Assistant Associate Dean, Occupational Therapy

Overview:
- Play a pivotal role as the founding head of the Occupational Therapy (OT) discipline at RMIT University- Provide the senior leadership, vision and drive to enable an innovative program and engagement model for OT- Fixed term (3-year) appointment as Assistant Associate Dean (AAD), underpinned by an ongoing Professor or Associate Professor position- Salary Academic Level D ($170,080 - $187,373) or E ($219,084) + 17% Superannuation and Flexible Working Arrangements- Based predominantly at the Bundoora West Campus, but may be required to work and/or be based at other campuses of the University

About You

RMIT is seeking a senior academic leader to take on the combined role of Professor/Associate Professor & Assistant Associate Dean (Head of Discipline), Occupational Therapy within the School of Health and Biomedical Sciences. This is a fixed-term appointment (3 years) as Assistant Associate Dean (AAD), underpinned by a continuing position.

As an Associate Professor/Professor, you will be an established and respected researcher in your specialist field, with a strong track record in research, teaching, and academic leadership.

As Assistant Associate Dean (Head of Discipline), you will be a key member of the School’s leadership team. As OT develops, you will have responsibility for overseeing the academic performance and strategic development of the Discipline, including curriculum quality, research leadership, staffing, and resource management. As staff are progressively recruited within this team, you will lead and support them to deliver excellence in both learning and teaching and research.

This is a leadership opportunity suited to an academic who thrives on building collaborative teams, leading change and growth, and fostering a culture of excellence and inclusion.

To be successful in this position, you’ll have but not limited to the following Key Selection Criteria:
- Demonstrated strategic leadership_ within a large organisational unit or University-wide initiative, with the ability to lead teams, influence positive change, and deliver on shared strategic objectives in a collegiate and collaborative environment.-
- A demonstrated record of _excellence and innovation in teaching_, underpinned by a deep understanding of contemporary learning and teaching theory and practice, including the use of technology in pedagogy. Experience in managing award programs, leading curriculum reviews, and the ability to support and develop external networks to support OT student placement.- Strong knowledge of _relevant trends, priorities and developments in the OT discipline_ and broader health or higher education sectors, including a clear understanding of industry needs and how these translate into academic programs and research impact.- Capacity to think strategically and act tactically to align discipline priorities with broader organisational goals. _Experience with governance, financial and quality management systems in a university setting_.- High-level interpersonal, communication, influencing and negotiation skills_, including the ability to consult, network and engage effectively with senior stakeholders, academic and professional staff, and external partners.- Demonstrated ability to foster a culture of collaboration_, share knowledge across teams, and build strong internal and external partnerships, including national and international research and professional networks.

Mandatory Qualifications:
- PhD in a relevant field.- Eligibility to register as an Occupational Therapist with Ahpra.

About the School of Health and Biomedical Science

The School of Health and Biomedical Sciences comprises three Academic Departments:
- Clinical Sciences- Health Sciences (Occupational Therapy will be a discipline within this Department)- Medical Sciences

Primarily based at the RMIT Bundoora campus, we undertake teaching and research across the disciplines of: Biomedical Science, Laboratory Medicine, Medical Radiations, Nursing, Osteopathy, Chiropractic, Chinese Medicine, Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Science, Physiotherapy and Postgraduate Psychology.

The School’s research was ranked as well above world standard in clinical science, medical physiology, microbiology, complementary and alternative medicine and pharmacology & pharmaceutical sciences, and above world standard in psychology, public health & health service and medical & health sciences. As a School we have a strategic focus on chronic disease and integrative health care with globally distinctive research strengths in respiratory health, neuroinflammation, translational immunology and infection, cancer diagnostics and therapeutics, and cross-cutting themes of lifestyle medicine, digital health, ageing in health & disease, and medical devices, diagnostics and prognostics.

Research and Learning and Teaching innovation within the School is supported by the largest student-led multidisciplinary health clinic in Victoria, a digital human anatomy facility,