Associate Director, Safe & Respectful Communities
OperationsThis position will be engaged on a fulltime, two-year fixed term basis.Attractive remuneration package available
About the Team
The Safe & Respectful Communities function sits within UOW’s Legal, Assurance and Integrity Division — the part of the University responsible for safeguarding governance, integrity, and institutional accountability.
This team leads the University’s coordinated response to safety, inclusion and respect across a diverse, multi-campus and global community. Bringing together case management, education and operational capability, the function works at the intersection of compliance, cultural change and student and staff wellbeing. It partners closely with People & Culture, Student Life, Academic Units, and external regulators to ensure UOW meets national standards while building a culture grounded in respect, equity, and accountability.
Reporting to the General Counsel and Chief Legal, Assurance and Integrity Officer, this role is pivotal in leading the University’s commitment to student focused support services.
About the Role
As a newly created role, this is a pivotal two-year fixed-term appointment at a time of heightened national focus on safety, gender-based violence prevention and institutional accountability in higher education.
As Associate Director, Safe & Respectful Communities, you will lead UOW’s institutional strategy to prevent and respond to gender-based violence, ensuring compliance with the National Higher Education Code and related regulatory obligations. More than compliance, this role is about driving systemic improvement — embedding trauma-informed, culturally competent, and person-centred practice across the University.
You will provide executive-level oversight of governance, reporting, risk management, and escalation frameworks, acting as a trusted advisor on complex and sensitive matters. The role requires confident leadership through change, strong regulatory insight, and the ability to align diverse portfolios around shared standards, systems, and priorities.
This position will shape the University’s long-term approach to safety and respect — strengthening institutional readiness, lifting capability, and ensuring consistent, transparent, and accountable responses across the organisation.
Skill and Experience
Significant experience leading institutional responses to gender-based violence, safety, or misconduct frameworks.Deep understanding of the National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence and related regulatory experience designing governance, reporting, and risk management systems in highly regulated environments.Experience embedding trauma-informed and culturally competent practice across large ability to lead multidisciplinary teams managing complex and sensitive experience preparing executive and governance-level reporting and engaging with regulators or oversight bodies.The ability to drive systemic, evidence-based cultural change across diverse stakeholder groups.High levels of judgement, discretion, and resilience
How to Apply
Click on the ‘Apply Now’ button at the bottom of the advertisement. You will be prompted to submit a resume, and cover letter (of no more than three pages) summarising your skills and experience as they relate to the selection criteria located in the position description.
For further information about this position, please contact Kylie Stephens on + 61 2 4239 3936
Position Description
Closing Date: Sunday 15th March, 11:55 PM
As required by federal legislation, prospective employees are required 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 their previous employment, or otherwise in a legal process. Any such declaration will be included in the University’s employment screening processes and will be treated with the strictest confidence and in compliance with all privacy legislation.
The University of Wollongong is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion. As an equal opportunity employer, and a recognised leader in gender equality, we encourage and welcome applications from a diverse range of backgrounds and people including culturally and linguistically diverse, women, disability, LGBTIQ+, and Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Australians.
Note: Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. Only candidates with valid work rights in Australia are eligible to apply.