Lead transformational change as Executive Director and help shape a safer, more inclusive future for Queensland’s education workforce.

Champion a culture of safety, wellbeing and inclusion across Queensland's education system. Lead system-wide reform to create healthier, more resilient workplaces. Drive strategy and service delivery at scale. Advise executives on risk, reform and cultural transformation.

If you are passionate about building safer, more sustainable public workplaces and have the leadership skills to deliver reform at scale for Queensland's largest education workforce, we encourage you to apply!

Job details

About the Department

The Department of Education plays a central role in shaping the future of Queensland by delivering inclusive, high-quality education from early childhood through to adulthood. With a vision of equity and excellence, the department empowers every learner to reach their potential through responsive services, impactful policy, and community partnerships. Guided by a commitment to human rights and public value, the department supports strong starts for children, lifelong learning, and a capable, future-focused workforce.

About the Role

As Executive Director, Health, Safety and Wellbeing, you will be responsible for shaping the Department's approach to creating psychologically safe, high-trust, and high-performing environments across Queensland's education system. This pivotal leadership role intersects policy, risk and people, and balances transformation with operational delivery, reform with trust-building, and strategy with service excellence.

The role is responsible for leading a contemporary, integrated safety and wellbeing function that spans cultural reform, system design, incident response, workforce development and strategic policy. Across this broad mandate, you will lead major reform programs, build capability across diverse settings, and provide authoritative advice to senior executives and government on issues with organisational, legal and public impact.

You will report to the Assistant Director-General and Chief Human Resources Officer, and lead a multidisciplinary team responsible for influencing practice, shifting culture, and supporting the health and resilience of thousands of employees across Queensland's state schools, corporate offices and early childhood services.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the Department's health, safety and wellbeing strategy, including policy development, cultural uplift, risk governance and system-wide reform
• Deliver evidence-informed solutions that support safe, inclusive, high-performing workplaces across schools, regions and central office
• Provide authoritative advice to senior executives on health, safety and wellbeing risks, reforms and obligations
• Foster trusted relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including unions, to support strategic reform and issue resolution
• Drive continuous improvement in safety systems, services and capability uplift, with a strong emphasis on proactive risk management

About You

You are an executive leader with depth and breadth of expertise in workplace health, safety and wellbeing across large, complex systems. You bring a reform mindset and know how to lead change in environments where trust, communication and cultural leadership are as important as compliance and policy. You are as comfortable in the boardroom as you are in the field.

With an ability to cut through complexity, you have under your belt enterprise-wide strategies and know what it takes to support a safe, healthy and resilient workforce. You lead with purpose and are known for building high-performing teams and high-trust partnerships, and operate with care, clarity and conviction.

To succeed in this role, you will demonstrate:

• Proven leadership in health, safety and/or wellbeing strategy in large and complex organisations across the public, private and/or not-for-profit sector
• Expert knowledge of risk governance, safety systems and organisational wellbeing
• Experience working with senior executives and unions in high-trust, reform environments
• Deep understanding of public sector accountability, safety culture, and regulatory obligations
• A values-led leadership style that inspires others and champions inclusion, learning and growth

Interested? To Apply: 

• Attach a brief resume including contact details for 2 referees (referees should have an understanding of your relevant work history)
• Attach a short (no more than two pages) statement focusing on how you align with the core accountabilities outlined in the position description

We welcome all applicants to share any support needed to ensure our recruitment process is inclusive.

Applications remain current for 12 months from the closing date and may be considered for appointment to identical or similar vacancies within the Department.

Applications from recruitment agencies will not be accepted.

Further information

We are committed to building inclusive cultures in the Queensland public sector that respect and promote human rights and diversity.

For a full list of the position responsibilities and mandatory requirements, please ensure you download the attached Role Description and Applicant Information Package and follow the instructions.

Documents

Before applying for this vacancy please ensure you read the documents below.

• CO652452_25T Role Description (PDF, 147KB)
  Role Description
  
  Applicant Information Package (PDF, 245KB)
  Information Package for Applicants