encourage applications from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.

We are dedicated to attracting, retaining and developing our people regardless of gender identity, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, age and faith. For more information on our commitment to equity and diversity, please visit our Inclusive Workplace website.

At ECU, we are committed to supporting adjustments throughout the recruitment and selection process, as well as during employment. We actively encourage people with disability to apply to ECU. To discuss how we can support adjustment requirements, please contact the person listed above.