SBA Technical Services Manager

The University of Sydney; Sydney; On-site; AUD 138,000 - 187,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Sydney invites applications for the SBA Technical Services Manager to lead the Technical Support Services team for the Sydney Biomedical Accelerator, a landmark collaboration between the University and SLHD to operationalise the facility from day one.

Reporting to the Associate Director, you will define infrastructure, equipment, systems and processes, oversee procurement and commissioning, and build the technical workforce for SBA as it ramps up.

Qualifications

• Degree in life sciences or equivalent.
• Experience establishing, mobilising or transitioning new services or facilities in research/health settings.
• Experience defining infrastructure, equipment and staff to make a lab operationally ready.
• Ability to build and maintain productive relationships with diverse stakeholders.
• Experience in WHS, regulatory requirements and policy implementation.
• Experience leading staff through organisational change.
• Experience in financial forecasting, budget coordination and resource planning.

Responsibilities

• Lead operational readiness planning for SBA’s technical facilities.
• Build relationships with University and SLHD counterparts and committees.
• Design and implement shared systems, workflows, training and safety procedures.
• Plan the technical workforce and staff transitions to new ways of working.
• Oversee equipment procurement, installation and commissioning.
• Develop and manage the SBA asset management plan and establish the establishment budget.

Skills

Relationship building

Negotiation

Change management

Staff supervision

Budget forecasting

Lab operations

Equipment procurement

Stakeholder management

Education

Life sciences degree

Job description

• Full time, fixed term position until 18th December 2028. Located at the Susan Wakil Health Building (D18) on the Camperdown campus
• Lead the establishment and delivery of technical services for a landmark research and clinical translation facility
• Base Salary HEO10, $162,528 p.a. + 17% superannuation

Sydney Biomedical Accelerator

The Sydney Biomedical Accelerator (SBA) is a landmark partnership between the University of Sydney, Sydney Local Health District, and the NSW Government. Located within Tech Central, SBA brings together world-class researchers, clinicians, and entrepreneurs. SBA’s mission is to fast-track scientific discovery into real-world health outcomes by fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, translational research, and commercialisation. As SBA moves from establishment to operation, it will become a globally recognised hub for biomedical innovation.

About the opportunity

The University of Sydney is seeking an experienced and motivated SBA Technical Services Manager to join the Technical Support Services (TSS) team. Reporting to the Associate Director, Technical Support Services (Medicine and Health) and working closely with the SBA Program Team, you will lead operational readiness of technical services within the SBA, a joint complex of the University of Sydney and Sydney Local Health District (SLHD), ensuring the facility is ready to support accelerated research and clinical translation from day one.

This is an establishment role. As SBA transitions from construction to operation, you will define what the facility needs to function, including infrastructure, equipment, systems, processes and people, and drive the delivery of plans to get it there. You will lead equipment procurement and commissioning, set up shared workflows, inductions and safety frameworks across both organisations, and plan the technical workforce needed as SBA ramps up.

Building relationships will be central to your success. You will work closely with researchers, clinicians, project teams and operational counterparts across the University and SLHD, represent TSS on SBA working parties and governance committees. You will champion the SBA vision, designing services thoughtfully and with the researcher experience front of mind, while enabling a genuinely collaborative environment between the two organisations. This role suits someone who enjoys building services from the ground up in a complex, multi-institutional environment.

Your key responsibilities will be to:

• lead operational readiness planning for SBA’s technical facilities, working with researchers, clinicians, specialised facilities and SBA leadership to understand evolving research and translational needs and synthesising these into an implementation plan covering infrastructure, equipment and staffing
• build strong working relationships with University and SLHD counterparts, project teams and enabling units, representing TSS on SBA working parties and committees and helping resolve complex issues across the partnership
• design and implement shared systems, workflows, training, inductions and procedures across the University and SLHD, making sure they align with TSS objectives, organisational policies and SBA needs
• plan the technical workforce for SBA, advising senior leadership on staffing needs, leading teams through the transition to new ways of working, and building the capability of team leaders (Senior Technical Officers)
• drive the procurement of equipment for the facility, including identifying needs, evaluating options, managing supplier engagement and contracts, and overseeing installation, and commissioning
• develop and implement the SBA asset management plan in consultation with the Associate Director, SBA leadership and governance, and set up the processes to manage it over time. In collaboration with the Associate Director, develop and manage the establishment budget, including financial forecasting, resource planning and reporting to senior management.

About you

• a degree in life sciences or an equivalent combination of relevant training and experience
• demonstrated experience establishing, mobilising or transitioning new services, facilities or operating models, ideally within a research, health or multi-institutional setting
• experience defining the infrastructure, equipment and staff organisation needed to make a laboratory operationally ready, including leading equipment procurement and commissioning
• a proven ability to build and maintain productive relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, with strong negotiation and conflict resolution skills and a high level of tact and discretion
• a background in managing laboratory and/or clinical environments, including introducing policies and procedures that support efficient operations and compliance with WHS and other legislative requirements
• an understanding of relevant laboratory regulation and legislative requirements, including OGTR/PC2, human and animal ethics and WHS
• extensive experience leading staff through organisational change, promoting engagement and championing the delivery of change outcomes
• experience in financial forecasting, budget coordination and resource planning for strategic initiatives
• experience in the supervision, mentoring and performance management of technical staff.

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 terms 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.