Careers at TAFE NSW

Head Teacher

Location: Tighes Hill, Newcastle

Temporary fulltime position until June 2028

Package $153,047.19 includes salary ($135,445.00), employer's superannuation and annual leave loading

At TAFE NSW, we are dedicated to life-changing impact.

That’s why we offer world-class training and education that delivers the skills needed for the jobs of today and tomorrow. 

The TAFE NSW Manufacturing Centres of Excellence (MCoE) are National Centres of Excellence, a joint initiative between the Australian Government and NSW Government under the National Skills Agreement.

MCoEs are an innovative education model to tackle the manufacturing skills challenge for NSW and Australia. Located in Western Sydney, the Hunter, and the Illawarra, each centre specialises in different areas. These include advanced manufacturing with robotics and 3D printing, supporting clean energy in net zero manufacturing and sustainable manufacturing practices, supporting the heavy manufacturing industry, and supporting new and existing workforce build the skills they need for the future.

By partnering with other CoEs, TAFES, universities, and industry, these nationally networked centres ensure training aligns with real-world job requirements. The MCoEs offer short courses, microskills, and will soon deliver higher apprenticeships to help individuals become job-ready or enhance their skills for future opportunities.

Learn more about this initiative by visiting TAFE NSW Manufacturing Centres of Excellence.

About the role

As an MCoE Head Teacher, you will play a pivotal leadership role in driving the renewable energy and sustainability agenda within the manufacturing sector. Your leadership will shape education that empowers learners to succeed in a clean energy future while ensuring industry benefits from cutting-edge skills in sustainable and advanced manufacturing.

You will:

• Lead the integration of sustainability, renewable energy, and clean technologies into teaching and training.
• Guide a high-performing team of educators through strategic recruitment, mentoring, and professional development.
• Build partnerships with industry, government, and community to ensure training reflects current and emerging workforce needs.
• Oversee operational planning, resource management, and compliance while promoting safe, equitable, and innovative learning environments.

The successful candidate must be willing to travel regionally as required to the other two MCoE campuses at Wetherill Park and Wollongong and regional delivery using Mobile Training Units.

 About You 

You are passionate about renewable energy, sustainability, and advanced manufacturing technologies and are committed to embedding these priorities into training that meets the future needs of industry and community.

You bring:

• Strong technical or professional qualifications in Advanced Manufacturing, Electrotechnology, or the Green Energy sector.
• A proven ability to collaborate across diverse stakeholder groups to co-design and deliver impactful training.
• Leadership experience guiding energetic, passionate teams with a focus on coaching, mentoring, and professional growth.
• Excellent communication and problem-solving skills, with the ability to meet deadlines in high-demand environments.
• Commitment to delivering an exceptional learner experience via both face-to-face and connected learning platforms.

 To be eligible for this role you will have:

1. Appropriate technical or professional qualifications, and vocational and/ or industrial experience, to be able to teach in one of the principal areas supervised by the head teacher position. Such as:
1. Diploma of Renewable Energy Engineering
2. Diploma of Electrical or Mechanical Engineering
3. Advanced Diploma of Engineering (Mechanical/Electrical)
4. Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical or Renewable Energy)
2. Evidence of successful completion of an approved program of teacher education, or evidence of successful completion of an acceptable teaching qualification.
1. (AQF) Level 5 or higher qualification in Vocational Education and Training (VET)/ Adult Education OR
2. hold a TAE40116 or equivalent and commit to obtaining the AQF Level 5 or higher qualification within 18 months of employment.
3. Diploma of Education or an interest in achieving that through the role.
3. Demonstrated qualities in educational leadership with demonstrated ability to lead and develop a team of professional staff members.   
4. Experience in setting work priorities, problem solving and meeting deadlines in a high workload environment.
5. High level communication skills and demonstrated high level of teaching competence. 
6. Ability to meet all the selection criteria as outlined in the position description.

 Highly Regarded – Professional Skills

• Additional qualifications in education, leadership, or sustainability-related fields.
• Experience creating innovative, flexible, and industry-responsive training.
• Understanding of digital applications, Industry 4.0, and smart manufacturing tools.

 Highly Regarded – Technical Skills

• Experience in renewable energy systems, clean energy technologies (solar, wind, hydro), and sustainable manufacturing solutions.
• Application of sustainability principles, circular economy, and digital twins in education or industry.
• Practical experience in advanced manufacturing (automation, additive, robotics, lean).
• Knowledge of heavy manufacturing industries transitioning to net zero.

To find out more about the role, click to view the  Position Description.

A career of life-changing impact awaits you. Apply now!

Applications close 11.55pm AEST Tuesday 16 September 2025

 To apply for this role, click on 'apply now' and provide:

• Your current resume
• Copies of your qualifications (upload as one PDF file). Certified copies preferred; these will be required if successful for the role.
• Response to one targeted question when prompted in the application form (max 300 words)

TARGETED QUESTION:  Can you share an example of when you introduced or supported an innovative solution—such as in renewable energy, sustainability, or Industry 4.0 technologies—within a workplace, training environment, or industry project? What impact did it have on the people involved (e.g., learners, colleagues, or industry partners), and how did it contribute to meeting future workforce or sustainability needs?

Role-specific enquiries: contact Vince Blanco, Team Leader Manufacturing via Email:  vincent.blanco@tafensw.edu.au or via MS Teams

General recruitment and adjustment enquiries: contact Talent Acquisition Advisor, Ravinder Mansfield via Email: ravinder.mansfield1@tafensw.edu.au or Tel: (02) 7921 2973.  

For helpful insights into preparing your application, TAFE NSW’s recruitment process, and getting interview ready, read through our Application Process and the interactive Capability Application Tool. 

Our commitment to Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion

We are committed to creating a culturally safe and accessible workplace where dignity, trust, respect, and the promotion of diversity and inclusion are valued, and connect through our many employee networks so you can safely bring your whole self to work. 

We are committed to supporting you by making the adjustments you need during the application and recruitment process and to perform your role. 

If you require an adjustment in the recruitment process, please contact the Talent Acquisition Advisor listed above.

This is a child-related position. A Working with Children Check is a prerequisite for anyone in child-related work. It involves a national criminal history check and review of findings of workplace misconduct. 

To be eligible for positions at TAFE NSW, you need to be an Australian Citizen or Permanent Resident of Australia or a New Zealand citizen with a current New Zealand passport.

A talent pool, valid for 18 months, may be created for this position, and position(s) of the same classification that subsequently becomes vacant, may be filled via this recruitment.