Lead Student Success Community Development & Partnerships

UNSW; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 153,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Career development

17% superannuation

Leave loading

Christmas leave

Staff discounts

Job summary

UNSW is seeking a senior leader to drive student success initiatives and strategic partnerships across faculties and external organisations. The role focuses on health, wellbeing, and community engagement, delivering large events and overseeing student volunteers and ambassadors.

You will work in a hybrid setup at Kensington NSW, with a variety of stakeholder engagements and a strong emphasis on equity and inclusion.

Qualifications

• Relevant tertiary qualifications with substantial relevant experience or equivalent competence.
• Experience designing, developing and implementing student engagement programs for diverse populations.
• Experience establishing and managing strategic partnerships with external organisations.
• Demonstrated leadership and people management experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and end-to-end delivery of student success initiatives from concept to operationalisation.
• Establish and lead strategic partnerships with external health, wellbeing and sport organisations.
• Plan and deliver a large-scale, university-wide events calendar and manage budget/risk.
• Lead and manage student volunteer and ambassador functions with recruitment and training.

Skills

Leadership

Partnership management

Project planning

Stakeholder engagement

Policy analysis

Report writing

Time management

Equity & inclusion

Interpersonal skills

Negotiation

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

• Employment Type: Full Time (35 hours per week)
• Duration: Continuing
• Remuneration: Level 9 from $153k + 17% superannuation & leave loading
• Location: Kensington NSW (Hybrid Working Arrangements)

This Job is based in Australia

• Employment Type: Full Time (35 hours per week)
• Duration: Continuing
• Remuneration: Level 9 from $153k + 17% superannuation & leave loading
• Location: Kensington NSW (Hybrid Working Arrangements)

Why your role matters

The Lead, Student Success, Community & Partnerships leads the strategic development and delivery of portfolio-wide programs, events and initiatives that strengthen student belonging, health, wellbeing, engagement and success. The role manages key internal and external partnerships, including with Faculties, Arc and relevant community organisations, to embed best practice and deliver co-designed, evidence-informed and sustainable initiatives that enhance student outcomes and align with UNSW’s commitment to student success and wellbeing.

Specific Accountabilities Include

• Lead the design, development and end to end delivery of the portfolio’s student success initiatives from concept to operationalisation, including scoping, consultation, resource management, governance report writing and presentations to relevant stakeholders as appropriate for these projects, maintaining networks and relationships, ensuring appropriate governance is followed in line with university policies.
• Establish and lead strategic partnerships on behalf of the PVCSS with external health, wellbeing and sport organisations — including Blackdog Institute, Surf Life Saving NSW, Medibank and NSW Health (in conjunction with the Health Service) negotiating terms of engagement, managing partnership agreements and performance, and ensuring alignment to portfolio and university strategy.
• Lead the design, planning and delivery of the PVCSS's large-scale, university-wide events calendar including First Year Festival, Mental Health Month, Sextember and other major events driving cross-portfolio and pan university coordination, budget, risk management, and post-event evaluation.
• Lead and manage the PVCSS's student volunteer and paid student ambassador function across the portfolio, establishing recruitment, onboarding, training, and performance frameworks to build a sustainable, high-quality student workforce.

About You

• Relevant tertiary qualifications with substantial relevant experience or equivalent competence gained through any combination of education, training and experience.
• Significant experience designing, developing and implementing student engagement programs and initiatives to students or young people together with sound knowledge and understanding of the challenges affecting diverse student populations, domestic and international impacting their engagement and success.
• Demonstrated experience establishing and managing strategic partnerships with external organisations (e.g. health, wellbeing, sport or community bodies), including negotiating terms of engagement and managing partnership performance.
• Significant leadership and people management experience with a demonstrated ability to motivate, coach and develop staff and to foster teamwork whilst diffusing and managing any conflict to ensure the team consistently delivers as a high functioning team.
• Experience in successful project and resources management and the development and communication of policies, practices and strategies, particularly in the context of change.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and negotiation skills with the ability to build and maintain effective collaborative professional relationships with University staff and external stakeholders and the ability to act with tact and discretion in dealing with sensitive and confidential matters.
• High quality report writing with the ability to write for a variety of audiences and an ability to analyse complex information and produce easy-to-read policies and documents.
• Demonstrated ability to operate autonomously at a senior level exercising sounds independent judgement and proactively address and resolve complex problems as they arise, including at senior levels to negotiate and agree on outcomes.
• Excellent time management skills, with a demonstrated ability to respond to changing priorities, adapt and assimilate information quickly, manage multiple tasks and meet competing deadlines by using judgement and initiative.
• Advanced level of computer literacy, working with a range of computer systems and applications, including knowledge of Microsoft applications
• A demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of student experience.

The successful candidate will be required to obtain a Paid Working with Children’s Check & a Criminal Record Check.

For further details on role responsibilities and skills & experience required, refer to the position description found under the position listing on Jobs@UNSW.

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

• Flexible working options.
• 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).

For further details on the benefits, please visit https://www.jobs.unsw.edu.au/lifestyle-benefits

Pre-Employment Checks

As part of our recruitment process candidates may be required to undergo pre-employment screening, which may include reference checks, qualification verification, right-to-work verification, and criminal history screening where relevant to the role.

UNSW is committed to equity diversity and inclusion. Applications from women, people of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, those living with disabilities, members of the LGBTIQ+ community; and people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent, are encouraged. UNSW provides workplace adjustments for people with disability, and access to flexible work options for eligible staff.