Faculty Centre Manager

UNSW; Sydney; On-site; AUD 132,000 - 149,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

17% Superannuation

Leave loading

Extra Christmas leave

Discounts and entitlements

Career development opportunities

Job summary

The Faculty Centre Manager at UNSW is responsible for the day-to-day operation and strategic oversight of three major research centres. This role ensures strong governance, delivers effective financial management, and enables high-quality research support across partnerships with industry and government.

You will lead governance, budget planning, and stakeholder engagement while fostering a customer-focused culture and delivering on performance targets within a large university context.

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualification with management experience in research or similar.
• Experience in complex financial management and budgeting.
• Proven track record in operational planning and delivery.
• Understanding of compliance and governance requirements.
• Strong organisational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Ability to engage diverse internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience building research partnerships with industry and government.

Responsibilities

• Provide operational leadership across Tier 2 Research Centres.
• Advise on business planning, priorities and implementation.
• Oversee governance including Advisory Boards and committees.
• Manage income, expenditure and budgets with KPIs.
• Support grant development, funding submissions and contracts.
• Ensure compliance with legislation, regulatory and funding body requirements.
• Manage governance and workforce reporting across Centres.
• Develop engagement strategies to grow partnerships and opportunities.
• Identify opportunities for continuous improvement.

Skills

Management experience

Financial management

Operational planning

Governance and compliance

Stakeholder engagement

Analytical thinking

Negotiation skills

Communication skills

Education

Tertiary qualifications in relevant field

Job description

• Employment Type: Full-Time (35 hours per week)
• Duration: Continuing
• Remuneration: Level 8: $132,445 - $149,228 + 17% super + Leave Loading
• Location: UNSW Kensington Campus

This Job is based in Australia

About UNSW

UNSW isn’t like other places you’ve worked. Yes, we’re a large organisation with a diverse and talented community, a community doing extraordinary things. Together, we are driven to be thoughtful, practical, and purposeful in all we do. Taking this combined approach is what makes our work matter. If you want a career where you can thrive, be challenged and do meaningful work, you’re in the right place.

Why Your Role Matters

The Faculty Centre Manager is responsible for the operational planning, research administration and overall management of three of the Faculty of Arts, Design & Architecture’s Research Centres: City Futures Research Centre, iCinema and the Big Anxiety Research Centre. The role supports effective governance, financial sustainability, research quality, compliance, stakeholder engagement and partnership development across the Centres.

Working closely with each Centre’s Director and leadership team, you will support the achievement of research, operational and strategic objectives while fostering a high-performing, customer-focused culture.

The role sits within the Research Innovation Portfolio, reports to the Research Innovation Manager and has two direct reports.

Responsibilities Summary

• Provide operational leadership across the Faculty’s Tier 2 Research Centres, fostering a professional and customer-focused culture.
• Provide high-level advice on business planning, operational priorities and implementation activities.
• Manage day-to-day Centre operations and oversee governance arrangements, including Advisory Boards, committees and other governance frameworks.
• Oversee income, expenditure and research budgets, including budget planning, resource allocation and performance monitoring against agreed targets and KPIs.
• Deliver high-quality research support, including grant development, funding submissions, project budgets and plans, research agreements and contracts, and performance reporting.
• Ensure compliance with relevant legislative, regulatory, University, Faculty and funding body requirements.
• Manage complex financial, governance, research performance and workforce reporting across multiple Centres.
• Oversee Centre engagement and communications strategies to strengthen profile, partnerships and opportunities for research growth and impact.
• Build and strengthen relationships with research collaborators, industry partners, sponsors and other stakeholders, identifying opportunities to grow partnerships, secure new business and support research sustainability.
• Identify opportunities for continuous improvement and implement effective solutions.

For more information regarding the responsibilities for this role, please refer to the Position Description at JOBS@UNSW.

Skills And Experience Summary

• Relevant tertiary qualifications with subsequent relevant management experience in a research setting or similar, or equivalent competency gained through education, training and experience.
• Demonstrated experience in complex financial management, reporting and budgeting, with the ability to interpret financial data and provide strategic business advice.
• Proven experience in operational planning and implementation, including managing resources, people and projects.
• Demonstrated understanding of complex compliance and governance requirements, with experience establishing frameworks to successfully manage these.
• High-level organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and competing deadlines in a fast-paced and changing environment.
• Proven ability to operate autonomously, demonstrate initiative, drive process improvement and resolve complex problems.
• Excellent consultation, influencing and negotiation skills, with the ability to engage effectively with diverse internal and external stakeholders.
• Proven ability to negotiate, build and maintain effective research partnerships across government, industry and community sectors.
• Advanced written and verbal communication skills, with strong interpersonal skills and attention to detail.

Benefits and Culture

People are at the core of everything we do. We recognise it is the contributions of our staff who make UNSW one of the best universities in Australia and the world. Our benefits include:

• Career development opportunities
• 17% Superannuation contributions and additional leave loading payments
• Additional 3 days of leave over Christmas period
• Discounts and entitlements (retail, education, fitness)

Pre-Employment Checks

Aligned with UNSW’s focus on cultivating a workplace defined by safety, ethical conduct, and strong integrity preferred candidates will be required to participate in a combination of pre-employment checks relevant to the role they have applied for.

• National and International Criminal history checks
• Entitlement to work and ID checks
• Working With Children Checks
• Completion of a Gender-Based Violence Prevention Declaration
• Verification of relevant qualifications
• Verification of relevant professional membership
• Employment history and reference checks
• Financial responsibility assessments/checks.
• Medical Checks and Assessments

Compliance with the necessary combination of these checks is a condition of employment at UNSW.

UNSW is committed to evolving a culture that embraces equity and supports a diverse and inclusive community where everyone can participate fairly, in a safe and respectful environment. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds and encourage applications from people of diverse gender, sexual orientation, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background, people with disability and those with caring and family responsibilities. UNSW provides workplace adjustments for people with disability, and access to flexible work options for eligible staff.

The University reserves the right not to proceed with any appointment.