Vacancy Number: #401
Position Title: Manager Student Services
Employment Type: Ongoing
FTE / Hours: Full-Time – 1.0 (38 hours per week)
Department: Student Services
Location: Multi-Campus (as required)
Award / Agreement: Melbourne Polytechnic Academic and Professional Staff Agreement 2025 (PACCT)
Classification Level: PACCT Over Agreement
Salary Range: $158,000 -$168,000 per annum, plus superannuation
Applications Close: Sunday, 20 September 2026
Interview Dates: Interviews are expected to be conducted between 12 and 16 October 2026
Lead the strategic direction and delivery of Melbourne Polytechnic’s student services portfolio, shaping institution-wide approaches to student wellbeing, engagement, inclusion, safety and support.
Melbourne Polytechnic has delivered practical, future-focused education for more than 110 years. Our students come from diverse backgrounds, study across vocational and higher education environments, and bring different goals, experiences and support needs.
This is an opportunity to take on a significant leadership role with the ability to influence how students experience Melbourne Polytechnic — from engagement and belonging through to wellbeing, safety, inclusion and successful participation in education.
In this role, you’ll have the opportunity to:
- Lead a broad and strategically important student services portfolio
- Shape institution-wide approaches to student wellbeing, engagement, inclusion and safety
- Influence policy, planning and senior decision-making relating to the student experience
- Lead and develop a multidisciplinary team delivering critical services to students
- Build strong partnerships across education, government, community and sector networks
- Drive meaningful service improvement informed by student needs, evidence and emerging practice
Reporting to the Executive Director People and Student Success , the Manager Student Services is a senior leadership position responsible for the strategic and operational leadership of student engagement, wellbeing, inclusion andsupport services across Melbourne Polytechnic.
The portfolio encompasses student wellbeing and counselling, equity and access, student engagement and student life, child safety, student complaints and student conduct .
You will lead a multidisciplinary team responsible for delivering responsive, inclusive and high-quality services to a diverse student community, while providing authoritative advice on complex and sensitive student matters.
This role also has a significant institution-wide remit. You will work closely with senior leaders, academic and professional teams and governance bodies to influence policy, planning and decision-making relating to the student experience and ensure Melbourne Polytechnic's services, processes and initiatives remain student-centred.
Balancing strategy with operational leadership, you will oversee service performance, risk, compliance, workforce, budgets and continuous improvement while building effective partnerships with government, regulatory agencies, sector networks, community organisations and other external stakeholders.
What You'll Do
Lead Student Engagement, Wellbeing & Success
- Set the strategic direction for student engagement, wellbeing, counselling, equity, access, inclusion and student life services
- Ensure services respond effectively to the needs of a diverse student population and support participation, belonging, retention and educational success
- Lead student transition, engagement and retention initiatives in partnership with academic and professional areas
- Use student feedback, service data and evidence to evaluate impact and continuously improve the student experience
Provide Leadership on Student Safety & Complex Matters
- Provide authoritative advice on complex and sensitive matters involving student wellbeing and safety, child safety, complaints and student conduct
- Lead the assessment and management of complex student risks and issues, exercising sound professional judgement within relevant legislative, regulatory and policy frameworks
- Support leaders and staff to navigate complex student matters and determine appropriate responses and escalation
- Ensure matters are managed consistently, fairly and sensitively, with appropriate regard to safety, confidentiality and procedural fairness
Shape Strategy, Policy & Institutional Practice
- Translate Melbourne Polytechnic's strategic priorities into effective Student Services plans, initiatives and operational priorities
- Provide strategic advice to senior leaders and governance bodies on student experience, wellbeing, safety, engagement and support
- Contribute to institutional policy, planning and decision-making through leadership committees, working groups and governance forums
- Champion student-centred practice across organisational services, processes and initiatives
Lead People, Operations & Performance
- Lead and develop a multidisciplinary professional team, establishing clear priorities, expectations and accountability
- Build capability through effective coaching, mentoring, workforce planning and performanceleadership
- Manage operational plans, budgets, workforce and resources to support sustainable and effective service delivery
- Monitor service performance, risks and emerging priorities and direct resources where they will have the greatest impact
Build Strategic Partnerships
- Develop strong relationships with students, senior leaders, academic and professional teams and other key stakeholders across Melbourne Polytechnic
- Build strategic partnerships with government and regulatory agencies, sector networks, community organisations and service providers
- Represent Student Services and Melbourne Polytechnic in relevant internal and external forums and networks
- Work across organisational boundaries to resolve complex issues and deliver coordinated outcomes for students
Lead Governance, Compliance & Improvement
- Ensure Student Services operates within relevant legislative, regulatory, quality and organisational requirements, including child safety, disability access and inclusion, privacy and complaints requirements
- Maintain effective governance, reporting and risk management arrangements
- Lead service improvement and organisational change using student feedback, data, emerging practice and organisational priorities
- Embed sustainable improvements that strengthen accessibility, responsiveness, efficiency and student outcomes
You will be an experienced leader who can operate confidently at both strategic and operational levels , with the judgement and credibility to lead a complex student services portfolio and advise on sensitive and high-impact matters.
You will bring:
- Significant leadership experience within student services, wellbeing, engagement, inclusion or a comparable complex service environment
- Demonstrated success leading multidisciplinary professional teams and building accountable, capable and high-performing cultures
- Strong expertise across student wellbeing, engagement, equity and inclusion, child safety, complaints management and/or student conduct
- Highly developed professional judgement and experience managing complex, sensitive and high-risk matters
- The ability to translate organisational strategy into practical service plans, priorities and measurable outcomes
- Strong operational and financial management capability, including workforce, budgets, resources and competing priorities
- Demonstrated ability to provide authoritative advice, influence senior stakeholders and contribute effectively to organisational policy and decision-making
- Strong stakeholder management and partnership capability across internal, government, regulatory, sector and community environments
- Highly developed communication, negotiation and influencing skills, including the ability to communicate complex and sensitive matters to senior and governance audiences
- Strong knowledge of relevant legislative, regulatory, quality and compliance frameworks
- The ability to use data, student feedback and evidence to evaluate services, inform decisions and lead meaningful improvement
An understanding of the vocational education and training and/or higher education environment and the context in which contemporary student services operate
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Qualifications & Mandatory Checks
Appointment to this position is subject to meeting the qualification requirements (where applicable) and the successful completion of all mandatory employment checks.
Qualifications
To be considered for this role, you will have:
- A relevant tertiary qualification in student services, education, wellbeing, community services, social sciences, management or a related discipline
- Significant relevant professional experience in student services, wellbeing, engagement, inclusion or a comparable service environment, including demonstrated management and leadership experience
Mandatory Checks
You must hold, or be eligible to obtain:
- A valid Victorian Working with Children Check (Employee)
- A National Police Check
- Any other role-specific employment, regulatory or safety checks required for the position
How To Apply
through Melbourne Polytechnic’s careers portal. You will be able to view the full Position Description and upload your documents online.
Please ensure you:
- Complete all pre-screening questions
- Upload your CV and a brief cover letter (maximum 2 pages) outlining how your skills and experience align with the role
- Maximum file size: 2MB per document
- Preferred format: PDF (Word .doc or .docx accepted)
- Avoid special characters in file names (e.g. ! @ # % *)
Our selection process may include:
- An interview (in person or via Microsoft Teams)
- Reference checks
- Employment and qualification verification
We aim to provide a respectful and timely recruitment experience for all applicants.
For further information, please contact the Recruitment Team via [email protected]
Melbourne Polytechnic is an equal opportunity and child-safe employer. We value the knowledge, skills and perspectives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and strongly encourage applications from First Nations candidates. We also welcome applications from people with disability, people from culturally diverse backgrounds, women in underrepresented areas, and people of all genders, gender identities, sexual orientations and LGBTQIA+ communities.
Melbourne Polytechnic manages all recruitment directly. We do not accept unsolicited applications from agencies unless engaged through the State Purchasing Contract and with prior written approval.
