Senior Consultant – Capability, Culture and Inclusion

PRIMARY DETAIL

• Salary: $142,838 - $150,860 per annum (HEW Level 9) + 17% superannuation and annual leave loading
• Full-time, fixed term role until July 2027
• Macquarie University, Wallumattagal Campus, North Ryde

Help shape the workplace culture of a leading university. Create impact at scale.

What if your work could genuinely change how thousands of people experience their workplace every single day?

If you're passionate about building inclusive cultures, strengthening organisational capability, and empowering leaders and teams to do their best work, this is your chance to do it at a scale that truly matters within a complex, purpose-driven institution.

As a Senior Consultant – Capability, Culture and Inclusion, you will play a central role in leading, designing and delivering an enterprise-wide capability framework and the implementation of an enterprise-wide listening strategy. You'll bring deep subject matter expertise and a genuine talent for translating strategy into practical, evidence-based programs that make a real difference.

About the Role

Reporting to the Head, Capability, Culture & Inclusion, this role leads the planning, design, implementation, and continuous improvement of organisation-wide capability, culture and inclusion initiatives.

Key responsibilities include:

• Providing expert strategic advice and in-depth consultation to executives, senior leaders, and key stakeholders on best practice people solutions aligned to University strategy.
• Leading the end-to-end planning, stakeholder engagement, and delivery of enterprise-wide programs in employee listening, staff, management and leadership development, organisational culture and engagement, learning and performance.
• Designing and developing programs and initiatives — independently or in collaboration with external partners — that advance organisational capability, culture and inclusion goals.
• Enhancing leadership and employee potential through consulting, development support, coaching, and program design.
• Partnering closely with HR Business Partners to ensure enterprise-wide initiatives are informed by business unit strategies and priorities, and to support smooth implementation and adoption across the University.
• Providing expert guidance on staff engagement and retention strategies across the full remit of capability, culture and inclusion.
• Contributing to a culture of continuous improvement and high performance across the HR function, modelling our values and positive behaviours and actively supporting team and broader HR initiatives.
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with internal clients, stakeholders, and external providers.

About Us

The Capability, Culture & Inclusion team sits within Human Resources and works collaboratively with HR Business Partners, HR Centres of Expertise, and HR Shared Services. The team's primary purpose is to foster a workplace culture where people grow, feel included, and perform to deliver on Macquarie's strategy now and into the future. The team oversees enterprise-wide capability initiatives (including the Capability Framework, Management and Leadership Development and Professional Development), culture and engagement programs (including listening strategies, culture and values), and Inclusion programs (including the University's Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Framework and various supporting action plans, initiatives and activities).

About You

You are a seasoned organisational development professional who combines strategic thinking with hands-on delivery. You build trusted relationships with ease, navigate complexity with confidence, and are energised by the opportunity to shape culture and capability at scale.

Selection Criteria:

• Degree and/or equivalent experience in organisational development, organisational psychology, psychology, diversity and inclusion, or a related discipline.
• Extensive experience in a specialist organisational development and/or diversity and inclusion role within a large, complex organisation — ideally in higher education, healthcare, or a comparable sector.
• Demonstrated track record of leading strategic people initiatives from inception to delivery, including strong solution design capability across organisational development, talent management, learning, performance, and culture.
• Knowledge of relevant equity, diversity and inclusion issues and anti-discrimination legislation.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to compile, interpret, and translate data into actionable, evidence-based recommendations.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, negotiation, and influencing skills, with a proven ability to build effective stakeholder relationships in a complex environment.
• Strong coaching, facilitation, presentation, and program design skills, with demonstrated expertise in building capability in others.

Desirable

• Accreditation in leading psychometric profiling tools including Human Synergistics Lifestyles Inventory (LSI) and/or Organisational Culture Inventory (OCI) will be highly regarded.

How to Apply

To be considered, please apply online with your CV and a cover letter, answering the two below targeted questions:

• Tell us about a time you designed and delivered a capability, culture, or inclusion initiative in a large organisation. What was the need, how did you engage stakeholders, and what was the outcome?

Applications Close: Tuesday 12th of May at 11:59pm (AEST)

We reserve the right to progress or decline an application prior to the application closing date.

For enquiries, or a confidential conversation about the role please contact Josie Vartlet, Head, Capability, Culture and Inclusion at josie.varlet@mq.edu.au.

Why Join Us?

Macquarie is a university engaged with the real and often complex problems and opportunities that define our lives. Since our foundation over 60 years ago, we have aspired to be a different type of university. Over the years, we have grown to become the centre of a vibrant local and global community. Connect with us today.

We rank amongst the top employers in the Australian Workplace Employers Index. Explore the fantastic benefits available to you when you become part of the team at Macquarie University.

• Flexible, hybrid work arrangements
• 17% Superannuation
• Subsidised onsite parking options
• Extensive training and professional development programs
• Onsite childcare facilities to support working parents
• Onsite vacation care during school holidays
• Discounted health insurance
• Subsidised membership at our Sport & Aquatic Centre
• Access to an Employee Assistance Program for free and confidential support
• Convenient onsite GP, imaging, and physiotherapy clinics