Director, Graduate Research School

uq; Brisbane; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Parental leave 26 weeks

Superannuation 17%

Flexible/hybrid working

Health & wellbeing programs

Study for Staff

On-campus childcare

Salary packaging

Affordable parking

Job summary

University of Queensland invites applications for the role of Director, Graduate Research School. This full-time, fixed-term position leads the professional services that enable 4,000+ HDR candidates, shaping the future of graduate research at a leading Australian university.

You will set strategic direction, strengthen service delivery, and ensure the School’s people, resources and operations are positioned for excellence while partnering with the Dean and Deputy Dean.

Qualifications

• Postgraduate qualifications and extensive senior management experience in a large, complex organisation.
• Experience in strategic and operational planning, resource and workforce leadership, and complex service delivery.

Responsibilities

• Lead the professional services that enable 4,000+ higher degree by research candidates to pursue ambitious ideas and impact.
• Set strategic direction and strengthen service delivery across the Graduate Research School.
• Build trusted partnerships across the University and translate complexity into clear priorities and lasting improvement.
• Create conditions for talented people to thrive and for candidates to succeed from enquiry to thesis submission and beyond.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Stakeholder management

People leadership

Change management

Education

Postgraduate qualifications

Job description

UQ's Graduate Research School

Full-time, fixed-term position for up to 5 years

Based at our St Lucia Campus

About This Opportunity

This is an excellent opportunity to shape the future of graduate research at one of Australia's leading universities.

As Director, Graduate Research School, you will lead the professional services that enable more than 4,000 higher degree by research candidates to pursue ambitious ideas and create meaningful impact. Working in close partnership with the Dean and Deputy Dean, you will set strategic direction, strengthen service delivery and ensure the School's people, resources and operations are positioned for excellence.

This is an opportunity to lead an accomplished and committed professional team while influencing UQ's broader graduate research ecosystem. You will build trusted partnerships across the University, champion purposeful innovation and translate complexity into clear priorities and lasting improvement. Your leadership will create the conditions for talented people to thrive and for research candidates to succeed, from their first enquiry through to thesis submission and beyond.

About You

You are a visionary and considered executive leader who combines strategic perspective with the judgement and discipline to deliver. You will bring postgraduate qualifications and extensive senior management experience in a large, complex organisation, or an equivalent combination of relevant knowledge, training and experience. Your background will demonstrate success in strategic and operational planning, resource and workforce leadership, complex service delivery, business transformation and cultural change.

Credible, collaborative and purposeful, you build confidence across diverse stakeholder groups and know how to bring people with you through change. You set a compelling direction, communicate with clarity and trust the expertise of your people, creating autonomy with accountability. With highly developed analytical, interpersonal and influencing skills, you will foster an inclusive, high-performing culture in which contribution is recognised, independent thinking is encouraged and individuals and teams are empowered to excel.

About UQ

As part of the UQ community, you'll have the opportunity to work alongside the brightest minds, who have joined us from all over the world, working together to create a better world.

Join a community where excellence is at the core of our culture, contributions are valued and a range of benefits and rewards are available.

• up to 26 weeks paid parental and primary care leave


• 17% super


• flexible and hybrid working options


• health and wellbeing programs


• a heavily discounted Study for Staff program


• on campus childcare


• affordable parking


• salary packaging

For enquiries regarding the application process, please contact Executive Recruitment via [e-mail].

Other Information

Pre-employment checks may include: verification of the right to work in Australia, qualifications, criminal history checks. This may also include checks relating to gender-based violence matters or other integrity and conduct requirements.

You must maintain unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this appointment to apply. Employer sponsored work rights are not available for this appointment.

We're dedicated to equity, diversity, and inclusion. We recognise that career pathways and opportunities differ, and encourage applications from candidates who may not meet every criteria but can demonstrate their potential relative to opportunity.

We're also happy to support any accessibility needs throughout the recruitment process. Just let us know how we can help by emailing [e-mail] or calling [phone].

Applications close Wednesday 28th October 2026 at 11.00pm AEST (R-69462).