Executive Director, Academic Health Strategy in Sydney

Macquarie University is seeking an exceptional leader with deep experience in both the university and healthcare sectors to join the leadership team of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Medicine and Health) (DVCMH) as Executive Director, Academic Health Strategy.

This unique and strategic leadership role sits at the intersection of education, research, clinical care, and innovation. You will be instrumental in integrating academic and practice-based activities across the Macquarie University Health precinct—including the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences (FMHHS), Macquarie University Hospital and Clinics, the Clinical Innovation Unit, the Australian Hearing Hub, and the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research. As a member of the DVCMH Leadership Team, you will lead and contribute to major strategic planning initiatives, oversight of governance frameworks, and the development of value-based systems to measure success across education, research, and healthcare delivery and to contribute to the successful achievement of integrated academic healthcare.

Key Responsibilities

• Advise the DVCMH and leadership team on academic health strategy and innovation within the precinct.
• Lead and support strategic initiatives that align with University-wide goals for academic healthcare integration.
• Develop financial values-flow frameworks to assess the contribution of specific Health Programs in education, research, clinical care, and philanthropy.
• Drive collaborative and cross-functional integration efforts across the health precinct.
• Lead effective reporting and communications between academic and clinical entities.
• Represent the DVCMH in University forums and external strategic engagements.

You are a collaborative, strategic, and innovative leader with:

• Senior-Level Leadership in Health and Higher Education: Demonstrated success in leading professional and operational services at an executive and/or senior advisory level, with substantial experience across both the higher education and health care sectors.
• Strategic Integration in Academic Health Enterprises: Proven ability to identify, understand and address key issues and challenges within academic health care environments, including the development and implementation of successful integration strategies that align academic and clinical/practice-based activities.
• Strategic Thinking and Institutional Innovation: Demonstrated capacity to apply strong business acumen and strategic thinking to design and deliver innovative, high-quality institutional strategies and processes that enhance integration, performance, and long-term sustainability.
• Financial and Operational Management: Evidence of sound financial management capabilities, including planning, budget development, financial modelling and performance monitoring in complex organisational settings.
• Influence, Communication and Relationship Management: Exceptional communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills, with a demonstrated ability to collaborate, influence, engage and build effective, trust-based relationships with diverse internal and external senior stakeholders.
• Collaborative Stakeholder Engagement: Extensive experience in working collaboratively with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders to achieve strategic objectives, resolve complex issues, and support organisational change.
• Leadership and Culture Building: Demonstrated ability and a deep commitment to fostering a culture of high performance, innovation, accountability, collaboration, and ethical leadership.

Why Join Macquarie?

• World-class education in health sciences, medicine, public health, and more.
• Leading research in neuroscience, psychology, cancer medicine, health systems amongst others.
• An integrated clinical environment featuring a not-for-profit private hospital, health clinics and clinical trials unit.

At Macquarie, we are driven by our values of Caring, Integrity, Teamwork, Ambition, Innovation, and Empowerment—and we’re committed to achieving real societal impact through bold ideas and collaborative action. Macquarie is a university engaged with the real and often complex problems and opportunities that define our lives. Since our foundation 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, having recently earned a five-star rating in the QS World Rankings with the highest rating for employability. Take a look at the staff benefits on offer.

How to apply

To be considered, please apply online with your CV and a cover letter outlining how your experience aligns with the key selection criteria (above).

Application Closes: Sunday 31st August 2025

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. Find out more about our vision for a truly inclusive workplace in our Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Framework.

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. See how we lead in flexible work to enable an outcome focused and inclusive workplace. To learn more about our culture and hiring process, explore our Candidate Resource Hub.