Director - Far North Queensland Region - Cairns Office

An exciting opportunity exists for an experienced and strategic leader to provide regional leadership of Education Case Management services across Far North Queensland.
As the Director, Education Case Management, you will lead a multidisciplinary team delivering differentiated support services that strengthen engagement and re-engagement outcomes for children and young people. Working collaboratively with schools, government agencies, families and community stakeholders, you will drive responsive, evidence-based and trauma informed approaches that support some of the region's most vulnerable students.
This is a fixed-term temporary position until 12 April 2027, unless otherwise determined.

About the Department of Education:  

Working for the Queensland Department of Education means joining an organisation that values its people and promotes leadership and innovation. Be part of an environment that respects professionalism and diversity, offers training and development opportunities and embraces flexible careers and work-life balance. Find out more about working with us.  

About the Role:

We are seeking a highly capable leader with strong strategic, operational and stakeholder engagement skills who can thrive in a complex environment and lead high performing teams.

This role provides a unique opportunity to influence regional outcomes through strategic leadership, service innovation and strong partnerships that improve educational engagement and participation.

In this role, you will:

• Lead the delivery of high-quality Education Case Management services across the region.
• Support the Executive Director in the strategic and operational delivery of services that strengthen engagement and re-engagement outcomes for children and young people.
• Design and oversee systems that effectively identify need, triage support and deliver coordinated responses for vulnerable students.
• Lead regional collaboration with schools, families, government agencies and community organisations to address barriers to engagement.
• Analyse regional data, trends and emerging issues to inform evidence-based decision making and continuous improvement.
• Drive place-based and multi-agency responses to support vulnerable children and young people, including students who are disengaged or at risk of disengaging from education.
• Provide authoritative advice, briefings, reports and recommendations on complex and sensitive matters.
• Ensure high quality, trauma informed and culturally responsive service delivery and case management practices.

Key Responsibilities Include:

• Lead and manage regional Education Case Management teams and services.
• Monitor service performance and provide strategic advice and support to school and regional leaders.
• Develop and implement regional strategies to improve engagement and re-engagement outcomes.
• Foster strong partnerships across the department, other government agencies, schools and community stakeholders.
• Lead analysis of data and performance indicators to identify emerging trends, risks and opportunities.
• Coordinate regional and multi-agency responses to support children and young people with complex needs.
• Oversee governance, risk management and resource allocation to support regional priorities and business objectives.
• Promote a culture of accountability, inclusion, collaboration and continuous improvement.

About You:

The successful applicant will demonstrate:

• Proven experience leading multidisciplinary teams and delivering outcomes in complex environments.
• Strong strategic thinking, analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement and partnership building capability.
• Experience leading service delivery, change and continuous improvement initiatives.
• The ability to provide authoritative advice on complex and sensitive issues.
• A commitment to delivering trauma informed, culturally responsive and student-centred services.
• An understanding of the challenges impacting vulnerable children and young people's engagement in education.

What We Offer:

The role offers the opportunity to lead regional strategies and services that make a meaningful difference to the lives and educational outcomes of vulnerable children and young people across Far North Queensland.

Interested? To Apply:  

• Attach a brief resume including contact details for 2 referees (referees should have an understanding of your relevant work history);
• A two-page written statement outlining how your skills, knowledge and experience align with the responsibilities and leadership competencies described in the role 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.