Chief Executive Officer @ Asialink

Future Leadership; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 250,000 - 350,000; Full time

Job summary

Asialink, hosted by the University of Melbourne, seeks a dynamic CEO to steer Asia engagement and lead the organisation into a bold new chapter.

This role shapes national and regional influence, advances Australia's Asia capability, advises university leadership, and drives sustainability and growth across governance, partnerships, and program delivery.

Qualifications

• Executive leadership, governance and policy influence experience.
• Strong networks across Australia and the Indo-Pacific.
• Proven ability to drive sustainable growth and cross-sector partnerships.

Responsibilities

• Lead Asialink’s strategic direction, financial sustainability, and operational performance.
• Drive thought leadership and policy influence on Australia-Asia relations.

Skills

Executive leadership

Strategic planning

Stakeholder engagement

Job description

• Lead strategic transformation at a time of refresh and renewal
• Drive thought leadership and influence national policy on Asia
• Build high-impact partnerships across sectors and regions
• Lead Asialink’s successful delivery-focussed model across, business, education, diplomacy, arts and Asia capability.

The Position

Lead Australia’s premier centre for Asia engagement into a bold new chapter. This transformational leadership role will steer the Asialink organisation into its next phase of growth and impact.

Critically shaping Asialink’s national and regional influence and enhancing the University’s global engagement strategy. This position will drive the refreshed vision of Asialink as Australia’s premier thought leader on Asia and the country’s strategic priorities in the region. The new CEO of Asialink will lead public debate, shape policy, and deepen national understanding of Asia’s complexity and importance to Australia’s future, and build upon Asialink’s current delivery-focused model.

Reporting to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global, Culture and Engagement), the CEO of Asialink will also advise University leadership, work closely with Asialink governance bodies, and contribute to strategic projects.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading Asialink’s strategic direction, financial sustainability, and operational performance.
• Driving thought leadership and policy influence on Australia-Asia relations.
• Building high-impact partnerships across government, business, education, and civil society.
• Strong organisational leadership, including overseeing Asialink’s divisions and overseeing governance, compliance and financial performance.
• Securing funding and evolving the business model to ensure long-term relevance and growth.
• Fostering an inclusive, values-driven workplace culture.

About you:

You are a nationally recognised leader with experience that encompasses government, international relations, business, higher education or the arts. Your experience will have provided you with key attributes including:

• Deep knowledge of Asia and strong networks across Australia and the Indo-Pacific.
• Proven experience in executive leadership, strategic planning, organisational governance, and stakeholder engagement.
• Proven people leadership skills and development of a positive workplace culture.
• A commercial savviness that has delivered a track record of driving sustainable growth and public sector impact.
• Exceptional communication, negotiation, and analytical skills.
• A commitment to advancing Australia’s Asia capability in an era of complexity and opportunity.

The Organisation

Asialink is Australia’s leading centre for Asia capability and engagement, dedicated to building a deeply Asia-literate and Asia-connected Australia. Hosted by the University of Melbourne and established in 1990 through a partnership between the Australian Government’s Commission for the Future and the Myer Foundation, Asialink advances Australia-Asia relations as a national imperative.

Operating across Business, Arts, Diplomacy, and Education, Asialink delivers innovative programs and partnerships that enhance knowledge, skills, and policy influence. As a non-academic department of the University, it sits within the Chancellery portfolio for Global, Culture and Engagement.

For more information on the University of Melbourne, Asialink:

https://asialink.unimelb.edu.au/