Executive Director

National Health and Medical Research Council; Canberra; On-site; AUD 260,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is seeking a strategic Executive Director for the Research Partnerships Branch. This SES Band 1 role will shape policy, lead nationally significant programs, and build collaborations that strengthen Australia’s health and medical research ecosystem.

You will guide teams, balance risk, and deliver impactful outcomes. You will cultivate trusted government and community partnerships while promoting inclusion and integrity.

Qualifications

• Australian citizenship or eligibility to obtain security clearance
• Experience leading partnerships with government, researchers and organisations
• Proven ability to translate strategy into actionable programs

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for the Research Partnerships Branch
• Lead implementation of research translation and partnership strategies
• Deliver high-quality strategic and policy advice to the CEO and Executive
• Build and maintain effective partnerships with government, researchers, institutions and community
• Oversee delivery of NHMRC and MRFF grant initiatives
• Lead and inspire high-performing teams and drive collaboration

Skills

Strategic leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Policy advice

Change management

Risk management

Education

Master's degree in public policy/health

Job description

The National Health and Medical Research Council is seeking a high performing and strategic executive leader to join our Executive Leadership Team as Executive Director, Research Partnerships Branch.

This Executive Director/SES Band 1 opportunity offers the chance to shape strategic policy and research initiatives, lead the delivery of nationally significant programs, and build collaborative partnerships that strengthen Australia’s health and medical research ecosystem through collaboration and partnerships.

As a member of NHMRC's Executive Leadership Team, you will provide strategic direction, lead high-performing teams, and contribute to the achievement of NHMRC's organisational priorities and objectives.

The ideal candidate will need to think strategically to deliver high-quality strategic policy insights and options that are practical and implementable, have strong business acumen, be resilient, and be forward-looking with strong personal drive and integrity. You will have demonstrated excellent judgement in complex and sensitive environments, balancing risk and opportunities.

In this senior leadership role, you will cultivate trusted partnerships across government, engage effectively with the community, researchers and research organisation. You will be a values-based leader who inspires, empowers, and drives positive change. You will lead and build high-performing teams that can develop and implement innovative strategies and approaches.

NHMRC is an inclusive and diverse employer that supports gender equity and diversity in leadership. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including people with disability, First Nations peoples, LGBTIQA+ people, mature age people and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Key responsibilities

As the Executive Director, Research Partnerships, your duties will include but are not limited to:

• Providing strategic leadership for the Research Partnerships Branch
• Leading implementation of NHMRC's research translation and partnership strategies
• Delivering high-quality strategic and policy advice to the CEO and Executive
• Building and maintaining effective partnerships with government, researchers, research institutions and community stakeholders
• Overseeing delivery of NHMRC and MRFF grant initiatives
• Leading high-performing teams and foster a positive, collaborative culture.

Core capabilities

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Strategic insight and advice:the ability to provide well-informed, strategic advice to senior leaders and stakeholders, applying sound judgement and anticipating risks and opportunities in the research and policy environment.
• Delivering outcomes:the ability to translate strategy into action, drive implementation and ensure delivery of high-quality results aligned with organisational goals.
• Leadership and culture:demonstrated ability to lead by example to foster a positive, high-performing culture, build capability, encourage innovation and drive continuous improvement.
• Stakeholder engagement:strong capability to build trusted relationships, manage complex interactions, and influence outcomes through collaboration and effective communication across sectors.
• Leading change:the ability to navigate complexity and lead teams through change with resilience, clarity and a focus on strategic priorities.

Highly desirable

The following would be an advantage:

• Relevant tertiary qualifications in public policy, health, science or a related field.

Mandatory requirement

This position requires, as a condition of employment, the successful candidate to possess or be willing to obtain and maintain a Negative Vetting 1 security clearance.

Eligibility

To be eligible for a position at NHMRC, you must be an Australian citizen and be able to provide evidence of this. If successful, you will be required to undertake a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check.

Further information

For further information contact Nick Johnson, Acting Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer, on email [e-mail]