* Based at our Geelong, Waterfront Campus + hybrid work arrangements
* Part-time (0.5FTE) and continuing
* Level B $117,684 - $139, % Superannuation
* Applications are currently being accepted exclusively from our current and former sessional academic cohorts at Deakin. Applicants must have been engaged as a sessional academic at Deakin University within two years of the advertising date to be eligible to apply. Applications that do not meet this criteria will not be considered at this time.
We are pleased to offer Deakin's newest employment classification; the Education-focused Academic. These roles are tailored for academics dedicated to student-centred teaching, fostering a passion for teaching excellence and pioneering innovative educational practices. This presents a remarkable opportunity to contribute to shaping and co-designing this new academic career pathway at Deakin, offering a genuine and meaningful option for those whose strengths lie in teaching and learning.
The Faculty of Health is dedicated to being at the forefront of teaching, learning, creativity, social development, and ground-breaking research and discovery. We work closely with industry partners and government bodies to translate discoveries into real-word impact. This role will specifically be working within the School of Health and Social Development.
About the role:
In the role of Lecturer in Play Therapy, Education-focused, you will lead unit teaching teams in Post Graduate programs to improve the student learning experience and outcomes. You will drive innovative curriculum design, scholarship, and creative activities to improve teaching outcomes within the Graduate Certificate/Diploma of Therapeutic Child Play and Master of Child Play Therapy programs. Ideal for an educator passionate about advancing learning, exploring new educational approaches, and fostering community engagement with the health sector.
As a Lecturer, Education-focused, you will:
* Lead unit teaching teams and work collaboratively with other unit teaching teams in the course to develop effective unit curricula and learning resources (including through unit leadership roles).
* Adopt new innovation in curriculum design at the unit level and deliver learner-centric, research-informed teaching practices across different levels / modes of delivery. Maintain deep discipline knowledge which is applied to inform unit design.
* Develop effective assessment tasks and rubrics at unit level. Provide clear assessment criteria and timely feedback to learners to demonstrate learning outcomes. Monitor and adapt assessment practices to improve learning outcomes.
* Contribute to discipline-based educational or pedagogy research projects and demonstrate an emerging reputation in teaching scholarship and pedagogical research.
* Academics with an industry or clinical background will assume an increasingly important role in professional activities and contribute to innovation in education within the relevant profession.
To be successful, you'll have:
* PhD with research relevant to the position and/or Master of Play Therapy and/or other relevant qualifications with relevant professional experience.
* Excellent record of scholarly learning and teaching in UG and/or PG programs.
* Capacity to contribute to innovative curriculum design.
* Capacity to contribute to research and scholarship in a health-related discipline through publications and/or external research grants.
* Ability to deliver effective teaching practices to improve student success and engagement, including play therapy clinical supervision.
* Ability to contribute to communities through teaching and/or research.
* Capacity to contribute to leadership of teaching programs.
Here's how to apply:
To be eligible to apply, you must currently be a sessional academic at Deakin or have been previously engaged as a sessional academic at Deakin within the last two years of the advertising date. To find out if you are eligible to apply, please contact Deakin Help on or
Please submit your updated resume, a short cover letter and responses to the Key Selection Criteria.
For a confidential discussion regarding this role, please contact Associate Professor Judi Parson, on
For a copy of the position description, please see below:
PD - Lecturer in Play Therapy, Education-
Applications for this position close at 11.55pm on Sunday 4th January.
**The University will be closed from 23 December and will reopen on Monday 5 January 2026. Recruitment outcomes and further communication regarding this position will not be provided until the new year**
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.