Senior Lead Project Manager - LMS Platform

UNSW; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

17% Superannuation

Leave loading

Extra Christmas leave (3 days)

Discounts (retail, education, fitness)

Job summary

UNSW is seeking a senior leader to drive the LMS platform stream, shaping the multi-year roadmap and investment strategy across a university-wide LMS transformation. You will govern delivery, risk, and architecture in partnership with UNSW IT, and influence senior stakeholders with clear options and trade-offs.

You will author business cases, manage resources and contracts, and ensure delivery excellence across a complex ecosystem while aligning with UNSW's aims, policies and safety

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualifications and/or significant experience in similar roles.
• Experience applying PRINCE2, PMBOK, Agile or other recognized project management methodologies.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex technology programs or delivery streams.
• Proven ability to influence executive-level stakeholders and governance forums.
• Experience developing business cases, investment recommendations and benefits realization strategies.
• Resource planning and workforce leadership experience in complex environments.
• Knowledge of budgeting and resource allocation within formal financial delegation.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end delivery and release readiness for the LMS platform and ecosystem.
• Lead the strategic alignment, sustainability and total cost of ownership of the LMS Platform Stream.
• Set platform stream priorities and manage dependencies across delivery commitments and budgets.
• Lead governance and decision-making, presenting roadmap, investment, risk and resourcing to leadership.
• Develop and maintain the multi-year LMS platform roadmap with future capabilities and gaps.
• Author business cases and change requests for executive decision-making.
• Lead resource planning and workforce allocation across the Platform Stream.
• Own strategic commercial relationships with platform and implementation vendors.
• Monitor outcomes and manage platform delivery, risk, data and security obligations.
• Build senior stakeholder relationships and deputize for the Program Director at governance forums.

Skills

Program management

Stakeholder management

Agile methodologies

PRINCE2/PMBOK

Leadership

Budgeting

Communication skills

Education

Relevant degree

Job description

• Employment Type: Full-time (35 hours per week)
• Duration: Fixed-term contract (until June 2029)
• Remuneration: Competitive Total Fixed Remuneration (TFR) package (TFR = Base salary + 17% Super + Leave Loading)
• Location: UNSW Kensington Campus – Hybrid work arrangement (2-3 days onsite)

This Job is based in Australia

• Employment Type: Full-time (35 hours per week)
• Duration: Fixed-term contract (until June 2029)
• Remuneration: Competitive Total Fixed Remuneration (TFR) package (TFR = Base salary + 17% Super + Leave Loading)
• Location: UNSW Kensington Campus – Hybrid work arrangement (2-3 days onsite)

About UNSW

UNSW isn’t like other places you’ve worked. Yes, we’re a large organisation with a diverse and talented community, a community doing extraordinary things. Together, we are driven to be thoughtful, practical, and purposeful in all we do. Taking this combined approach is what makes our work matter. If you want a career where you can thrive, be challenged and do meaningful work, you’re in the right place.

Why Your Role Matters

This is a rare opportunity to lead the platform stream at the heart of UNSW's Learning Management System (LMS) transformation - a strategic investment touching every student, course and academic.

You will set the multi-year platform roadmap beyond the life of the program, make high-impact investment and sequencing recommendations, and balance delivery, experience, technical assurance, risk and total cost of ownership across a complex ecosystem.

As a senior member of the LMS Program leadership team, you will shape delivery, assurance and governance standards, determine priorities and resource allocation within delegation, and direct architecture, security, data and integration assurance in partnership with UNSW IT.

Working across the University, you will author business cases, investment papers and change requests with clear options and trade-offs for executive decision-making. You will influence senior stakeholders, manage competing priorities and deputize for the Program Director as required.

Responsibilities Summary

• Own end-to-end delivery and release readiness for the LMS platform and ecosystem, including the authority to approve or withhold deployment of capability into production.
• Lead the strategic alignment, fitness for purpose, sustainability and total cost of ownership of the LMS Platform Stream across its lifecycle.
• Set platform stream priorities, manage dependencies and determine practical trade-offs across delivery commitments, technical requirements, budget constraints and organizational priorities.
• Lead governance and decision-making, approving matters within delegation and presenting roadmap, investment, risk, resourcing and implementation recommendations to the Program Director, Program Steering Committee and senior stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain the multi-year LMS platform roadmap, identifying future capabilities, investment opportunities and capability gaps through strategic analysis and stakeholder engagement.
• Author business cases, investment papers and change requests that set out clear options, implications and trade-offs for executive decision-making.
• Lead resource planning and workforce allocation across the Platform Stream, including staffing, budget and delivery resources within delegation.
• Own strategic commercial relationships with platform and implementation vendors, including contract performance, service levels, delivery outcomes and future investment recommendations.
• Monitor business outcomes and benefits, and own the platform's delivery, technical and security risk profile, ensuring effective controls, assurance, data and security obligations and escalation where required.
• Manage interdependencies with institution-wide programs such as the Academic Calendar Program and Curriculum Transformation, negotiating sequencing and resourcing trade-offs.
• Build trusted senior stakeholder relationships, resolve competing positions, provide executive reporting and deputize for the Program Director at governance forums when required.

For more information regarding the responsibilities for this role, please refer to the Position Description at JOBS@UNSW.

Skills And Experience Summary

• Tertiary qualifications and/or significant experience in similar roles, with substantial proven experience in program and project management.
• In-depth understanding of the project lifecycle and experience applying PRINCE2, PMBOK, Agile or other recognized project management methodologies.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex technology programs or delivery streams comprising multiple interdependent projects.
• Proven ability to influence executive-level stakeholders and governance forums on strategic priorities, investment decisions and delivery approaches.
• Experience developing business cases, investment recommendations and benefits realization strategies.
• Demonstrated capability in resource planning, workforce leadership and prioritization in complex organizational environments.
• Knowledge of budgeting and resource allocation procedures, including experience operating within a formal financial delegation.
• Advanced written and verbal communication skills, with excellent stakeholder engagement, relationship management and influencing skills.
• Excellent time management and problem-solving skills, with the judgment and initiative to respond to changing priorities, manage multiple tasks and meet competing deadlines.
• An understanding of and commitment to UNSW's aims, objectives and values in action, together with relevant policies, guidelines and health and safety responsibilities.

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:

• 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)

Get in Touch:

For queries about the recruitment process, please contact the Talent Acquisition Partner, Ayla Kamal on: [e-mail]

For queries about the role, please contact the Program Director, Dean MacDonald on: [e-mail]

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 evolving a culture that embraces equity and supports a diverse and inclusive community where everyone can participate fairly, in a safe and respectful environment. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds and encourage applications from people of diverse gender, sexual orientation, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background, people with disability and those with caring and family responsibilities. UNSW provides workplace adjustments for people with disability, and access to flexible work options for eligible staff.

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