Investment Manager

The University of Sydney; Sydney; On-site; AUD 146,000 - 179,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Sydney is seeking an Investment Manager to lead the operational management of its venture investment pipeline, shaping and scaling the university's investment ecosystem. You will coordinate cross-functionally with researchers, commercialisation teams, and external investors to assess and advance early-stage opportunities through to investment committee consideration.

With a focus on rigorous evaluation, financial modelling, and clear investment recommendations, you will drive

Qualifications

• Proven experience in venture capital, investment management or early-stage financing.
• Strong skills in investment evaluation, financial analysis and due diligence.
• Experience preparing investment papers for senior committees or stakeholders.
• Ability to coordinate across multiple contributors on complex projects.

Responsibilities

• Own and manage end-to-end investment pipeline from intake to committee readiness.
• Assess opportunities using structured evaluation frameworks for strategic fit.
• Lead due diligence and synthesize insights into clear recommendations.
• Oversee investment management systems and reporting for portfolio data quality.
• Prepare high-quality investment papers and presentations for decision-making.
• Drive process improvements to enhance efficiency and stakeholder experience.

Skills

Venture capital

Investment management

Due diligence

Financial analysis

Business modelling

Stakeholder management

CRM systems

Education

Postgraduate degree in business/finance

Tools

CRM systems

Investment management software

Portfolio management

Job description

• Full time, 3-year fixed-term opportunity
• Opportunity to play a central role in shaping and scaling the University's venture investment ecosystem
• Base Salary $162,528 + 17% superannuation

About the opportunity

The University of Sydney operates a pre-seed fund and follow‑on fund that supports the commercialisation of research and innovation through investment in early‑stage ventures. As the Investment Manager, you will lead the operational management of the investment pipeline, ensuring opportunities are efficiently assessed, progressed and prepared for investment committee consideration.

Working across founders, researchers, Commercialisation Managers, Venture Advisers, external investors and senior university investment leaders, you will bring structure, rigour and scalability to the University's investment activities. You will oversee the systems, processes and coordination required to identify high‑potential opportunities, manage due diligence and support informed investment decisions, helping transform innovative research into investable and impactful ventures.

Your key responsibilities will be to:

• own and manage the end‑to‑end investment pipeline, progressing opportunities from intake through to committee readiness and investment completion
• efficiently and quickly assess and prioritise investment opportunities, applying structured evaluation frameworks to determine strategic fit and commercial potential
• lead and coordinate due diligence activities, synthesising technical, commercial and financial insights into clear investment recommendations
• oversee investment management systems and reporting, ensuring the quality, integrity and accessibility of investment and portfolio data
• prepare high‑quality investment papers and presentations for committee consideration and decision‑making
• drive process improvement initiatives that enhance investment efficiency, scalability and stakeholder experience

About you

As the Investment Manager, you will bring a combination of venture investment expertise, commercial acumen and stakeholder management capability, enabling you to confidently manage a complex pipeline of early‑stage, mostly research‑based investment opportunities.

• demonstrated experience in venture capital, investment management, commercialisation, start‑up or an early‑stage innovation environment
• strong capability in investment evaluation, financial analysis, due diligence and business modelling
• experience preparing investment recommendations, reports or business cases for senior stakeholders and investment committees
• proven ability to manage multiple stakeholders and coordinate contributors across complex projects and workstreams
• empathy with the needs of researcher inventors and founders, both academics and students.
• experience using CRM, investment management and portfolio management systems, with a focus on data quality and reporting
• postgraduate qualifications in business, finance, science or engineering, or an equivalent combination of education, training and professional experience; candidates who combine technical domain knowledge with financial or commercial expertise are particularly encouraged to apply

We encourage applications from candidates who bring relevant experiences from adjacent fields including corporate venture, technology transfer, investment banking or venture studio. If you have a genuine interest in early‑stage investment, venture building and commercialisation we would love to hear from you. We're keen to attract a diverse candidate pool and value the different perspectives and capabilities that individuals from varied backgrounds can bring to the team.

Sponsorship / work rights for Australia

You must have unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this employment to be eligible to apply. Visa sponsorship is not available for this appointment.

Pre‑employment checks and declarations

Your employment is conditional upon the successful completion of all pre‑employment or background checks required for the role in satisfactory to the University. Also, to meet the University's obligations under the National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Eliminate Gender‑Based Violence you will be asked to declare if you have been investigated for, or found to engaged in, sexual harm or gender‑based violence in the course of previous employment or in a legal process. Similarly, your ongoing employment is conditional upon the satisfactory maintenance of all relevant clearances and background check requirements. If you do not meet these conditions, the University may take any necessary step, including the termination of your employment.

EEO statement

At the University of Sydney, our shared values are trust, accountability and excellence and we strive to be a place where everyone can thrive. We are committed to creating a university community that thrives through diversity and reflects the wider community that we serve. We deliver on this through our commitment to diversity and inclusion, evidenced by our people and culture programs, as well as key strategies to increase participation and support the careers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, women, people living with a disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and those who identify as LGBTQIA+. We welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds.

We are proud to be recognised as an Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI) Platinum Employer. Find out more about our work on diversity and inclusion.