Under the leadership of the Bishop of Cairns, James Foley, the Catholic Diocese of Cairns encompasses an area of 377,000 km2 from Cardwell in the south, west to the Northern Territory Border including the Atherton Tablelands, and north to the Torres Strait Islands and Gulf of Carpentaria.
Catholic Education Services – Diocese of Cairns, consists of twenty-nine schools including twenty primary schools, two Prep to Year 12 Colleges and seven secondary Colleges. This includes a Special Assistance College with campuses in Cairns and Cooktown. These schools and colleges provide quality education to almost 11,200 students.
All schools, except the dual campus Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School, Thursday Island and Hammond Island, Weipa and Holy Spirit College, Cooktown campus, are within a two-hour drive of Cairns.
Our newest schools at Weipa, and Mount Peter near Edmonton in the Cairns southern growth corridor, opened in 2016 and a new Secondary College, in partnership with James Cook University, is planned for opening in 2022.
Further Information
Additional information can be viewed by visiting the Catholic Education Services website at https://www.cns.catholic.edu.au/ To access information on the Leadership Team, the current Strategic Directions document and the CES Frameworks click here.
Position Overview
Position Title: Director: School Effectiveness – for secondary schools
Reports to: Deputy Executive Director
Position Context
The Catholic Education Community – Diocese of Cairns, is a partnership between Catholic Education Services and twenty-nine schools. The Vision of the Catholic Education Community is ‘to offer quality Catholic education so that each person may know and come to identify more fully with the living Spirit of Christ’.
In seeking fulfilment of our Vision, we are inspired to:
- Be people of Mission and Witness inspired by what is best for all students in our schools
- Embrace the gifts and talents of all through commitment to Subsidiarity and Co-responsibility
- Be courageous – encountering possibilities and engaging in Dialogue to achieve excellence in all we do
- Move forward together – strengthening relationships between Families, Staff, School & System leaders, Clergy and the Diocese
- Be accountable for student learning through continuous improvement.
Leadership and strategic management of the system of schools is the responsibility of the Executive Director of Catholic Education. Through a team of professionals, the Executive Director leads and facilitates a number of significant and particular delegations which enable the achievement of the Strategic Directions:
- Lived and celebrated Catholic identity
- Optimal learning and wellbeing for all students
- Access and stewardship of quality Catholic education
- Prophetic and creative leadership
Position Purpose
The Director: School Effectiveness assists secondary schools and colleges in embedding the dimensions of the School Effectiveness Framework. This position currently supports two P-12 colleges and seven Secondary Colleges with a new college planned for 2022 in the Northern Beaches Parish.
A full Position Description will be provided at a later stage in the recruitment process.
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 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.
An organisation chart will be provided at a later stage in the recruitment process.
Initial Areas of Priority
- To engage with other members of the Strategic Leadership Team to embed and enhance the current delivery of services to schools by Catholic Education Services.
- To provide leadership in the development of the new secondary college in the Northern Beaches parish so as to provide innovative delivery of authentic Catholic Education that enhances and compliments the educational delivery of the whole diocese.
- To professionally support the principals of the colleges so as the maintain and enhance a professional dialogue and consistency in practice between colleges.
- To collaborate with colleges and other teams within Catholic Education Services to ensure the appropriate resources are available to colleges to deliver and embed the new Queensland Senior Assessment.
Commencement
It is anticipated the successful applicant will be able to start in this role for the commencement of the 2020 school year.
Location and Travel
The Main Office is located at 130 Lake St., Cairns. The nature of the role means much time will be spent within schools.
Conditions of Employment
- The remuneration package will be discussed as we progress through the process.
- Five-year contract with annual review through a review of a Professional Growth in Action Plan. The precise nature and range of duties will similarly evolve and develop during the course of the contract and be determined in consultation with the Executive Director.
- 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 Catholic Education Services buildings, offices, and motor vehicles.
- The Diocese has a relocation policy to assist, if required
- Applicants will require a current “C” Class Drivers Licence
- Hold or be eligible to apply for the Queensland College of Teachers registration.
- 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 regarding this check 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
To be successful in this role it is anticipated you will be able to demonstrate:
- Participation in and commitment to the sacramental life of the Catholic Church.
- A strong commitment to the objectives, vision, and ethos of Catholic Education.
- Minimum 5 years of experience as a Principal in a Secondary or P-12 school.
- Participation, innovation and research in the disciplines of school organisation and leadership development.
- Registration as Teacher with Post Graduate qualifications in education or related discipline, together with a record of continuing professional development.
Are You Interested in This Opportunity?
If you are interested in this role, then simply complete the ‘Express Your Interest’ panel on this page; or email us at jobs@traksearch.com stating your interest and nominating ref number TS1411. Whichever you choose, please provide a brief resume and contact 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 weekly job alert.
Any questions can be directed to either (a) our Director John Chesher by telephone (0417 068 220) or (b) email our office via 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 are as follows:
| Date of project launch/advertising | Friday 30th Aug |
| Latest anticipated date for applications | Mon 16th Sept |
| Review meeting & short listing | Week commencing Mon 23rd Sept |
| Anticipated date for client interviews | Week of Monday 7th or 14th Oct |
| Final references; academic documents obtained | Following client interviews |
| Follow up meeting/discussion | Likely within 7 days of client interviews |
The time delay between applications closing and the CES interviews is to accommodate the term break. We do not want to disadvantage people if they already have commitments in place for this period.
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 confidential discussions and to provide information to allow you to explore this opportunity and determine your interest in the role.
- A range of additional information will be provided to you as we progress through this process.
- At the outset you will not be required to: complete an application form; provide a lengthy document to address the selection criteria; or supply referee details. However, you will be invited to supply us with additional information (verbally and in writing) as you progress through the process.
- A late application could be accepted, providing it does not adversely impact other applications or the schedule. Please be aware however that any application received after close of business on the date noted above is more likely to be returned to you.
- At the appropriate time we will seek written consent to speak with referees – listing referees on your resume does not signify consent to do so.
- We expect to contact one work-related referee and a Priest/Religious referee prior to shortlisting, with additional references completed later in the process. You should always expect that before reaching the final stage of the project, we will ask to speak with at least one person who has: directly managed you; recently; and for a significant period of time.
- 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.
You are also encouraged to view our Collection Statement which provides details on the manner in which we collect and use information obtained from you during your engagement with Trak Search.
