Principal Consultant, Change and Improvement

Principal Consultant, Change and Improvement

Based at either our Melbourne Burwood or Geelong Waterfront Campus, hybrid work available

Two fulltime and continuing positions available

Why work with us?

At Deakin University, you’ll find more than a job - you’ll find a community and a way of working that supports you to do your best work. Across our campuses in Geelong, Melbourne and regional Victoria, we offer an environment designed to help you thrive, with on-site childcare, gyms, medical centres, cafés, accessible public transport and convenient parking.

We support flexible and hybrid working, generous leave provisions - including extended parental leave and the option to purchase additional leave - and a wide range of staff benefits and discounts. Combined with our strong focus on health, wellbeing and professional development, Deakin offers a supportive, inclusive culture where leaders are trusted, people are valued and careers can grow.

About the role

Reporting to the Associate Director, Change and Improvement, you’ll provide strategic and practitioner leadership to a talented team of change and process improvement specialists. Together, you’ll embed proactive change management and continuous improvement practices that strengthen adoption, enhance efficiency and deliver innovative solutions across key projects and systems.

This is a highly visible leadership role that blends strategy and hands‑on delivery. You will personally lead end‑to‑end change management and process improvement initiatives, facilitate workshops to map current and future states, co-design implementation approaches and ensure sustainable outcomes that align with Deakin’s strategic objectives.

Working in partnership with the Associate Director, you will:

Diagnose complex organisational change needs and design tailored strategies and frameworks that support smooth, sustainable transitions

Drive process improvement initiatives that streamline systems, enhance efficiency and foster innovation

Act as a trusted adviser to senior leaders, shaping high‑level decision‑making and aligning initiatives to Deakin’s strategy

Oversee monitoring and evaluation of change initiatives, using data‑driven insights to refine approaches and embed continuous improvement

Create a culture of service excellence and customer‑focused thinking across programs and operations

About you

You are a trusted adviser and influential communicator, you build collaborative partnerships, shape high‑level decision‑making and confidently navigate complexity. You lead inclusive, high‑performing teams, foster positive culture and talent development and translate strategy into measurable results - inspiring others while embedding continuous improvement across services and practices.

You’ll bring:

Proven expertise leading significant change and improvement initiatives across complex organisations

Strong consulting capability, with advanced communication and facilitation skills

Strategic judgement and the ability to influence executive‑level decisions

Deep analytical and conceptual capability to diagnose problems and design innovative solutions

A track record of building inclusive, high‑performing teams that deliver sustainable outcomes

For a copy of the position description, please see below:

Please submit your updated resume and a short cover letter outlining your skills and experience.

For a confidential discussion regarding this role, please contact Stephanie Irvine -Associate Director, Change & Improvement via s.irvine@deakin.edu.au

Applications close 11.55pm on Sunday, 15 March 2026

Are You Ready?

Deakin is a Victorian university with a global impact. We are an agile, dynamic, and innovative university committed to making a positive impact through our excellence in education, research and innovation and the contributions we make to the wider community.

We understand that our reputation has been built on the dedication and expertise of our staff and we offer a dynamic and diverse working environment with opportunities to grow and develop careers. We believe that a progressive, thriving culture will ensure that people choose to come, and stay at Deakin and contribute to our ongoing success.

We value diversity and aim to build an inclusive environment that champions, embraces and respects differences. We support and encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and people of all abilities, cultures, sexual orientation, and genders.

Pre-employment safety and suitability checks:

In accordance with the National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence, appointment to this role is subject to successful completion of relevant pre-employment checks, including Working With Children Checks and candidate gender-based violence declarations.

Candidates may be asked to declare whether they have been investigated for an allegation of Gender‑based Violence, or determined to have engaged in conduct that constitutes Gender‑based Violence during the course of their previous employment, or otherwise in a legal process. A declaration is not required from individuals who have experienced gender‑based violence. A ‘Yes’ response does not automatically exclude a candidate from employment, and any information provided will be treated confidentially and considered only for relevance to the role and the University’s safety obligations.

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