Job Opportunity | Lecturer in Baptist Studies and Academic Dean

Are you a gifted and passionate academic leader with qualifications and extensive experience in the areas of Baptist identity, theological education, and the formation of students for life and ministry?

Whitley College seeks to appoint a full-time Lecturer in Baptist Studies and Academic Dean, with an expected start date in early 2026 (subject to negotiation).

About the position

Whitley College, as an agency of the Baptist Union of Victoria (BUV), has a primary responsibility for providing high quality theological education and ministry formation for students and ordination candidates of the BUV.

The College seeks to fill the role of Academic Dean and Lecturer in Baptist Studies to ensure a high quality and relevant theological curriculum and, in particular, to encourage student appreciation for the Baptist tradition and the formation of students for Baptist ministry.

The Lecturer in Baptist Studies and Academic Dean will:

• coordinate the Academic program of Whitley College, resourcing and facilitating regular and collaborative Faculty Meetings;
• lead and participate in the development and delivery of teaching in the area of Baptist Studies;
• maintain a research interest in the field of Baptist studies, supporting strategic College initiatives in this area.

Key responsibilities

With administrative support, the Lecturer in Baptist Studies and Academic Dean will, in their role as the Academic Dean (0.5):

• facilitate and nurture a robust collegial faculty culture that fosters academic leadership, educational innovation, promotes academic quality assurance and alignment with academic policies.
• fulfil this through membership of the College’s Academic Committee, College Faculty meetings, the College’s Strategic Leadership Team, the University’s Academic Board and, where invited and available, its Committees or working groups.
• oversee/ensure the administration of admissions, enrolments, course advice, assessment moderation, student unit evaluations, academic staff accreditation, course modification, development, revision and approval of unit records, student appeals, student progress, students at risk, academic integrity, Dean’s extensions, graduation, and the unit approval process.

as the Lecturer in Baptist Studies (0.5):

• teach up to a maximum of two units per year, within the annual cycle of units offered.
• propose and develop new Baptist Studies units and programs, where considered appropriate.
• carry out research for presentation and possible publication that advances knowledge and understanding in the field of Baptist Studies, with national and international audiences in view.
• provide pastoral support to students.
• participate in the College community’s devotional life of prayer, worship, and attention to God’s word.
• develop and maintain effective relationships with the churches and agencies of the BUV.
• be prepared to fulfil other necessary organisational tasks, from time to time, within the public-facing and educational programs of the College.

Essential skills, knowledge and experience

• A completed Master’s degree in a theological discipline relevant to Baptist Studies, with a willingness and the capacity to pursue a doctoral program as soon as is practicable.
• Significant capacity for academic leadership and administrative oversight.
• A dynamic and creative approach to engaging students with Baptist history, convictions, and identity.
• Membership of a Baptist church, or demonstrated alignment with and commitment to the Baptist tradition and aims of the BUV.
• Willingness to affirm the values and strategic purposes of Whitley College.

How to apply

Download and read the full Position Description, which includes details of the process for applicaitons.

Applications close Friday 29 August 2025.

Applications should be addressed to Carrie Chiu, the Executive Assistant to the Principal of Whitley College, Rev Associate Professor Darrell Jackson. Carrie Chiu can be contacted by email at cchiu@whitley.edu.au and can put you in touch with the Principal at your request.

Whitley College

Whitley College is a culturally diverse community of learners committed to practical expressions of God’s activity in the world. We wrestle together in spiritual formation through theological reflection, creative exploration and academic rigour.

Shaped by the Bible, and drawing on our Baptist heritage, we are responsive to the contemporary needs of church and society, affirming liberty of conscience in conversation with other traditions of religion and spirituality.

Our educational ethos unifies heart, thought and hands, giving priority to personal and social transformation.