Candidate information pack: Program Manager

• Candidate information pack: Program Manager (MS Word, 2.4 MB)
• Candidate information pack: Program Manager (PDF, 1.2 MB)

Position number: 19475
Position title: Program Manager
Group / Team: Strategic Delivery
Employment type: Full-time / non-ongoing for 3 years
Classification: Executive Level 2 (EL2)
Salary range: $146,720 to $176,120 per annum plus 15.4% superannuation
Location: Melbourne or Canberra (other locations may be considered). Hybrid and flexible work options are available
Reporting to: Director, Executive Office and Strategic Delivery
Agency Employment Act: Public Service Act 1999
Contact person: Dhamendra Unka – 03 8306 2430

Applications close on Sunday 13 September 2026 at 11:45pm (AEST).

About us

The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) is Australia’s independent national quality assurance and regulatory agency for higher education. TEQSA protects the interests of students and the reputation and standing of Australian higher education.

As an independent quality assurance and regulatory agency, TEQSA adopts a risk-based approach that is guided by the principles of necessity, risk, and proportionality, and which supports quality, diversity, innovation, and excellence in higher education.

TEQSA has three strategic objectives in delivering its purpose:

1. Promote and support good practice and effective self-assurance across the sector.
2. Identify, analyse, and respond to risks to the sector.
3. Ensure compliance with applicable legislation through effective and efficient regulation.

Our culture

Our organisational culture reflects our Culture Plan 2023 and the core values and behaviours that guide how we approach our work and interact with each other.

The core values by which we operate include:

• Trust – We have confidence in each other to do our best. We encourage open and honest conversations that focus on the issue, not the person. We promote a supportive and safe workplace environment.
• Respect – We approach every situation with kindness, compassion, and an open mindset. We value people, the range of views and experience they bring, and the work they undertake.
• Accountability – We hold ourselves and each other accountable for our actions, how we work together, and the quality of what we deliver. We gather feedback, reflect, and act on opportunities for improvement.
• Collaboration – We draw on our collective strength by encouraging each other to contribute to the achievement of shared objectives. We provide context and information to help others succeed.

At TEQSA, we are building a working environment that aligns with our cultural values and cultivates a rewarding, stimulating, and engaging workplace. If our organisational culture resonates with you, we want to hear from you.

How we value our employees

TEQSA is committed to investing in its people. Why work for us?

• A full-time role in a for-purpose organisation that protects the interests of students and the reputation and standing of Australian higher education.
• Flexible working arrangements, including working from home to balance work and personal life.
• Conveniently located spacious office close to public transport in the heart of Melbourne CBD or in the Parliamentary Triangle Canberra.
• Generous leave entitlements, including study leave to support your professional development, personal leave, and paid time off over Christmas!
• Competitive superannuation at 15.4% and remuneration.
• Professional development that is supported and encouraged so your career continues to grow as you enhance your technical and leadership skills and capabilities and build a career at TEQSA.
• Free Employee Assistance Program for you and your immediate family members. Our external partner is a leading provider of wellbeing and mental health support services.
• Workplace diversity and inclusion. TEQSA welcomes people with diverse skills, experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds. TEQSA encourages applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, people with disabilities, people that identify as LGBTQIA+, and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

About the position

TEQSA is undertaking a critical technology refresh to support its regulatory teams and enabling teams through TEQcore, a multi-year digital transformation program that will establish a modern, organisation-wide platform supporting how TEQSA works.

Built on Salesforce, TEQcore will progressively deliver TEQSA’s regulatory case management system, provider portal, National Register, public website, enquiry management functions, and other organisational workflows.

The platform will connect teams and information across TEQSA, support the full regulatory lifecycle, and improve how providers and members of the public interact with the agency.

The Program Manager sits within the Strategic Delivery team and is responsible for the successful delivery of TEQcore.

The role leads a small internal team and works closely with the program sponsor, TEQSA teams, technical specialists, and implementation partners.

The Program Manager will oversee the program from planning and design through to implementation, adoption, and transition into ongoing operations.

Duties

As Program Manager, you will:

• lead the delivery of TEQcore across its program phases and implementation tranches
• maintain integrated program plans, priorities, milestones, budgets, dependencies, and resources
• coordinate internal teams, technical specialists, and implementation partners to deliver agreed outcomes
• oversee program governance, reporting, risks, issues, assurance activities, and key decisions
• manage supplier performance, contractual deliverables, and commercial arrangements
• provide clear and timely advice to the program sponsor, senior executives, and governance bodies
• engage teams across TEQSA to ensure the platform reflects organisational and operational needs
• support organisational readiness, adoption, and the transition to new systems and ways of working
• lead a small program team, set clear priorities, and support high-quality performance
• promote a collaborative, accountable, and delivery-focused culture
• other duties as required.

Our ideal candidate

TEQSA is looking for someone who is passionate about contributing to the excellence of Australian higher education. Our ideal candidate will have:

1. Experience managing a complex digital, technology, or business transformation involving multiple workstreams, stakeholders, and delivery phases.
2. Experience delivering Salesforce, case management, customer relationship management technology solutions.
3. The ability to manage program governance, budgets, risks, suppliers, contracts, and assurance activities.
4. The ability to bring together business and technical perspectives, communicate clearly with senior stakeholders, and support organisational adoption.
5. Experience leading a small team, setting priorities, and creating a collaborative and accountable working environment.
6. Strong written and oral communication skills with the ability to convey complex information clearly and concisely to a variety of stakeholders, including reports, briefings, and presentations for senior audiences.

Qualifications and experience

The following experience or qualifications will be highly regarded:

• Tertiary qualifications in project management, business administration, information technology, or a related field.
• Experience working in the Australian Public Service, or a regulatory environment.
• A recognised certification or experience in project management methodologies, such as, Agile.

How to apply

Your application must include the following items:

1. A TEQSA job application cover sheet
2. A current resume (maximum two pages)
3. A two-page cover letter (pitch) (maximum 1,000 words) detailing how your skills and experience address the ‘our ideal candidate’ section (i.e., what makes you the best candidate for the position), and the value you can add to TEQSA.

Once prepared, please submit your completed application to recruitment@teqsa.gov.au.

Handy hints

• Your pitch should be succinct and showcase your skills, knowledge, experience, and qualifications.
• For assistance with preparing your response, you may wish to refer to Australian Public Service Work Level Standards relevant to the Executive Level 2 (EL2) classification level and Cracking the Code.

Eligibility

The successful applicant must:

• be an Australian citizen
• be able to complete a satisfactory National Police Check
• be able to obtain and maintain an Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA) clearance to Baseline status, supported by TEQSA, which must be maintained throughout the period of employment.

Failure to satisfy any of the above conditions may result in the withdrawal of an offer of employment or termination of employment.

Additional information

• This recruitment process is being conducted to fill a non-ongoing vacancy up to 3 years. There is potential for the position to become ongoing after this time.
• A merit pool of suitable applicants will be created from this process and may be used to fill similar ongoing and non-ongoing vacancies. It is active for 18 months from the date of this advertisement.
• Before commencing in the role, the successful candidate will be required to disclose details of any material personal interests in connection with their employment at TEQSA via a Declaration of Interest form and seek approval to undertake any outside employment (paid or unpaid) via an Outside Employment application.
• For further information on this role, please contact Dhamendra Unka on 03 8306 2430 or recruitment@teqsa.gov.au.