Executive Director – Capacity Building & Innovation

Lead national capability building and innovation that delivers real change for First Nations VET

• Shape a new national entity from the ground up
• Executive Package circa $290,000 (inclusive of super)
• National role | Work from anywhere in Australia
• Drive practical reform across one of the most important national skills initiatives in the country

A New National Architecture

The Indigenous Centre of Vocational Excellence (ICOVE) is a First Nations-led national initiative established under the Australian Government’s National Skills Agreement and aligned with Closing the Gap reforms.

Delivered in partnership between Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services (KAMS) and Tranby Aboriginal Co-operative, ICOVE has been created to improve how the vocational education and training (VET) system works for First Nations people — strengthening pathways into meaningful employment through better policy, stronger capability, and more effective training delivery.

While ICOVE plays a role in shaping how systems are designed, it is equally focused on how those systems are experienced — improving training delivery, strengthening capability, and supporting better outcomes for learners and communities.

ICOVE is being built from the ground up. This is a rare opportunity to join at the foundation stage and help shape how its work is delivered across Australia.

For more information, please visit:

• ICOVE 
• Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services (KAMS)
• Tranby Aboriginal Co-operative

The Role: Activating the System

This is a national role, working remotely from anywhere in Australia, with regular engagement across jurisdictions and stakeholders.

ICOVE is seeking a full-time Executive Director – Capacity Building & Innovation to lead its Capacity Building and Innovation pillars at a national level.

Reporting to the CEO, this role sits alongside the Policy & Research function as one of two core executive leadership positions shaping ICOVE’s national impact.

Where Policy defines direction, this role ensures that reform is delivered, embedded, and sustained across the system.

A key focus will be establishing practical, scalable approaches that strengthen sector capability, improve how training is delivered, and ultimately drive better outcomes for First Nations learners and communities.

This is not about designing frameworks in isolation — it’s about ensuring they work in practice, across diverse environments and organisations.

What You Will Build and Deliver

This is a build-phase role, focused on execution, impact, and continuous improvement.

Your focus will include:

• Designing and delivering national capacity-building initiatives across the First Nations VET sector
• Leading innovation in how training is designed, delivered, and scaled
• Working directly with organisations to strengthen capability and improve outcomes
• Translating policy and strategy into practical, scalable programs and delivery models
• Establishing the operational frameworks, systems, and team required to deliver ICOVE’s initiatives
• Driving implementation of priority programs, including workforce and sector capability initiatives
• Identifying, testing, and scaling new approaches to improve learner outcomes
• Building strong relationships across the sector to support collaboration and uptake

To read the full position description, please click here

The Profile: Practical, Strategic, and Delivery-Focused

This role requires a senior leader who is comfortable moving between strategy and execution — and who knows how to deliver in complex, evolving environments.

To be considered, you will bring:

• Extensive experience in workforce development, education, or training delivery
• Strong understanding of the VET sector
• Experience designing and delivering programs at scale
• Experience working with First Nations organisations, communities, or sectors
• Proven ability to build and lead teams in a developing or changing environment

You are someone who is:

• Practical and outcomes-focused
• Comfortable working in ambiguity and building as you go
• Able to translate strategy into action
• Collaborative, with strong stakeholder engagement capability

This role is not suited to candidates who are purely policy-focused or who require highly structured environments.

What You Step Into

In recognition of the impact, scope, and national significance of this role, you will receive a salary package circa $290,000 (inclusive of SUPER), alongside:

• Salary Packaging to maximise your take-home pay
• Remote, national role with flexibility on location across Australia
• The opportunity to build and lead a function from inception
• Direct involvement in delivering national reform initiatives
• A platform to influence outcomes aligned to Closing the Gap priorities

Why This Role Matters

This is where reform becomes real.

Policy alone does not change outcomes — it’s how it is delivered, adopted, and experienced that makes the difference.

This role sits at that point of impact — translating national direction into capability, innovation, and tangible outcomes across the sector.

The work you lead will shape how training is experienced by learners and communities across Australia.

Build What Actually Works

If you’re ready to take strategy and turn it into meaningful, real-world outcomes, we encourage you to APPLY NOW!