Technician Commitment Program Officer

The University of Sydney; Sydney; On-site; AUD 107,000 - 116,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Sydney leads the Technician Commitment program in Australia, delivering governance, stakeholder engagement and events to strengthen the technical workforce. This newly established team supports development of career pathways and equitable opportunities across the Australian research sector.

As the Technical Commitment Program Officer, you will coordinate operational delivery, manage budgets and reporting, and drive continuous improvement across partner organisations and sectors.

Qualifications

• Experience in program coordination or operational delivery.
• Experience developing operational systems, reporting processes and governance documentation.
• Strong financial and administrative capability including budget monitoring and data management.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement across diverse organisations.
• Experience coordinating meetings, committees, events or workshops with attention to detail.
• Knowledge of the Australian higher education/research sector; commitment to equity and inclusion.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate the operational delivery of the Technician Commitment in Australia, including plans, milestones, reporting and continuous improvement.
• Support stakeholder engagement by managing enquiries, onboarding signatories and maintaining relationships with partners.
• Lead or coordinate projects, workstreams and national program activities including events and workshops.
• Provide governance and administrative support, including secretariat services, self‑assessment and reporting.
• Monitor budgets, expenditure and financial reporting, supporting forecasting and funding administration.
• Maintain data, risk and decision registers and report progress and risks to the Program Lead.

Skills

Program coordination

Governance

Budget & reporting

Stakeholder engagement

Event coordination

Higher education sector knowledge

Education

Relevant degree or equivalent professional experience

Job description

• Unique opportunity to deliver the newly-established Technician Commitment in Australia
• HEO 6 Base Salary $107,312 - $115,686 + 17% superannuation

About the opportunity

Microscopy Australia is the national collaborative research infrastructure providing researchers with access to world class microscopy, imaging and characterisation capabilities. Through a network of leading facilities hosted by the University of Sydney and partner universities and research organisations across Australia, Microscopy Australia supports cutting edge research, innovation and industry engagement across fields ranging from health and medicine to materials science and environmental research.

The Technician Commitment is an internationally recognised initiative driving systemic and cultural change for technical and scientific professionals across higher education, research and innovation. Supported by a major Australian Government investment, this team will support the establishment and delivery of the Technician Commitment in Australia in partnership with Microscopy Australia, the Academy for Collaborative Research Infrastructure (ACRI), and the UK Technician Commitment team.

As the Technical Commitment Program Officer, you will play a critical role in ensuring the successful operational delivery of the program, supporting stakeholder engagement, governance, reporting, financial administration, events, and continuous improvement activities.

This role sits within a newly established team that is building dedicated capability to support the technical workforce underpinning Australia's research excellence. The team will develop and deliver initiatives that enhance professional development opportunities, strengthen career pathways, and elevate the contribution of technical staff to research and innovation. This is a unique opportunity to help shape the future of the technical workforce across the Australian research sector.

Your key responsibilities will be to:

• coordinate the operational delivery of the Technician Commitment in Australia, including program plans, milestones, reporting, records and continuous improvement activities
• support stakeholder engagement by managing enquiries, onboarding signatories and supporters, and maintaining effective relationships with delivery partners and sector stakeholders
• lead or coordinate projects, workstreams and national program activities, including events, workshops, meetings and engagement initiatives
• provide governance and administrative support, including secretariat services, self-assessment processes, action tracking and preparation of reports, briefings and presentations
• monitor program budgets, expenditure and financial reporting requirements, supporting forecasting and funding administration activities
• maintain accurate data, risk, issue and decision registers, reporting progress, achievements and emerging risks to the Program Lead

About you

• demonstrated experience in program coordination, project administration or operational delivery, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and stakeholders
• experience developing and maintaining effective operational systems, reporting processes, governance documentation and records
• strong financial and administrative capability, including budget monitoring, reporting and data management
• excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with experience building productive relationships across diverse organisations and sectors
• experience coordinating meetings, committees, events, workshops or other stakeholder engagement activities, supported by strong attention to detail and organisational skills
• knowledge of the Australian higher education, research or research infrastructure sector, with a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion; understanding of technical professionals would be advantageous, alongside a relevant degree or equivalent professional experience.

Sponsorship / work rights for Australia

You must have unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this employment to apply. Visa sponsorship is not available for this appointment.

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 LGBTIQ+. 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.