Senior Program Manager, Bachelor of Design Studies

RMIT Vietnam is seeking a Senior Program Manager, Bachelor of Design Studies to join our academic community and deliver high-quality teaching, research, and student engagement. This is an exciting opportunity for an educator-scholar who is passionate about shaping future-ready graduates and contributing to impactful research. 

WHY JOIN RMIT VIETNAM? 

At RMIT Vietnam, international exposure meets real-world impact through strong industry and government collaboration. Working at RMIT means building a meaningful career while creating impact in a high-performing environment. 

Further insight into our mission, impact and global connections is available in the RMIT Vietnam Profile. 

WHAT WE OFFER

Expatriates 

• Competitive remuneration package USD for expatriate candidates 

• Relocation allowance package from US$6,000 

• Relocation flights from home location to Vietnam for candidate and direct dependents (if applicable) 

• International repatriation flights for the staff and direct dependents at the end of their contract. 

• School tuition fees for children to attend the K-12 program in Vietnam, up to US$20,000 per child or US$40,000 for two children per year. 

• Premium private medical insurance for employee and immediate family, plus Personal Accident Insurance 

• Dedicated support from Global Mobility Team to support with immigration and relocation to Vietnam.  

Vietnamese candidates 

• Competitive remuneration VND package for Vietnamese candidates. 

• 13th month Tet bonus  

• Private Health insurance for you and your family, plus Personal Accident Insurance 

Other benefits 

• Generous annual leave, career leave, volunteer leave and public holidays (Christmas and Tet Holidays) 

• Professional development and career advancement 

• Access to state-of-the-art facilities and resources 

• A vibrant and diverse campus life and more! 

SCHOOL OF DESIGN & COMMUNICATION

For further information about SCD, please visit our website: https://www.rmit.edu.vn/about-us/schools-and-centres/school-communication-design

ABOUT THE ROLE 

The Senior Program Manager will be responsible for the Bachelor of Design Studies program offered by RMIT Vietnam. The appointee will provide senior academic and operational leadership for the program, including responsibility for teaching and learning activities, curriculum development and quality assurance, timetabling, student experience, resource planning, financial sustainability, program promotion, industry engagement, staff workload planning, professional development review, research and scholarship trajectory, and multi-campus delivery.

The appointee will line manage academic staff as required, including Associate Program Managers and other senior academic staff within the program where applicable, and will work closely with the Dean of School and Deputy Deans of School.

The scope of responsibilities includes teaching and learning activities, curriculum development and quality assurance, timetabling, student experience, resource planning, program promotion, industry engagement, staff workload planning and professional development review. Proven success in program leadership, marketing, promotion, innovation, quality assurance and curriculum renewal is required.

The appointee will contribute to the strategic direction of the School by working collaboratively with peer Program Managers, Associate Program Managers, senior academic staff, and other members of the School leadership team, contributing to school-wide leadership, curriculum coherence, workforce planning, research and scholarship development, engagement, and program sustainability.

The role combines program leadership with teaching, scholarship, research and/or creative practice appropriate to the academic level of appointment. This position will suit an experienced senior academic leader with a strong record in design education, academic leadership, curriculum development, industry engagement, and the management of complex academic programs.

Reports to:

Dean, School of Communication & Design

KEY ACCOUNTIBILITIES 

Program Leadership and Management

• Provide senior academic leadership for the Bachelor of Design Studies as a large, multi-campus program, ensuring academic quality, curriculum coherence, operational effectiveness, financial sustainability, student outcomes and program reputation.
• Lead curriculum development, review, renewal and mapping, including alignment of Program Learning Outcomes, Course Learning Outcomes, assessment, graduate capabilities, RMIT academic frameworks, accreditation requirements and industry needs.
• Oversee program delivery, timetabling, assessment moderation, quality assurance processes, program amendments and course-related policies pursuant to School, College and University procedures and in liaison with key stakeholders.
• Ensure compliance with University, College, School, TEQSA, MOET and other relevant academic governance and regulatory requirements.
• Contribute to annual and longer-term program planning, including planning related to student load, staffing, resources, facilities, curriculum renewal, program promotion, industry engagement and program sustainability.
• Work collaboratively with the Dean, Deputy Deans, Associate Program Managers, peer Program Managers and senior staff to ensure the program contributes to the School’s broader learning and teaching, research, engagement and growth objectives.

Teaching and Learning

• Contribute to undergraduate teaching within the Design Studies program, including assessment design, delivery, moderation and continuous improvement.
• Lead innovation in teaching and learning, including blended and digital learning approaches appropriate to creative disciplines.
• Use evidence-informed practice, peer review, moderation, course evaluation data, student feedback and program-level quality assurance processes to enhance learning outcomes and student experience.
• Support academic staff to understand and implement program-level priorities, including curriculum alignment, assessment quality, moderation, feedback, student progression, retention and success.

Student Experience and Engagement

• Champion a positive, inclusive and supportive student experience across Saigon South and Hanoi cohorts.
• Monitor student progression, retention, success, satisfaction, complaints, feedback and risks, and lead program-level strategies to address identified issues.
• Support student engagement with industry, community projects, exhibitions, competitions, applied learning opportunities, international opportunities and employability initiatives.
• Ensure students experience the program as coherent, well-managed, academically rigorous, professionally relevant and aligned across delivery locations.

Staff Leadership and Development

• Provide academic leadership and line management to Associate Program Managers and academic staff teaching into the program, fostering a collegial, collaborative and high-performing culture.
• Lead workload planning in alignment with program needs, financial sustainability, staff capability, individual development plans and the School workforce plan.
• Support mentoring and capability building in teaching, curriculum design, assessment, research, scholarship, creative practice, industry engagement and academic leadership.
• Ensure Associate Program Managers and senior staff have clear delegated responsibilities and are supported to contribute effectively to program leadership.
• Foster a strong culture of accountability, collaboration, inclusion, academic excellence and continuous improvement within the program.

Industry, Engagement and Promotion

• Build and sustain strong industry, community, alumni and professional partnerships relevant to Design Studies disciplines.
• Build partnerships that contribute to curriculum relevance, student experience, graduate outcomes, research, creative practice, external engagement and program reputation.
• Contribute to program marketing, recruitment and promotion in collaboration with RMIT Vietnam Marketing and Engagement teams.
• Represent the program internally and externally to support reputation, growth and strategic positioning.
• Ensure industry and community engagement is embedded meaningfully across the program through applied projects, exhibitions, competitions, internships, guest lectures, partnerships, live briefs, public-facing outcomes and other forms of authentic learning.

Research, Scholarship and Creative Practice

• Maintain an active profile in research, scholarship of teaching and learning, and/or creative practice appropriate to the level of appointment.
• Provide leadership for the research, scholarship, creative practice and/or scholarship of teaching and learning trajectory of the Design Studies program, aligned with School priorities and appropriate to the academic level of appointment.
• Contribute to the School’s research culture and priorities, including supervision where eligible, collaborative projects, publications, creative practice outputs, industry-engaged projects, external partnerships, exhibitions, public outcomes and dissemination.
• Mentor staff to build research, scholarship, creative practice, supervision, publication, industry-engaged and impact-oriented profiles appropriate to their academic level and discipline.
• Identify and support opportunities for external income, research funding, consultancy, industry-funded projects, creative practice partnerships and community-engaged research relevant to Design Studies.

Financial, Operational and Resource Management

• Contribute to program-level budgeting, financial planning, load planning, staffing projections, resource allocation and operational decision-making in consultation with the Dean, Deputy Deans and relevant professional teams.
• Monitor program performance in relation to student load, enrolments, retention, progression, staffing, delivery costs, workload, resource needs and contribution to School sustainability.
• Ensure effective planning and use of teaching spaces, studios, equipment, technical resources, learning materials and other physical and digital resources required for high-quality design education.
• Identify risks, pressures and opportunities related to program delivery, staffing, student numbers, resources, facilities and financial sustainability, and propose evidence-based solutions.
• Work with relevant School and University teams to ensure the program is appropriately resourced and operationally well-managed across all delivery locations.

Service and Governance

• Contribute to School, College and University committees, working groups and academic governance activities.
• Actively contribute to the collegial life of the School and broader University community.
• Lead or contribute to program amendments, course amendments, program review, annual reporting, quality assurance, academic governance and risk management processes.
• Work in alignment with RMIT’s Academic Expectations and Development Framework, RMIT Values, the RMIT Leadership Model, and relevant policies and procedures.

KEY SELECTION CRITERIA

Relevant PhD or equivalent doctoral qualification from a recognised institution is preferred. Candidates without a PhD may be considered where they demonstrate equivalent senior academic, professional, creative practice, industry and/or leadership experience relevant to the role. Minimum of five years' teaching experience of relevant programs/courses at undergraduate level. Senior academic and/or professional experience in design, design studies, creative practice or at least one of the specialisms within the program. Proven success in program leadership, marketing, promotion, innovation, quality assurance, curriculum renewal, student experience and multi-campus delivery. Demonstrated ability to lead and manage a large or complex academic program, including responsibility for curriculum coherence, academic quality, staffing, workload planning, student outcomes, operational planning and financial sustainability.

…

Additional level-specific expectations

For appointment at Academic Level C, candidates should demonstrate an emerging nationally recognised profile in research, scholarship, creative practice, industry-engaged practice and/or scholarship of teaching and learning, with evidence of outputs, impact and leadership potential.

For appointment at Academic Level D, candidates should demonstrate a recognised national and/or international profile in research, scholarship, creative practice, industry-engaged practice and/or scholarship of teaching and learning, including evidence of senior academic leadership, outputs, partnerships, supervision where applicable, income generation and/or impact.

For full details of the accountability, please refer to the Job Description

HOW TO APPLY 

To be considered for this role, it is mandatory to submit both a resume and a cover letter. Please click on the 'Apply' link provided in this Job Ads to initiate the application process. 

Please note that we will be running a rolling recruitment process, so please apply as soon as possible. 

COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS  

All academic appointments at RMIT Vietnam must meet University and local regulatory requirements, including English proficiency, background checks, and (for international candidates) eligibility for a work permit.   

English is the language of teaching and communication at RMIT Vietnam. For this role, the minimum requirement is IELTS (Academic) with a score of at least 7.0 with no competency less than 6.5 (or equivalent, as outlined in the Recruitment, Selection and Onboarding Guidelines).   

Further guidance will be provided during the recruitment process. 

RMIT UNIVERSITY COMMITMENT  

RMIT is committed to the rights of students and staff to be safe, respected, valued, and treated as an equal in their place of study and work. All staff are expected to share this commitment and contribute to a safer community. While carrying out their role, staff are in a position of trust with students. Staff have a duty of care to report wellbeing concerns about students through the designated channels and uphold the code of conduct. RMIT Vietnam expects all staff members to comply with its Code of Conduct, policies and procedures, which relate to legal and regulatory requirements and our ways of working. 

IMPORTANT NOTICE:  

• Please ensure that your application is submitted through our Workday system on the RMIT Careers page. We do not accept applications through other means.  

• RMIT Vietnam will never request any fees or payments during the application process. Be vigilant about scams asking for payment to apply.  

• For any questions or support, feel free to reach out to our Talent Acquisition team at [email protected] 

#RMITVietnam

RMIT University Vietnam (RMIT Vietnam) is a campus of RMIT University. RMIT Vietnam is creating an innovative research, teaching and learning culture. We are committed to providing internationally recognised high-quality education and professional training for our students, clients and members of the community.  As an internationally recognised Australian university based in Asia, RMIT Vietnam is assisting in the development of human resources capability in Vietnam and the region.

https://www.rmit.edu.vn/about-us