Executive Officer

• Full-Time | Continuing

• Higher Education Officer Level 8 | $116,349 - $128,806

• Location: Bedford Park / Kaurna Country

• View Position Description

About the Role

Join a university that is committed to practical impact, collaboration and continuous improvement. As Executive Officer, you will work closely with senior leadership to provide high-level strategic and operational support across a broad portfolio of initiatives that shape the student and staff experience. This is an exciting opportunity to work at the centre of strategic decision-making and operational excellence.

This role requires a capable and trusted operator. You will lead and support teams with clarity, consistency and professionalism, creating an environment where people feel supported, accountable and able to perform at their best. You will bring well-developed people management skills, including the ability to set clear expectations, provide constructive feedback, and navigate performance and development conversations with confidence.

You will also play a key role in leading through periods of change. This includes working in environments where priorities can shift, and resources are not always fixed. Your ability to provide direction, make sound decisions with incomplete information, and support your team to stay focused and productive will be critical. You will bring a steady, pragmatic approach, helping others navigate ambiguity while maintaining momentum across a growing portfolio of priorities, projects and initiatives.

We are looking for someone who is calm under pressure, comfortable working across complexity, and able to balance strategic thinking with attention to detail. You will be someone who takes ownership, builds strong relationships, and focuses on delivering outcomes.

If you are looking for a role where you can make a genuine contribution to how a college operates and evolves, while working alongside an ambitious leadership team focused on delivering meaningful outcomes, we encourage you to apply.

This position makes a significant contribution to the University’s strategic plan to "Changing 10 million lives, Every One Matters", by 2035 through providing strategic advice, operational leadership and coordinated support that enables the successful delivery of key College priorities and initiatives. Through fostering a culture of innovation and excellence, and contributing to a vibrant and collaborative working environment, the Executive Officer helps drive positive outcomes for staff, students and the broader University community.

About You

With your exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, you will maintain strong and collegial relationships with a diverse range of staff, stakeholders, and senior leadership teams. You will exhibit high level written communication skills, including the ability to draft correspondence, respond to inquiries, and develop reports. Your demonstrated experience in effectively leading multi-disciplinary teams to meet team objectives, is complemented by your natural ability to foster an open team environment.

Your keen attention to detail will allow you to prioritise tasks and meet deadlines, while always demonstrating a commitment to high-quality service delivery. You will harness your problem-solving skills, sound judgement, and initiative to effectively negotiate and present recommendations for complex and sensitive issues. You will apply critical thinking skills and analysis to make research-informed proposals, critical comments, and develop strategic plans relevant to the higher education sector.

It is expected that the successful candidate will have a relevant tertiary qualification or possess an equivalent combination of experience and/or education and/or training.

About the College of Health and Enablement

The College of Health and Enablement is committed to leading contemporary education and developing a safer, more resilient health and social care workforce. Through exceptional student learning experiences, innovative research, and strong partnerships with industry and professional bodies, we improve lives, empower communities, and produce highly employable graduates. Our research focuses on co-creating knowledge that enhances wellbeing, care, and support across the lifespan.

As part of this commitment, the College is delivering the Australian Government co-funded Flinders HealthCARE Centre, a state-of-the-art multidisciplinary healthcare and education facility that will expand university-led medical, nursing, and allied health services. More than a building, the Centre reflects Flinders University's commitment to connection, care, collaboration, equity, and wellbeing. By providing 10,000 additional episodes of care annually, it will help reduce pressure on the hospital system while supporting students, health partners, patients, and the broader community. Through this long-term investment, the Centre advances the University's vision of changing 10 million lives for the better by 2035

Life at Flinders

They say know your place. We say you've found it right here.

Flinders University was founded on the belief that learning should open minds, celebrate individuality and give people the freedom to pursue their own point of view. That spirit lives on in our community of thinkers, doers and changemakers who challenge convention, and each other, to shape what comes next.

Rising to a challenge is nothing new for Flinders. During our first 60 years, we’ve navigated revolutionary changes in social and cultural norms, and have responded to transformative economic, environmental and technological developments. Through it all, we’ve continued to deliver for our students and community, innovating in learning and research to prepare graduates for the changing world they help create.

Reaching beyond the limits of buildings, borders, and backgrounds, ours is an inclusive culture that believes absolutely in equality and opportunity for all. We don't just accommodate differences; we embrace and celebrate them.

So, why work at Flinders?

• 17% Superannuation + salary packaging options

• Flexible working arrangements

• Awarded the AHEIA Higher Education Award for Workplace Culture Excellence due to our commitment to wellbeing through our Thriving@Flinders staff wellbeing program

• Wide range of professional development activities and services, including exclusive staff study offers

• We embrace diversity and promote equity and inclusion for all students and staff, as shown through our three SAGE Cygnet Awards.

• Vibrant campus life and amenities including on campus health care services, gym and childcare centre (Bedford Park, South Australia).

• Recognised as a Veteran Employer of Choice

Our Commitment to Reconciliation and Indigenous Employment

Flinders University is proud to be an organisation that is committed to our Reconciliation Action Plan and Indigenous Workforce Strategy. Our vision is to be a preferred employer for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We are committed to progressing Indigenous advancement in education, research, employment, and wellbeing, and strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for all Flinders vacancies.

• Please see here for our Reconciliation Action Plan

• Please see here for our Indigenous Workforce Strategy

Prescribed Conditions for Employment

Appointment to this role is conditional on the completion of required pre-employment checks and declarations, each of which must be satisfactory to the University. This includes:

• A current completed Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check and Gender Based Violence Declaration which is satisfactory to the University. The contract of Employment is conditional upon the receipt of these completed compliance checks. A disclosable outcome will not automatically disqualify a candidate from consideration. Each case will be assessed on its individual merits and relevance to the inherent requirements of the role.

How to Apply and Information

• You are required to submit a CV, along with a Cover Letter and Suitability Statement. These should be separate documents, with your Suitability Statement no more than 2 pages, addressing the below Key Position Capabilities of the position description:
  • Demonstrated high-level written communication skills, including demonstrated capacity to respond to enquiries autonomously and draft correspondence and high-quality reports with recommendations for complex and sensitive issues.
  • Demonstrated experience in, and detailed knowledge of relevant frameworks and practices related to, researching, preparing, analysing, developing and implementing strategies, policies and procedures relevant to higher education.
  • Demonstrated experience in leading and motivating a team of service-oriented professionals to deliver high-quality services.
  • Demonstrated ability to collate and distil information from a wide range of sources and assist with or prepare and compile briefing papers, proposals, presentations and background documents.

• Flinders University is committed to providing an environment where staff with disability are valued, supported and encouraged to participate fully and independently in the life of the University. If you require any reasonable adjustments to assist you in the selection process, please advise the contact in the Recruitment Team so that we can make appropriate arrangements through [email protected] or call 08 8201 2383.

• For more information regarding this position, please contact Jeremy Sloan

Certification

Applications to be submitted before 10.00pm:

At Flinders we embrace and celebrate diversity and encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and people of all ages, ethnicities, abilities, sexual orientations, and gender identities.

Flinders. Fearless.