Student and Education Digital Experience Lead in Ryde

Lead the digital experience that puts students at the heart of education. Champion innovation across the student journey, bringing together people, technology and insight to create seamless, engaging and inclusive digital experiences that enable students to connect, learn, thrive and succeed.

This newly established role owns the digital experience approach for our student and education domain, supported by a dedicated team, and the development capability focused solely on the student experience. As the Student and Education Digital Experience Lead, you are the primary IT partner, the IT "front door" for the Student Services domain. You will work alongside Student Shared Services, Deputy Deans, Faculty Executive Directors, the Dean of Students Office and the PVC Education to connect academic and service priorities with technology capability, so that student needs, service performance, investment decisions and delivery roadmaps stay aligned with the University’s strategic objectives.

This role is central to Macquarie's customer-focused, experience-led IT operating model, aligned with IT's 2027 Workforce Plan and the shift toward domain-focused delivery leadership. It is a high-impact, highly visible position at the intersection of higher education, student services and technology, with the scope, resources and accountability to shape digital experiences for our students.

About the Role

Reporting to the Chief Information and Digital Officer, you will guide the student and education digital experience end to end. Your focus will include:

• Developing and maintaining the Student Experience roadmap, domain backlog and prioritisation approach, aligned to business priorities, service outcomes and strategic objectives.
• Coordinating demand through a single domain view, so work is prioritised and routed appropriately across experience teams, platform teams, project delivery pathways and operational improvement activity.
• Guiding your team and dedicated development capability to deliver a prioritised backlog of improvements, with attention to backlog health, sequencing, dependencies, delivery predictability and value realisation.
• Translating student insights, service performance information and journey pain points into prioritised initiatives with measurable outcomes.
• Partnering with Platform Owners, Architects, and the Cyber, Service Management, Data and AI functions so student experiences make best use of enterprise platforms, reusable capabilities and architectural standards, with security considered from the earliest stages of planning and design.
• Progressing the responsible adoption of AI-enabled capabilities across the domain, with appropriate governance and oversight.
• Using customer, service, operational and business data to establish meaningful performance measures, generate actionable insights and monitor digital adoption, product performance and benefits.
• Reporting domain performance, delivery confidence, adoption, risks, benefits and priorities through Quarterly Business Reviews and other governance forums.
• Guiding the transition from project-based delivery to enduring product and experience-team ownership, including capability uplift across product, Agile, DevSecOps, analytics, design and change practices.

About You

You are an experienced digital, product or service leader with a strong understanding of the higher education sector, university environments and the student experience, with an appreciation of academic and education contexts. You are confident engaging in technical conversations and skilled at building effective relationships across various stakeholders, academic colleagues, platform teams and multidisciplinary teams.

Selection Criteria

• Relevant tertiary qualifications or equivalent professional experience in technology, business, service design, product management, enterprise architecture, transformation, management or a related field.
• Experience leading student-focused digital experiences within higher education, translating student needs, business priorities and service outcomes into roadmaps, backlogs and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Well-developed knowledge of student services, and ideally the academic and education domain, including enrolment, learning and teaching, communications and student portals.
• Demonstrated technical competency with student-facing platforms such as Salesforce CRM, Academic Management Information System (AMIS), MyAcademic and eStudent portals, iLearn Learning Management Systems and Service Connect, with domain-specific understanding.
• Capability in strategic planning, investment prioritisation, portfolio management and demand management, including balancing competing priorities and making evidence-based decision making.
• Experience leading or working within Agile, product and DevSecOps environments, embedding continuous improvement, cross-functional collaboration, delivery discipline and secure-by-design practices.
• Data literacy and evaluative capability, including establishing meaningful performance measures, generating actionable insights and applying them to improve experience and service performance, together with the ability to identify and apply AI and emerging technology opportunities responsibly.
• Strong leadership, facilitation and communication skills, including guiding multidisciplinary teams, enabling organisational change, building capability, and conveying complex information clearly to executive stakeholders and governance forums.

Applications Close: 6th November at 11.59 PM AEST.

Why Join Us?

Macquarie is a university engaged with the real and often complex problems and opportunities that define our lives. Since our foundation over 60 years ago, we have aspired to be a different type of university. Over the years, we have grown to become the centre of a vibrant local and global community. Connect with us today. We rank amongst the top employers in the Australian Workplace Employers Index.

• Flexible, hybrid work arrangements
• Subsidised onsite parking options
• Extensive training and professional development programs
• Onsite childcare facilities to support working parents
• Discounted health insurance
• Subsidised membership at our Sport & Aquatic Centre
• Access to an Employee Assistance Program for free and confidential support
• Convenient onsite GP, imaging, and physiotherapy clinics

Pre-Employment Checks

Macquarie University cultivates a workplace defined by safety, ethical conduct, and strong integrity. Prior to completion of an offer of employment, preferred candidates will be required to participate in a combination of pre-employment checks relevant to the role they have applied for. Your employment is conditional upon the completion and maintenance of all role-required pre-employment or background checks in terms satisfactory to the University.

A Place Where You Belong

At Macquarie, we believe diversity makes us stronger, inclusion drives our success, and belonging inspires us to do our best work. We are proud to foster a community where different backgrounds, identities, and experiences are valued, and where our people are empowered to thrive through supportive leadership, shared responsibility, and a deep commitment to genuine care and respect for our community.

Flexible Work

At Macquarie, we believe by providing flexibility in when, where and how work is done, we can support our staff to manage their personal commitments, while optimising their work performance and contributions to the University.