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Edith Cowan University

Are you ready to belong to a dynamic community where courage, creativity and optimism are essential elements of our DNA? At ECU we’re inspired by the incredible achievements of Edith Cowan, the first woman elected to an Australian parliament and a lifelong champion of education. Empowered by her legacy, we’re united in our vision to lead the sector in educational experience and expand our impact through world-class research.

Embrace an opportunity to become part of something extraordinary.

Growth, Engagement and Marketing (GEM) is the heart of ECU’s growth, committed to showcasing the very best of ECU – who we are, what we offer, and the impact we make. We bring ECU’s story to life so the University is seen, chosen and valued. This commitment underpins everything we do across engagement, events, communications, brand, marketing and customer experience, shaping how ECU is perceived and experienced by its many audiences.

About the Opportunity

This newly created leadership role will lead market intelligence, performance marketing and strategic recruitment partnerships while identifying and leading priority growth initiatives within Growth, Engagement and Marketing.

Reporting to the Associate Director, Brand, Marketing and Growth, you will lead a small team across market analysis and performance marketing. You will use market, audience and performance insights to identify opportunities, guide investment and shape initiatives that build demand and support sustainable growth. 

You will work with schools and central teams to turn those opportunities into action, including developing partnerships that expand ECU’s reach and strengthen its student pipeline. You will have the opportunity to shape how this new function works and influence decisions across ECU.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead ECU’s market intelligence capability, identifying changes in student demand, competitor activity, audience behaviour and broader market conditions.
• Identify, assess and prioritise growth opportunities across markets, portfolios, recruitment channels and student pathways, recommending where ECU should focus its effort and investment.
• Lead priority growth initiatives within Brand, Marketing and Growth, bringing together relevant teams and capabilities to turn identified opportunities into action.
• Translate market research, audience insights and performance data into recommendations that inform priorities, marketing activity and investment decisions.
• Lead the development and evaluation of strategic recruitment channels and pathway partnerships, with a focus on reach, student demand and long-term value.
• Oversee performance marketing across SEM, paid social and remarketing, using performance insights to inform targeting, optimisation and investment.
• Work with University data and analytics teams to develop market intelligence and reporting that supports growth decisions.
• Develop the team’s analytical and commercial capability, set clear priorities and measure the impact of its work.
• Enable teams across GEM to use data and insights to inform their plans, challenge assumptions and evaluate results.
• Partner with GEM’s portfolio marketing and brand teams, Future Student Engagement, Schools, Finance and Strategy to turn recommendations into action.

About You

You are a commercially minded leader who can connect market opportunity with organisational strategy. You enjoy working through complex questions, bringing people together and seeing good ideas put into practice.

You can set direction while staying close enough to the work to guide your team. You can challenge assumptions, navigate competing priorities and keep initiatives moving.

This newly created role offers the opportunity to shape how ECU uses market intelligence, identify growth opportunities and influence how GEM focuses its effort and investment. 

You’ll bring

• Extensive experience in market intelligence, commercial strategy, customer insights, growth or a related field.
• A track record of identifying opportunities and using evidence to guide strategic decisions.
• Strong commercial judgement, including the ability to assess potential benefits, costs and risks.
• The ability to draw meaningful conclusions from market research and multiple data sources.
• An understanding of performance marketing and the ability to guide specialist team members.
• Experience leading and developing people, with a clear approach to setting priorities and expectations.
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills and the confidence to influence senior leaders.
• Experience progressing initiatives across teams, from initial recommendation through to implementation.
• Strong writing and presentation skills, including experience preparing business cases and presenting recommendations to senior leaders.
• A relevant tertiary qualification and extensive experience, or an equivalent combination of relevant experience, education and training.

Experience within higher education is not essential. ECU welcomes candidates from commercially focused environments who can bring fresh thinking and quickly develop an understanding of the factors influencing student demand.

Benefits of Working at ECU

At ECU we’re committed to fostering a positive employment experience and believe this is fundamental to the success and satisfaction of our employees. Growth and development matter here, because we recognise people are at the centre of everything we do. Our thriving work culture is guided by the ECU values and complemented by a range of employee benefits; visit our website to read about flexible working arrangements, generous leave entitlements, our commitment to Wellbeing, exclusive corporate discounts and industry-leading superannuation.

Contact

Ashe Munro Recruitment are proudly partnering with Edith Cowan University (ECU) to appoint this important position. For any questions or a confidential discussion, please contact Laura Ashe on 0432 603 981 or laura@ashemunro.com.

Application Process
 
Click Apply Now to submit your application, including your resume and a two-page cover letter outlining your suitability for the role.

Advert Closure

Applications close Wednesday 28th October 2026 at 11:30pm AWST.

ECU reserves the right to close the advertisement before the stated closing date and encourages applicants to submit their applications early.

PLEASE NOTE: Applications will only be accepted from candidates who have the relevant working rights to fill this position.

ECU is a diverse and inclusive workplace with specific strategies and initiatives in place to address underrepresentation of specific groups. We strongly encourage applications from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.

We are dedicated to attracting, retaining and developing our people regardless of gender identity, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, age or faith. For more information on our commitment to equity and diversity, please visit our Inclusive Workplace website.

At ECU, we are committed to supporting adjustments throughout the recruitment and selection process, as well as during employment. We actively encourage people with disability to apply. To discuss how we can support adjustment requirements, please contact the person listed above.

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