School Manager

The University of Sydney; Sydney; On-site; AUD 146,000 - 154,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Sydney is seeking a School Manager for the Darlington Campus in the Faculty of Engineering. You will lead infrastructure, operations and planning to support education, research and external engagement. This is a full-time fixed-term/continuing opportunity reporting to the Faculty General Manager.

You will manage finances, governance and staff development, while driving continuous improvement and ensuring a safe, productive workplace for staff and students.

Qualifications

• A degree qualification in an applicable field.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and negotiation skills.
• Experience in managing medium-scale budgets and financial plans.
• Experience in business, infrastructure, operational and resource management.
• Experience supporting teaching and research within a university context.

Responsibilities

• Act as a strategic partner to the Head of School, providing insight and advice to support effective decision-making.
• Lead the formulation, communication and implementation of the school’s strategic priorities.
• Provide strong operational leadership and day-to-day management across all school activities.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance the school’s systems, processes and service delivery.
• Foster a culture of high performance, engagement and accountability within the professional staff team.
• Oversee financial management, governance and internal controls to ensure sustainable and compliant operations.
• Optimize the allocation and utilization of resources to support the school’s academic and operational goals.
• Ensure adherence to the University’s governance frameworks, policies and regulatory requirements.
• Lead risk management and ensure a safe, healthy and compliant work environment for all staff and students.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Negotiation

Budget management

Infrastructure management

Operational management

University teaching/research delivery

Education

Business administration degree

Job description

• Full time, fixed term / continuing opportunity, located on the Darlington Campus, within the Faculty of Engineering
• Provide strategic and operational support to a School within the Faculty of Engineering
• Base Salary $146,197 - $154,260 (HEO9) p.a. + 17% superannuation

About the opportunity

Reporting to the Faculty General Manager, the School Manager will be a key member of the school leadership team, contributing to the planning, communication, and implementation of the school’s academic and operational strategies, goals, and initiatives.

In this role, you will lead the delivery of infrastructure, operational plans, and processes that support the school’s activities across education, research, research training, and external engagement. You will be accountable for operationalising strategic and business planning decisions, managing financial performance, strengthening stakeholder relationships, ensuring regulatory compliance and effective controls, and maintaining a safe and healthy workplace.

As a people leader, you will guide, develop, and support a team of professional staff while actively contributing to decision‑making processes within the school leadership team.

Some of your key responsibilities will include:

• acting as a strategic partner to the Head of School, providing insight and advice to support effective decision‑making
• leading the formulation, communication, and implementation of the school’s strategic priorities
• providing strong operational leadership and effective day‑to‑day management across all school activities
• driving continuous improvement initiatives to enhance the school’s systems, processes, and service delivery
• fostering a culture of high performance, engagement, and accountability within the professional staff team
• overseeing financial management, governance, and internal controls to ensure sustainable and compliant operations
• optimising the allocation and utilisation of resources to support the school’s academic and operational goals
• ensuring adherence to the University’s governance frameworks, policies, and regulatory requirements
• leading risk management and ensuring a safe, healthy, and compliant work environment for all staff and students.

To learn more about the Faculty of Engineering click here.

About you

The University values courage and creativity; openness and engagement; inclusion and diversity; and respect and integrity. As such, we see the importance of recruiting talent aligned to these values and are looking for a School Manager who has:

• a degree qualification in an applicable field (for example business administration) and/or equivalent combination of relevant training and experience
• exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to develop and deploy effective working relationships across a diverse range of people
• excellent communication, consultation skills, and negotiation skills to drive internal and external engagement
• demonstrated track record in managing medium scale budgets and financial plans
• experience in business, infrastructure, operational and resource management
• experience in supporting the delivery of teaching and research within a university context.

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.

Your employment is conditional upon the completion of all role required pre‑employment or background checks in terms satisfactory to the University. 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 LGBTIQ+. We welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds.

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

Click to view the Position Description for this role.

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