It is mandatory to hold a current Australian Citizenship or Australian Permanent Residency at the time that you apply for this position.
Director, Teaching & Learning – Maximum Term (3 years), Full Time (5 days per week)
AFTRS is the national screen and audio school – the only Australian education institution to consistently make The Hollywood Reporter‘s prestigious annual list of the top film schools in the world. Working hand-in-hand with the screen and broadcast industries, AFTRS is a global centre of excellence that delivers the highest level of screen and audio education, training and research across Australia.
We are looking for a strategic and accomplished leader to join our creative, collaborative and dynamic Executive Team. We are looking for a strategic and accomplished leader to join our creative, collaborative and dynamic Executive Team. The Director of Teaching & Learning is responsible for the strategic direction, design, and delivery of AFTRS’ Award Courses. All AFTRS courses are informed by a unique practice-based pedagogy that ensures both the delivery of the highest quality learning experiences to our students and that the School fulfils its remit to provide industry with the highly skilled graduates it needs to thrive.
The Director leads a faculty drawn from industry, who are supported by ongoing professional development and a research program focussed on creativity and innovation, to deliver student focussed learning that is forward thinking, practice-based and recognises every student’s unique creativity.
This role leads the implementation of continuous improvement strategies across all AFTRS teaching and learning activities, including regular and ongoing stakeholder engagement.
Working with key internal stakeholders, this role ensures all teaching and learning activities meet the requirements of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF), the Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency (TEQSA) and other current legislative and regulatory requirements; balancing a curriculum that meets industry best practice with the highest level of academic quality according to the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021.
Externally, the Director works to ensure the ongoing strength of AFTRS’ reputation for excellence through partnered research projects, conferences, and international screen and audio educational networks.
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About the role:
As the Director, Teaching & Learning at AFTRS, you will:
- Review and lead AFTRS’ Teaching and Learning Plan that enshrines AFTRS unique industry-aligned pedagogy and an ecosystem of Award courses that meet AFTRS remit, industry need and the strategic objectives of AFTRS Corporate Plan.
- Working closely with the Head of Curriculum, have oversight of the continuous improvement of all AFTRS curriculum to ensure its academic quality and industry currency, and that relevant standards of the HESF (2021) are met.
- Working closely with the Head of Governance, contribute to and uphold the AFTRS academic governance framework including attending and supplying information to the Academic Board, Academic Quality and Standards Committee, and any other academic governance body. Chair committees where appropriate.
- Working closely with the Director of First Nations & Outreach, Discipline Leads and Program Convenors, ensure that First Nations culture and screen protocols are firmly embedded throughout the student journey and that AFTRS is a safe and inclusive learning environment for all students.
- Working with Head of Program Resources, have oversight and final approval of the Divisional budget including accurate phasing, forward planning and course budget allocations.
- Working with the Head of Program Resources, have oversight of the scheduling and timetabling of all courses within Teaching & Learning, and ensure appropriate and sufficient resources are made available to fulfil student learning outcomes in an equitable manner.
- Work closely with the Director, Production, Technology & Infrastructure to ensure production activities are equitable and designed and delivered to meet specific course learning outcomes within available resources.
- Have strategic oversight of a Faculty Staffing Plan that ensures AFTRS is attracting teaching talent from a range of backgrounds, cultural experiences and industry experiences from across Australia and ensure all divisional staff contracting and recruitment is conducted within AFTRS policies and procedures.
- Working with the Head of Program Resources and Course Convenors, have oversight of the Academic Workload model and the fair and equitable allocation of hours.
- Ensure effective communication with Student Representatives Council (SRC) members and curriculum partners, as well as foster engagement and feedback to drive the quality of AFTRS learning experience.
- Working closely with the Director of People & Culture, Student Centre, and Program Convenors, ensure student records are current, accurate and represent the student’s progression.
- Lead student academic misconduct procedures, ensuring consistent, fair, transparent, and equitable standards of student discipline are maintained.
- Take an Academic Leadership role in building new and existing educational partnerships, with a focus on delivering world-leading creative education across Australia, including representing the School at conferences including TEQSA, CILECT, ASPERA.
- Create and maintain culturally and psychologically safe learning and working environments and lead an inclusive and reflective faculty culture focussed on student outcomes, including day to day support of the team, timely feedback and quarterly performance conversations and a longer-term staffing plan for the division that takes into account career pathways, succession planning and professional development.
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About you – you have:
- Tertiary qualification in a relevant area.
- Significant Senior Management or Academic Leadership experience in a similar role within a tertiary educational environment, including demonstrated knowledge of curriculum standards across AQF qualification types of level; content development and delivery in a creative higher education environment; and the higher education quality compliance environment.
- Demonstrated experience in industry informed curriculum development, course design and course management.
- Exceptional leadership skills with a strong ability to coach and motivate a team and experience in leading a large division.
- Demonstrated knowledge of production processes in film, broadcasting, and emerging media.
- Strong commercial acumen and experience including experiencing in managing departmental budgets.
- The ability to build and maintain productive working relationships and negotiate effectively with a range of internal and external stakeholders.
- Values-led with strong personal drive and integrity, including demonstrated use of initiative, flexibility, and resourcefulness to create and maintain culturally and psychologically safe learning and working environments.
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It is mandatory to hold a current Australian Citizenship or Australian Permanent Residency at the time that you apply for this position.
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As a creative organisation, we understand the importance of offering flexible working to support your own creativity, wellbeing, and balance. We will genuinely consider applications for job share and part time working. We also support working from home and flexible working hours.
AFTRS is committed to building a richly diverse staff and faculty. AFTRS actively supports and appreciates workplace diversity, First Nations values, and we strongly encourage and welcome applicants from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people from a wide range of backgrounds and people with a disability. We are committed to providing reasonable adjustments through our recruitment and selection process. If you require any support or reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please email jobs@aftrs.edu.au or call 02 9805 6610.
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Please note, the successful applicant will be required to undertake a Working with Children Check and Fit & Proper Person Check (includes an employee declaration and National Police Check).
SALARY: Senior Executive Salary package commensurate with level, plus excellent benefits.
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The closing date is 15 July 2024 11:59pm. Late applications cannot be accepted.