About Us
HumanAbility is a Jobs and Skills Council for the health, human services, aged care and disability, sport & recreation and early childhood industries.
HumanAbility's objective is to advance education by supporting skills and workforce development for the above specified industries. It is a values-based organisation, that is not-for-profit, industry-owned and led, that is contracted by the federal government.
HumanAbility will achieve its objectives through:
•Implementation of the Jobs & Skills Councils – Strengthening Australia's National Vocational Education and Training System program, or its replacement program, and similar programs supported by governments and/or industry;
•Workforce planning activities that develop strategies to address workforce challenges, using high-quality data and evidence on current and emerging skills needs (in collaboration with Jobs and Skills Australia) associated with a range of educational pathways, including vocational education and training (VET) and higher education;
•Formal and informal training product development, including resources aligned with standards set by Skills Ministers to improve the quality, speed-to-market and responsiveness of nationally recognised training products;
•Contributions to the implementation, promotion and monitoring of VET; and
•Industry stewardship to advance education by acting as a source of intelligence on issues affecting relevant industries and national training system opportunities.
For further information, please see the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations factsheet on the role of JSCs in industry engagement reforms.
The Executive Director – Training Products. plays a critical leadership role in shaping the impact, direction and performance of HumanAbility. This role partners closely with the CEO and Executive team to translate strategy into action, strengthen organisational capability, and deliver outcomes that matter to industry, government and stakeholders. This full-time, ongoing role (subject to funding, currently through mid-2028) can be based anywhere in Australia and will involve regular travel for meetings, workshops and industry events.
About the Position
The Executive Director is responsible for:
•Providing strategic leadership in the development and delivery of high-impact training products aligned to HumanAbility's mandate and priorities
•Driving the achievement of HumanAbility's strategic objectives, ensuring alignment between purpose, performance and outcomes
•Fostering a strong, values-led organisational culture, working collaboratively with the Executive team to model leadership excellence
•Building, leading and inspiring a capable, high-performing workforce with a focus on capability, accountability and continuous improvement
•Embedding and championing HumanAbility's tripartite arrangements across all programs, partnerships and ways of working, ensuring they are integral to decision-making and delivery
This is a senior executive role for a leader who brings strategic insight, strong stakeholder acumen and a commitment to building sustainable capability and impact.
Key Accountabilities
•Partner with the CEO and Executive team to identify priority skills and training needs and develop high-quality business cases and training submissions
•Engage with DEWR, government agencies, industry, unions and Industry Advisory Committees to shape skills priorities and workforce responses
•Lead a rolling 3–5 year training product review cycle, including Annual Training Development Plans and associated submissions
•Provide strategic leadership to the Training Products team to design, develop and implement contemporary, demand-led training packages
•Partner with industry, unions and training providers to lead the design, development and endorsement of qualifications, skill sets and units of competency aligned to national standards, workforce needs and system reform priorities
•Support the development and implementation of micro-credentials, pilots and non-accredited learning to respond to emerging and urgent skills needs
•Manage HumanAbility's contribution to national VET reform, including qualifications reform, tertiary harmonisation, quality initiatives and alignment with Jobs and Skills Council expectations
•Oversee Technical Advisory Committees to ensure consistent, robust and industry-led validation and development processes
•Collaborate with the Executive team to ensure products, pathways and initiatives are informed by research, sector trends and insights from advisory forums
•Build internal and external understanding of skills, training and workforce capability issues, contributing thought leadership, engagement content and policy input that influence reform
•Lead high-performing, cross-functional teams and foster collaboration across HumanAbility's strategic, engagement and delivery functions
•Contribute to organisation-wide strategy, reform initiatives and delivery of HumanAbility's strategic and operational plans
•Represent HumanAbility on external committees, cross-JSC forums, conferences and events as required
•Lead end-to-end project planning, design and implementation, incorporating data, intelligence and analysis to deliver workforce functional analysis, occupational skills standards, nationally consistent training products and high-quality resources for training providers, trainers, assessors and employers
Leadership
•Provide strong, visible leadership and management of the Training Products team, building capability and sustaining high performance
•Foster a collaborative, innovative and inclusive work environment that supports professional growth and effective teamwork
•Set clear goals, performance measures and expectations aligned to HumanAbility's strategic objectives and values
•Ensure services are delivered efficiently and effectively to meet organisational and stakeholder needs
•Advocate for and role model work health, safety and wellbeing, and demonstrate HumanAbility's values in partnership with the Executive team to build a positive and high-performing culture
Skills and Experience
•Extensive experience in vocational education and training, workforce development or skills policy at a senior level
•Proven ability to lead training product development and/or qualifications reform in partnership with tripartite stakeholders
•Deep understanding of the VET regulatory landscape and the national skills system and national training frameworks
•Solid capability in stakeholder engagement, facilitation and co-design processes
•Experience managing high performing teams and projects in complex environments
•Experience in demonstrating analytical and practical skills, bridging policy ambition with operational feasibility
•Demonstrated corporate accountability that withstands scrutiny and auditing requirements in project reporting, financials and budgeting, procurement activities and staffing matters
•Inclusive, consultative, and committed to drive positive impact in the industries that HumanAbility works with through workforce development
•Highly collaborative and skilled in managing shared ownership and delivery
•Confident navigating ambiguity and building clarity in evolving contexts
•Outstanding interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills
Other Information
There may be times when it is required to work outside normal business hours i.e. evenings and weekends to meet operational and/or stakeholder requirements, and dependant on work deliverables, the role may be required to undertake travel.
We operate a hybrid working model. While flexibility is supported, the balance of office-based work, in-person attendance at meetings, events, etc and remote work will vary depending on role, location, and business needs.
Interested?
We encourage you to apply, even if you don't meet every single criterion. We value diverse experiences and perspectives, and your unique skills could be a great fit for our team.
We operate a hybrid working model. While flexibility is supported, the balance of office-based work, in-person attendance at meetings, events, etc and remote work will vary depending on role, location, and business needs.
Click on Apply button to submit your cover letter and cv. Applications will be reviewed as they are received, we encourage you to apply without delay. If you have any questions about this role, please contact our P&C team confidentially on