Director, Attraction, Engagement and Retention

• Join a leadership group transforming education in NSW, and make a difference to students in NSW
• Deliver impactful strategic programs to lift early career and teacher engagement
• Ongoing Public Service Senior Executive Band 1 role with a remuneration range of $239,483 - $263,586 per annum
• Based in Parramatta with flexible work options

About us

At the NSW Department of Education, we educate and inspire lifelong learners – from early childhood, through schooling to vocational education and training.

We ensure young children get the best start in life by supporting and regulating the early childhood education and care sector. We unlock excellence and unleash the potential of two-thirds of school children in NSW. We're proudly public and the largest education system in Australia. We nurture opportunities for every learner to develop the skills needed for their chosen career path, helping shape the industries of tomorrow.

We respect and value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as First Peoples of Australia.

About the role

Reporting to the Executive Director, School Workforce, the Director, Attraction, Engagement and Retention leads and directs critical strategic and transformational programs to drive early career and experienced teacher engagement and development, including being the central point of contact with Initial Teacher Education (ITE) providers and overseeing the department's teacher approval process.

The role drives the implementation of a broad range of evidence-based reforms and workforce initiatives, including professional experience placements, graduate programs, and teaching scholarships, to increase teacher supply, attraction, engagement and retention rates and facilitate realisation of department strategy and the plan for public education.

For more details about this role, please click here to view the role description.

About you

The successful candidate will have exceptional communication and influencing skills to cultivate meaningful relationships with key external and internal stakeholders, to develop a comprehensive picture on how to engage with pre service and early career teachers to improve retention rates.

With a strong focus on collaboration, you will bring demonstrated extensive experience at a senior level and leadership capabilities to motivate a culture of agile decision making and accountability.   

As a leader you will join an executive team focused on driving improved ways of working to deliver meaningful and long-lasting impact. You will be collaborative, courageous, agile, and disciplined about delivering outcomes for the students of NSW.

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• Appropriate tertiary qualifications in a relevant discipline such as education, business, management, social sciences or communications, and/or equivalent knowledge and experience.
• Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to the value of public education.
• Demonstrated extensive experience at a senior level in the management of a large complex organisation.
• Knowledge of and commitment to implementing the Department's Aboriginal Education Policy and upholding the Department's Partnership Agreement with the NSW AECG and to ensure quality outcomes for Aboriginal people. 

As a condition of employment, successful candidates who have not previously worked for the department will be required to provide a current Working with Children Check (WWCC) Clearance number. This option would allow the WWCC to naturally expire without further communication needed with the employee. The employer obligations under the WWCC would apply for duration of the WWCC's validity (up to 5 years).

Interested?
To apply for this role, please submit an online application and attach your resume along with a cover letter which describes how your capabilities, knowledge and experience make you the best person for this role.

Applications Close: 11:59pm on Sunday, 17 August 2025

Contact: For enquiries about the recruitment of this role, please contact Sabrina Lau at

Please note: 
We welcome applications from all ages and genders, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, culturally and linguistically diverse groups, the LGBTQIA+ community, veterans, refugees, and people with disability. If we can make some adjustments to our recruitment/interview process to better enable you to shine, please contact the Diversity and Inclusion Team ) or visit NSW Department of Education Diversity and Inclusion.

A talent pool may be created for future ongoing and temporary roles and is valid for a period of up to 18 months. Candidates on a talent pool may be chosen and directly offered employment in other or similar roles (ongoing or term) in the near future.