Purpose: Employee engagement is vital for organizational success, driving productivity, innovation, and commitment. While leadership significantly impacts engagement, the precise mechanisms remain under investigation. This study explores how transformational leadership influences work engagement through the lens of meaningful work perception and employee well-being. Design/methodology/approach: The research employed quantitative methods, surveying 391 Vietnamese faculty members. Data analysis utilized SPSS and structural equation modeling partial least squares (SEM PLS). Findings: Results indicate that transformational leadership positively affects perceived work meaningfulness, employee well-being and work engagement. Notably, meaningful work perception mediates the relationship between transformational leadership and the other two factors. Originality/value: These findings offer practical insights for universities seeking to enhance employee engagement. They highlight the importance of fostering transformational leadership styles and creating an environment where employees perceive their work as meaningful.