Director: Workforce Capability – Catholic Education Services, Cairns NQ

The Catholic Education Community of the Diocese of Cairns is a dynamic and growing organisation that has the vision:

 To offer every student in every school a world class education enriched by their lived encounter with the Catholic Faith.

Cairns Catholic Education Community is committed to this vision to build communities of learning that provide a safe, nurturing and academically challenging environment for all students and staff.

The Catholic Education Community of the Diocese of Cairns embraces 30 schools, including 20 primary schools, 2 Prep to Year 12 colleges and 8 secondary colleges.  One of these colleges is a Special Assistance College with campuses in Cairns, Cooktown, and Edmonton. This community also includes Catholic Education Services (CES) located in Cairns itself.

Leadership and strategic management of the system of schools is the responsibility of the Executive Director of CES, who is the employer of all Catholic Education staff in the Diocese. All schools and colleges, except three, are within a two-hour drive of Cairns.  In total, there are 11500 students and 1500 staff; making Catholic education one of, if not the largest, non-government employer in the region.

Living in Cairns

Cairns is a popular place to visit, but it’s also home to about 152,000 people who enjoy coastal living at its best. With wonderful World Heritage listed playgrounds close by, quiet streets, fantastic tropical weather, warm waters and relaxed lifestyle it really isn’t too hard to guess why people come here on holidays and then end up staying for life. Cairns is renowned as the gateway to two of the world’s greatest natural attractions: the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics Rainforest.

Further Information

Further information about Catholic Education in the Diocese of Cairns is available from the website: www.cns.catholic.edu.au

A working draft of the new Strategic Directions 2021 – 2025 will be provided later in this recruitment process.

Position Overview

Position Title: Director – Workforce Capability

Reports to: Deputy Executive Director – School Improvement

Position Purpose

The primary purpose of the role is to lead the workforce strategies and actions to help achieve the Strategic Directions 2021-2025. This requires finding innovative workforce solutions, including workforce planning, talent identification, capacity building, succession planning and organisational design and change management.

Building organisational capacity is a key driver to achieving CES strategic goals. The key accountability for this role is to build the capacity in the various phases of a staff member’s career, including graduate teachers, school leadership, CES and school staff, aligned with the approved Workforce Strategy.

The gospel imperatives are the guiding principles for all dimensions of the role and consciously living out the gospel is at the heart of the position.

A full position description will be provided at a later stage in this project.

Key Relationships

The position reports to the Deputy Executive Director.  The position also has a collegial relationship with the Executive Director, The Vicar for Education, Principals, The Bishop, and the Clergy of the Diocese.  The position is a member of the Strategic Leadership Team of Catholic Education Services.

The position works closely with the other Directors and with the Directors School Effectiveness.  The position will also from time to time be a member of various Diocesan committees, QLD Directors Forum committees, National committees and represent the Diocese at QCEC level.

The position leads a small team.

An organisation chart will be provided at a later stage in this project.

Reason for Vacancy

One of the Directors is retiring, and that position has been revised to ensure critical support is provided for the implementation of the new Strategic Directions 2021 – 2025.

Commencement

The commencement date is negotiable, but ideally the successful applicant will be able to commence during term 3 (July/August/Sept.).

Location and Travel

The Main Office is located at 130 Lake St., Cairns. The nature of the role means considerable travel between schools; as well as time spent working with staff in office and school environments.

Conditions of Employment

• The remuneration package will be discussed as we step through this recruitment process.
• Five-year contract with annual review with a period of 6 months’ probation, in accordance with The Fair Work Act 2010
• The position is a full-time leadership position, which involves extended hours, evening meetings, overnight absence and interstate travel ranging over seven days.
• A non-smoking policy is effective in CES buildings, offices, and motor vehicles.
• The Diocese has a relocation policy to assist, if required
• Applicants will require a current “C” Class Drivers Licence
• The Working with Children (Risk Management & Screening) Act 2000 requires the preferred applicant to be subject to “working with children check” as part of the employment screening process. Further details may be obtained by accessing the web site of the Public Safety Business Agency at the following internet address: https://www.bluecard.qld.gov.au
• Confirmation of employment is conditional upon the preferred applicant being issued with a suitability card from the Public Safety Business Agency.

Selection Criteria

We invite expressions of interest from people who align with the following:

• Participates in the sacramental life of the Catholic Church with a commitment to the role of the Catholic school as part of the mission of the Catholic Church.
• A minimum of 5 years of leadership experience in, or with exposure to, an educational setting.
• Able to collaborate and consult with stakeholders to develop cohesive, sustainable programs to build whole-of-organisation capacity.
• An understanding of the challenges facing the educational workforce in Australia and the ability to deliver innovative solutions to ensure quality staff, especially in Leadership Development.
• Experience in change management in a school setting.
• Master’s Degree or Higher in the areas of Education, Leadership, Management, or related discipline (or prepared to work towards) with a record of ongoing professional development.

This role will ideally suit a person with a strategic vision to lead and develop system-wide processes for workforce recruitment, development and enhancement, with a focus on capability and leadership development. These skills could have been developed as an educational leader in schools; or as a training and development practitioner with a significant focus on leadership development.

Are You Interested in This Opportunity?

If you are interested in this role, simply complete the ‘Express Your Interest’ panel on this page; or email jobs@traksearch.com quoting ref number TS1460. Whichever you choose, please provide a brief resume and contact (mobile) telephone number.

If you are NOT interested in this role but would like to be advised of future leadership positions, click here to register for our job alerts.

Questions can be directed to either (a) Director John Chesher (0417 068 220) or (b) email to jobs@traksearch.com.

The timeline and details for this project are outlined below. All emails and applications are acknowledged within 48 hours.

The Selection Process

Key dates as follows:

Trak Search has been instructed to provide a process that is welcoming for people interested in this role. Significant aspects include:

• Throughout the process, Trak Search is available for your confidential enquiries. They will also provide a range of additional information to allow you to explore how this opportunity aligns with your expectations and interests.
• Closing is 5.00pm on the date shown above. However, a late application could be accepted, providing it does not adversely impact other applications or the CES schedule.
• We expect to contact one work-related referee and a Catholic Priest referee prior to shortlisting, with additional references completed later in the process.
• All information provided to Trak Search will be made available prior to shortlisting, in confidence, to the Executive Director or his nominee unless you instruct Trak Search otherwise.
• To obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the Trak Search methodology, including our screening process, click here to access the ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

Trak Search is committed to working with client organisations in the safeguarding of children and young people. Applicants should be aware that in addition to the Working with Children and National Police History Checks required by our client, Trak Search screening processes, interview questions and reference checking will also reflect this commitment.

Trak Search strongly supports the principles of equal employment opportunities in the workplace. We support our clients in recruiting a diverse range of people and a diverse range of talents. We are committed to adapting our recruitment processes to accommodate neurodiverse candidates; or people with different physical abilities.

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