Scrolling through LinkedIn interesting jobs pop up (not for me exactly) but people send roles to me to share with my networks so recently I noticed a pattern. The roles that stood out were not the obvious ones. They were the ones sitting behind major shifts in systems, technology, and workforce.
So rather than a generic list, this is a closer look at the kinds of roles I would actually suggest you explore if you are thinking about your next move, especially across education, skills, workforce, and transformation.
Salesforce, transformation and workforce design are converging
One of the most interesting clusters of roles right now sits around Salesforce and broader digital transformation programs.
Organisations like ReturnToWorkSA are implementing large scale systems that fundamentally change how work gets done.
https://www.rtwsa.com/about-us/careers
At the same time, firms like Deloitte and Accenture are recruiting for roles tied to transformation, customer platforms and workforce uplift.
https://www.accenture.com/au-en/careers
The interesting roles here are not technical in the traditional sense. They sit in between.
Think workforce capability design; training needs aligned to new systems; job role redesign; adoption and change.
Most organisations are very good at buying technology and not all are good at redesigning the workforce around it.
If you have experience in workforce planning, learning and development, HR or operations, this is one of the most valuable pivots available right now.
Workforce planning roles are finally becoming strategic
I am seeing more roles titled Senior Workforce Planning Advisor or Manager Workforce Strategy across government and major employers.
You will find these in places like the Department of State Development
and in large operational environments like SA Health
https://www.sahealth.sa.gov.au
and ASC Pty Ltd which is central to the submarine and defence workforce build.
https://www.asc.com.au/careers
The difference now is that the better roles are not about reporting but they are about looking forward.
These roles involve scenario planning, future workforce modelling, and aligning workforce capability to major projects such as defence, infrastructure and care.
If you are considering these roles, look closely at whether they are connected to real demand. The ones tied to live projects are where you will build the most capability.
Education roles that actually connect to industry
There is a shift happening in education, and it is creating some genuinely interesting roles.
Organisations like TAFE SA – https://www.tafesa.edu.au/careers and universities such as Adelaide University https://www.adelaide.edu.au/jobs/ are recruiting for industry engagement managers, partnership leads and program designers.
These are not academic roles in the traditional sense but about working with employers to design training that actually meets workforce needs, building new programs, and translating what industry is asking for into something that can be delivered at scale.
For anyone who has sat between industry and education and thought “this could work better”, these roles are where you can actually influence that.
Skills, policy and system level influence
If you are drawn to the bigger picture, there are roles sitting at the national level that are worth a look.
Jobs and Skills Australia is a good example: https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/about/jobs
This is where labour market analysis, workforce insights and national priorities are being shaped.
Similarly, roles within the Department for Education https://www.education.sa.gov.au/working-us often connect directly to how training systems evolve.
The key here is to look for roles that are connected to implementation. It is one thing to write policy and it is another to see it translated into programs and outcomes.
Program and partnership roles across skills and employment
Some of the most dynamic roles I see are program manager and partnership roles.
These show up with organisations like DT Global and Palladium https://dt-global.com/careers and https://thepalladiumgroup.com/careers as well as within local councils and Regional Development Australia networks.
These roles are interesting because they sit across systems – you are working with employers, training providers, and government at the same time, involved in designing and delivering programs, not just advising.
If you like variety and working across sectors, these roles tend to accelerate your experience quickly.
Learning and development is changing fast
Learning and development roles are also evolving, particularly in organisations building new capability from the ground up.
A good example is the Skills and Training Academy within ASC Pty Ltd https://www.asc.com.au/careers and these roles go beyond compliance training.
They are about designing capability for entirely new industries, aligning learning to real job roles, and increasingly integrating digital tools and AI into how learning is delivered.
If you are in L & D, it is worth being selective looking for roles where learning is tied directly to workforce outcomes.
Roles people often overlook
There are also roles that do not sound exciting on paper but are actually strong stepping stones.
Customer experience and operational roles within organisations like ReturnToWorkSA or Services Australia can give you deep insight into how systems work and where they could improve.
Project roles within transformation programs give you exposure to how organisations actually change.
Regional roles across places like Port Pirie, Whyalla, the Barossa or Yorke Peninsula often provide broader responsibility and faster progression than metro roles. These are the kinds of roles that build capability quickly, even if the title does not immediately stand out.
The common thread across all of these roles is this – not being defined by the job title but defined by what is changing around them.
Right now, that change is being driven by:
- digital platforms like Salesforce and AI implementation
- major projects in defence and infrastructure
- the need to better connect education with industry
- growing demand for Strategic Workforce Planning and capability development
If you are looking at your next move, the question is not “what job should I apply for”.
It could be, “where is demand growing, and how do your skills fit into that?” because the most interesting roles right now are sitting exactly at that intersection.