Department Manager - Nursing

_{04th November, 2026}

The opportunity

This is a senior leadership opportunity for an experienced nursing education professional to lead a large and complex nursing department within a well-established Victorian education provider.

The department supports approximately 700 students across Elgar Road, Lilydale and the Melbourne CBD, with four coordinators and around 70 trainers. You will provide visible leadership across the portfolio, supporting your coordinators and teaching teams while maintaining oversight of education quality, ANMAC accreditation, operational performance and the student experience.

A key part of the role is understanding how VET funding, quality frameworks and compliance requirements translate into practical day-to-day decisions around staffing, scheduling, resources and program delivery.

What you will be responsible for

• Lead, coach and develop four coordinators and a large nursing education team.
• Oversee workforce planning, timetabling, budgets, resources and course performance.
• Maintain strong oversight of ANMAC accreditation, VET compliance, validation and continuous improvement.
• Ensure funding requirements, quality frameworks and compliance obligations are embedded into program delivery.
• Use operational, financial and student data to guide decisions and improve performance.
• Strengthen teaching quality, educator capability, student engagement and retention.
• Build strong relationships across faculties, industry and professional stakeholder groups.

What we are looking for

You will be an experienced nursing and VET leader who understands both the educational and operational realities of delivering nursing programs within TAFE.

You will ideally bring:

• Current registration as a Registered Nurse.
• Significant experience delivering, coordinating or leading ANMAC-accredited Diploma of Nursing programs within a TAFE environment.
• Strong understanding of ANMAC accreditation requirements and nursing education standards.
• Practical experience with VET funding, quality frameworks, compliance requirements and program delivery.
• Strong people leadership experience, ideally leading educators through coordinators or team leaders.
• Operational capability across workforce planning, budgets, scheduling and performance measures.
• A relevant degree or approved AQF Level 6 or above qualification.

Location

The Nursing portfolio operates across Elgar Road, Lilydale and the Melbourne CBD, with regular travel between campuses required. This is a campus-based leadership role and the successful person should expect to be onsite five days per week, maintaining regular visibility and connection with staff and students.

How to apply

If you are an experienced nursing and VET leader who enjoys bringing people together, improving education quality and leading at scale, we would love to hear from you. Please submit your resume and a brief cover letter outlining your leadership experience, ANMAC expertise and TAFE nursing background.