The Organisation
The University of Western Australia (UWA) is a member of Australia’s prestigious Group of Eight and is consistently ranked among the world’s leading universities. The University has a strong international reputation for excellence in learning, teaching and research, and offers a broad and balanced range of programs across the arts, humanities, sciences and major professions. UWA attracts a diverse community of students and scholars from across Australia and around the world and is committed to delivering an outstanding student experience.
The Education and Student Experience portfolio provides strategic oversight of UWA’s education and student experience strategy, including curriculum management, academic quality and standards, learning and teaching, experiential and work-integrated learning, student administration, wellbeing and access, student living, global engagement and international recruitment.
Within this portfolio, the International Recruitment directorate plays a pivotal role in leading the University’s international student recruitment activities and is responsible for developing and implementing strategies to attract high-quality international students across undergraduate and postgraduate programs.
The Role
The Director, International Recruitment is a senior executive role, reporting to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education and Student Experience) and holding enterprise-wide accountability for global student recruitment.
This role sits at the centre of UWA’s international growth agenda. It sets the direction for how the University competes globally through defining strategy, shaping market presence and driving sustainable enrolment outcomes across regions.
With oversight of all international recruitment activity, the Director leads both strategy and execution, spanning global markets, agent and partner networks, and onshore and offshore operations. The position ensures that recruitment performance, market expansion and diversification are delivered in a cohesive, data-led way.
The role also carries responsibility for operating within complex regulatory environments, safeguarding compliance with ESOS and international visa frameworks while protecting the University’s reputation globally.
The position represents UWA on the global stage, contributing to sector dialogue and reinforcing institutional reputation. Internally, the Director leads significant teams, capability, and investment to align recruitment delivery with UWA’s broader academic and institutional priorities.
Highly visible and globally connected, this role defines how UWA shows up to the world and how it grows in the future.
The Person
The successful candidate is a high-impact, globally oriented leader with a proven track record in international education, student recruitment, or a similarly complex, market-driven environment. You will bring evidence of shaping and executing strategies that deliver sustained growth, expand market reach and reposition organisations on the global stage.
With a deep understanding of international student markets, from emerging trends to shifting regulatory landscapes, you are comfortable leading across borders and complexity, with experience directing large-scale operations and navigating global partner and agent networks.
At your core is the ability to influence at the highest levels. You combine strategic vision with disciplined execution, bringing financial acumen and experience managing significant budgets to drive outcomes aligned to organisational priorities. At the same time, you hold a clear commitment to governance, compliance, and inclusive practice, ensuring performance is matched by integrity.
A postgraduate qualification is essential, and experience within higher education or transnational partnership environments will be highly regarded.
To Apply
Odgers is assisting the University with this appointment. More information on the role can be found at www.odgers.com/96192
For further information or a confidential discussion, please contact the consultants leading the search: Angela Bull on +61 432 842 508 or at angela.bull@odgers.com or Jenny Sutton at jenny.sutton@odgers.com.
Closing date: 11:55pm AWST on Friday 10 July 2026.
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