Research Commercial Manager

The University of Queensland; Brisbane; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Parental leave

17% superannuation

17.5% leave loading

Hybrid working options

On campus childcare

Salary packaging

Job summary

The University of Queensland invites applications for a Research Commercial Manager within the Research Office, embedded in the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN). You will act as a trusted commercial adviser to researchers, turning opportunities into commercially sound partnerships with industry and government.

Based at St Lucia campus, you will manage agreements with autonomy and collaborative cross‑team support.

Qualifications

• Postgraduate qualifications with extensive relevant management experience.
• Strong commercial acumen and experience engaging industry and research partners.
• Excellent communication, organisation and project management skills.
• Ability to rapidly assimilate new information and apply it effectively.

Responsibilities

• Lead the commercial development, negotiation and management of research agreements, balancing UQ's research agenda with external partners.
• Evaluate proposals and commercial factors including pricing, IP, legal requirements and risk, with Legal Services, Governance & Risk and UniQuest.
• Develop term sheets, agreements, project descriptions, schedules and supporting briefs; negotiate commercial arrangements and progress opportunities through approval processes.
• Build trusted relationships with researchers and external partners, providing timely commercial advice throughout the agreement lifecycle.

Skills

Commercial acumen

Communication

Organisation

Project management

Autonomy

Education

Postgraduate qualifications

Job description

The University of Queensland – Saint Lucia QLD

• Full-time (1 FTE), continuing position with salary in the range $120,317 - $134,892 + 17% super (HEW Level 8).
• Based at our picturesque and conveniently located St Lucia campus

• Research Office
• Full-time (1 FTE), continuing position with salary in the range $120,317 - $134,892 + 17% super (HEW Level 8).
• Based at our picturesque and conveniently located St Lucia campus

About This Opportunity

Join the UQ Research Office as a Research Commercial Manager and help turn ambitious research opportunities into productive, commercially sound partnerships with industry and government. Embedded within the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), you will be a trusted commercial adviser to researchers, connecting emerging opportunities with UQ's legal, governance and commercial requirements. This is a purposeful and highly varied role where you can build strong relationships, exercise autonomy within your portfolio and work collaboratively across a complex research environment.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Lead the commercial development, negotiation and management of research agreements, balancing UQ's research agenda with the needs of external industry and government partners.
• Evaluate proposals and commercial factors including pricing, intellectual property, legal requirements and risk, working collaboratively with researchers, Legal Services, Governance & Risk and UniQuest as required.
• Develop term sheets, agreements, project descriptions, schedules and supporting briefs, negotiating appropriate commercial arrangements and progressing opportunities through relevant approval processes.
• Build trusted relationships with researchers and external partners, providing timely commercial advice throughout the agreement lifecycle and helping establish sustainable, successful research partnerships.

About You

You will bring a strong commercial mindset and the confidence to navigate complex research agreements, balancing partnership opportunities with legal, organisational and governance considerations.

Essential

• Postgraduate qualifications with extensive relevant management experience, or an equivalent combination of relevant education, training and experience.
• Demonstrated experience managing research contracts with a high degree of autonomy, ideally within a large or complex organisation.
• Strong commercial acumen, with experience engaging industry and research partners, negotiating research arrangements, managing intellectual property and knowledge transfer, and considering commercial, legal and organisational risk.
• Excellent communication, organisation and project management skills, including the ability to review complex agreements, work effectively with legal and specialist advisers, navigate governance requirements and manage competing priorities.
• An ability to rapidly assimilate new information and apply it effectively.

Desirable

• Knowledge of the higher education research-funding environment, or experience within higher education or government, will be highly regarded.
• A legal background is desirable but not essential.

About UQ

As part of the UQ community, you'll have the opportunity to work alongside the brightest minds, who have joined us from all over the world, working together to create a better world. Join a community where excellence is at the core of our culture, contributions are valued and a range of benefits and rewards are available.

Enjoy up to 26 weeks paid parental and primary care leave, 17% super, 17.5% leave loading, flexible and hybrid working options, health and wellbeing programs, a heavily discounted Study for Staff program, on campus childcare, affordable parking, and salary packaging.

Other Information

Pre-employment checks may include: verification of the right to work in Australia, qualifications and criminal history checks. This may also include checks relating to gender-based violence matters or other integrity and conduct requirements.

You must maintain unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this appointment to apply. Employer sponsored work rights are not available for this appointment.

We're dedicated to equity, diversity, and inclusion. We recognise that career pathways and opportunities differ, and encourage applications from candidates who may not meet every criteria but can demonstrate their potential relative to opportunity. We're also happy to support any accessibility needs throughout the recruitment process. Just let us know how we can help by emailing ******@uq.edu.au or calling [phone].

Applications close Sunday 6 December 2026 at 11.00pm AEST (R-70270). Please note that interviews have been tentatively scheduled for 15 December 2026.

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