Executive Director, Digital Sydney

usyd; Sydney; On-site; AUD 210,000 - 270,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

17% super

Job summary

University of Sydney is seeking an Executive Director for Digital Sydney to shape and deliver the institution-wide digital strategy and transformation portfolio. The role leads senior teams across ICT and the wider university, driving strategic outcomes aligned with the Sydney 2032 Strategy and AI-enabled campus ambitions.

The successful candidate will provide strategic leadership, manage large budgets, and engage with diverse stakeholders to enable informed decision-making and long-term impact.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of experience leading large-scale digital transformation initiatives.
• At least 5 years in executive leadership roles overseeing enterprise transformation.
• Experience in ICT/Digital Transformation in university/education or complex ICT environment.
• Experience in strategic planning and technology roadmap development.
• Sponsorship / work rights for Australia.
• Ability to prioritize and execute in high-pressure environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development, maintenance and implementation of the University's digital strategy (Digital Sydney).
• Formulate and maintain a comprehensive digital strategy aligned with the University's mission and objectives.
• Direct the digital transformation initiatives to enhance operational efficiency.
• Lead and oversee a complex portfolio of digital programs with prioritisation and resource management.
• Mentor Digital Sydney Core team and foster collaboration across ICT and the University.
• Encourage adoption of new technologies to drive competitive advantage.
• Communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
• Develop and manage annual budgets and reporting on progress and challenges.
• Present strategic recommendations to diverse stakeholder groups.

Job description

Full‑time, Fixed term opportunity for 5 years

Lead a major transformation portfolio delivering institution‑wide digital change and innovation

Join the ICT Leadership Team and influence strategic priorities across the University

Offering a competitive remuneration package including 17% super

About the opportunity

This is a rare opportunity to help shape the future of one of Australia's leading universities. Digital Sydney is the University of Sydney's ambitious institution‑wide transformation program, delivering the foundations required to realise the Sydney 2032 Strategy and create a future‑ready, AI‑enabled university. Digital Sydney is transforming how the University learns, teaches, researches and operates. Through the modernisation of core systems, data, processes and experiences, Digital Sydney aims to create a seamlessly connected, intelligent campus that empowers people, unlocks innovation and enables better decision‑making across the university.

The Executive Director, Digital Sydney is a key member of both the ICT Leadership Team and the broader Vice‑President Operations Leadership Team. The role is accountable for shaping and delivering the University's digital strategy, providing strategic leadership across the Digital Sydney transformation portfolio, and driving outcomes that support the University's long‑term objectives.

The Executive Director Digital Sydney provides strategic leadership, direction, and oversight of a large portfolio of digital initiatives and collaborates closely with senior leaders across ICT and the broader University to drive enterprise‑wide transformation outcomes.

This role will apply extensive executive leadership, management expertise, professional judgement, and strategic insight to shape and deliver the University's digital strategy in alignment with its objectives and priorities. The role exercises significant authority in making high‑impact strategic, operational, financial, and portfolio decisions, balancing risks, opportunities, dependencies, and competing priorities across a complex transformation environment.

The successful candidate will be highly effective at addressing and engaging large stakeholder groups, confidently facilitating discussions, building alignment, and fostering collaboration to drive informed decision‑making and successful outcomes.

Your key responsibilities will be to:

• Lead the development, maintenance and implementation of the University's digital strategy (Digital Sydney), ensuring alignment and effectiveness through collaboration with teams within ICT and across the University
• Formulate and maintain a comprehensive digital strategy that aligns with the University's mission and supports its academic, research, and administrative objectives, focusing on the integration of contemporary technologies
• Direct the University's digital transformation initiatives, ensuring technology adoption aligns with strategic objectives and enhances operational efficiency
• Lead and oversee a complex portfolio of digital transformation programs and projects, ensuring effective prioritisation, sequencing, resource allocation, and management of interdependencies
• Lead and mentor Digital Sydney Core team, fostering a collaborative and innovative work environment.
• Encourage teams to explore and adopt new technologies to drive competitive advantage and operational excellence
• Serve as the primary point of contact for Digital Sydney and digital transformation matters, effectively communicating complex technical concepts to non‑technical stakeholders
• Develop, submit, and implement annual operational and program budgets, manage expenditure effectively within budget and overseeing the development and delivery of reports on progress and any challenges encountered
• Present complex information and strategic recommendations to large and diverse stakeholder groups, influencing decision‑making across varying levels of authority and seniority.

About you (skills, capabilities and experience)

• Minimum of 10 years of experience leading large‑scale digital transformation initiatives, including at least 5 years in executive leadership roles overseeing complex, enterprise‑wide transformation portfolios across technology, people, process and data.
• Experience leading the implementation of complex digital transformation programs that bring stakeholders together to deliver a unified vision, while championing research, innovation and the practical application of emerging technologies.
• Extensive management experience in an ICT/Digital Transformation function within the University or Education sector, or a complex ICT environment
• Extensive experience leading strategic planning and technology roadmap development in alignment with broader organisational strategy
• Ability to effectively prioritise and execute tasks in high‑pressure situations.
• Sponsorship / work rights for Australia
• Work Rights: you must have unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this e