Chief People Officer
James Cook University
Unique Chief People Officer opportunity leading workforce strategy for one of Northern Australia's largest and most complex organisations
One of Australia’s leading and most impactful universities
Live and work in the tropics – where opportunity meets lifestyle.
The Organisation
James Cook University (JCU) is Australia's leading university dedicated to the Tropics, creating a brighter future for life in the Tropics and beyond through education and research that makes a difference locally and globally. With campuses in Townsville, Cairns, Brisbane and Singapore, and study centres across regional Queensland, JCU serves diverse communities through world-class teaching, research and engagement. Surrounded by the Great Barrier Reef and Wet Tropics rainforests, JCU is uniquely positioned to address some of the most significant challenges and opportunities facing tropical regions. Guided by the values of Authenticity, Excellence, Integrity and Respect, JCU is committed to delivering positive impact for its students, staff, partners and the communities in which it serves.
The Role
Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the Chief People Officer (CPO) is a pivotal executive entrusted to shape the future workforce, culture, wellbeing and organisational capability of JCU.
Leading the University's people and culture agenda, you will deliver workforce strategy, leadership capability, employee experience and workforce governance support towards the achievement of JCU's strategic priorities and long-term sustainability. Throughout your term, you will be a key driver of enterprise agreement negotiations and the successful implementation of TechnologyOne's HR technology suite, shaping the future of people processes across the University.
Drawing on trusted partnerships with the Chancellor, Vice Chancellor and President, and Executive Leadership Team, you will provide sound counsel on strategy and risks, while overseeing contemporary people and culture service delivery and technology transformation.
Inspiring a high-performing team of practitioners, you will position the function to meet the opportunities and challenges facing the higher education sector and support tangible outcomes against strategic drivers.
Given JCU's multi-campus footprint and international presence, the role requires regular travel across the University's locations, together with occasional interstate and international travel to support strategic priorities, partnerships and stakeholder engagement.
About You
You are an accomplished executive people and culture leader with experience operating in large, complex and highly regulated organisations.You bring a proven track record of developing and implementing workforce, culture and organisational capability strategies, ideally within environments undergoing significant transformation and change.
Experience in higher education is not essential; however, you will have succeeded in similarly complex organisations where stakeholder management, governance and workforce reform are critical.
You are comfortable leading large-scale technology and business transformation programs, using data and workforce insights to improve organisational performance, compliance and employee experience. Commercial and pragmatic, you translate strategy into action and build credibility through outcomes.
A highly trusted advisor, you have the presence, judgement and influencing skills to operate effectively at executive and governing body level. You lead through collaboration, build strong relationships across diverse stakeholder groups and foster high-performing teams. Most importantly, you are motivated by the opportunity to contribute to a purpose-led institution, helping shape the future workforce, culture and capability of one of Australia's leading universities and the communities it serves.
To effectively fulfil the requirements of the role, the successful candidate will be based in Townsville, with relocation support available should the appointee currently reside outside the region.
To apply, please submit your CV and a brief cover letter (maximum two pages) outlining your capability and motivation to Watermark Search International at search@watermarksearch.com.au quoting Ref No A006518.
We will reply to the email address used for your application.
For a confidential discussion; please call Dani White 0425 370 124, Will Wilson 0499 920 848 or Alison Myatt of Watermark Search International on (07) 3020 0316.
To obtain a copy of the Candidate Brief for this role, please visit here: https://watermark.qwilr.com/Chief-People-Officer-James-Cook-University-1QKHUWHSV2Tj
Closing date: Sunday 11th October at 11:59pm AEST
If you are interested in our Thought Leadership, the 2026 Board Diversity Index and the Interim Executive Survey FY26/27 are available now for download.