Director, Asia Engagement

• Amplify RMIT's influence across Asia Pacific.

• Provide thought leadership and foster collaborative partnerships.

• Continuing executive-level appointment.

About the Role

Reporting to the Vice-President, International, the Director, Asia Engagement drives RMIT's influence, reputation and partnerships across the Asia Pacific. The role leads execution of RMIT's Asia engagement strategy; builds long-term, high-impact relationships with government, industry and education leaders; and represents RMIT at major regional missions and events.

This is a highly visible and active role that will be attractive to those passionate about the region with the knowledge, relationships and experience to further RMIT's standing and achieve our stated goal to be a leading university of impact in the Asia Pacific region.

Key Priorities

• Provide strategic leadership of stakeholder engagement across the Asia Pacific; shaping RMIT's regional and country narratives.

• Represent RMIT at international trade missions, forums and delegations; host high-profile onshore/offshore visits.

• Design and deliver leadership and capacity-building programs for international government and industry delegations.

• Lead major Asia-Pacific initiatives and policy advocacy, particularly in Southeast Asia, to advance RMIT's objectives.

• Provide thought leadership for the RMIT Asia Hub and strategic partners.

• Elevate RMIT's profile by leveraging student, research and partnership success stories to influence policy and engage governments.

To be successful in this role, you will bring:

• Senior public policy and government expertise across the Asia Pacific, particularly in Southeast Asia.

• An energetic and action-oriented workstyle coupled with outstanding communication skills developed through extensive internal and external engagement and representation at the most senior levels of public and private organisations.

• Lived experience in the region and ideally fluency in one or more relevant languages.

• Proven success in business development and/or developing cross-sector partnerships aimed at advancing organisational goals and securing investment in strategic priorities.

• Executive-level policy/diplomatic experience in Australia and internationally.

• Strategic, entrepreneurial leadership; governance and representation capability.

• The flexibility to routinely travel domestically and internationally.

Please Note: Appointment to this position is subject to passing a Working with Children and National Police Check.

About the Portfolio

The International portfolio leads RMIT University's international strategy and drives our ambition to be a university of impact across the Asia Pacific. The portfolio focuses on strengthening RMIT's presence in priority countries through the development and management of flagship international partnerships, offshore innovation hubs, and policy and thought leadership initiatives.

Central to our work are our strategic relationships with governments, industry, and communities across the region. We also drive connections across our regional network, including with RMIT's branch campus in Vietnam, to enhance collaboration and shared impact. The portfolio oversees the RMIT Asia Hub in Melbourne, which plays a key role in deepening Australian business, student, and community engagement with Asia.

To Apply

Please submit your CV and covering letter addressing your interest and suitability for this position by clicking on the 'Apply' link at the top of this page.

For further information about this position, please see the Position Description or contact Ben Cass via email .

Please note, if you are viewing this advert from an external site, please click 'apply' and you will be redirected to RMIT's Jobs website to access the Position Description at the bottom of the page. Due to recent upgrades, position description links may not work on LinkedIn advertisements.  

#LI-Hybrid

RMIT is an equal opportunity employer committed to being a child safe organisation. We are dedicated to attracting, retaining and developing our people regardless of gender identity, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability and age. Applications are encouraged from all sectors of the community and we strongly encourage applications from the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community. 

At RMIT, we are committed to supporting adjustments throughout the recruitment and selection process, as well as during employment. We actively support and encourage people with disability to apply to RMIT (including alternate formats of application forms). To discuss adjustment requirements, please contact Dani, via or visit our Careers page for more contact information -

We are a Circle Back Initiative Employer – we commit to respond to every applicant.