Senior Manager, Operations Portfolio Management

The University of Western Australia; Crawley; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

An esteemed educational institution in Australia seeks a Senior Manager for Operations Portfolio Management to lead the execution of strategic initiatives. This role involves ensuring effective governance across various programs aimed at improving the experiences of students and staff. Key requirements include relevant qualifications and strong portfolio management experience within a complex organization. The successful candidate will excel in stakeholder engagement and demonstrate leadership skills to foster collaboration across teams. This is a full-time ongoing position located in Crawley.

Qualifications

• Relevant experience in portfolio or program management within large organisations.
• Ability to foster collaboration and develop capabilities across teams.
• Professional qualifications in portfolio/program/project management.

Responsibilities

• Ensure effective delivery and governance of portfolio initiatives.
• Oversee programs that drive measurable impact.
• Translate strategic priorities into execution.

Skills

Leadership skills

Stakeholder engagement

Portfolio management

Collaboration

Education

Relevant tertiary qualifications

Tools

MSP

MoP

PMI

PRINCE2

Agile

Job description

Senior Manager, Operations Portfolio Management

The University of Western Australia – Crawley WA

• Play a pivotal role in shaping UWA’s operational and transformation agenda.
• Drive effective portfolio management and change leadership to deliver strategic priorities, foster collaboration, and achieve measurable impact across the University.
• Contribute to projects that enhance the experience of students, staff, and the wider University community.
• Full-time (1.0 FTE) appointment on an ongoing basis.

About the area

The Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Operations) (DVCO) leads UWA’s operational and transformation agenda, bringing together key functions to support the University’s academic and research mission. The portfolio drives service excellence, sustainability, and innovation through strategic operations, digital enablement, and organisational improvement.

Within this office, the Transformation team drives the University’s transformation agenda through the coordinated management of key operational initiatives. This includes delivery of AI initiatives, operational portfolio & change management, and operational strategy to ensure strong alignment with institutional priorities. The Office also leads digital experience design and process optimisation, enabling UWA to operate with greater agility, sustainability, and innovation in an increasingly dynamic higher education environment.

About the opportunity

• The Senior Manager, Operations Portfolio Management is responsible for ensuring the effective delivery, governance, and realisation of value across the DVCO portfolio of initiatives.
• Reporting to the Director of Transformation, you will translate strategic priorities into execution by overseeing programs, initiatives, and change activities that drive measurable impact.
• You will provide visibility of progress, risk, and benefits to senior leadership, ensuring initiatives are well governed, sustainably adopted, and aligned with the University’s strategic objectives.

About you

• Relevant tertiary qualifications or equivalent experience.
• Demonstrated experience in portfolio or program management within large, complex organisations.
• Demonstrated leadership skills, with the ability to foster collaboration, consultation, and capability development across teams.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing skills, with the ability to build consensus across diverse groups, including senior leaders.
• Professional qualifications or certifications in portfolio/program/project management (e.g., MSP, MoP, PMI, PRINCE2, Agile)

Special Requirements

• On occasions may be required to work outside normal hours and travel as required.
• Police and Financial Background Checks will be conducted.

Please contact Karl Thompson at *************@uwa.edu.au for more information.

How to apply

Please apply online via the Apply Now button. The content of your Resume and Cover Letter should demonstrate how you meet the selection criteria.

Please note: Unsolicited applications from recruitment agencies will not be accepted outside of formal channels.

Closing date: 11:55 PM AWST on Friday 9th January 2026.

This position is only open to applicants with relevant rights to work in Australia.

About the University

The University of Western Australia (UWA) is ranked among the top 100 universities in the world and a member of the prestigious Australian Group of Eight research intensive universities. With a strong research track record, vibrant campus and working environments, there is no better time to join Western Australia’s top university.

Learn more about us.

Our commitment to inclusion and diversity

UWA is committed to a diverse workforce and an equitable and inclusive workplace. We are committed to fostering a safe environment for all, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women, those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, the LGBTIQA+ community, and people living with disability.

If you require any reasonable adjustments, we encourage you to advise us at the time of application. Alternatively, you can contact us for assistance during the recruitment process.

If you have queries relating to your application, please contact the individual named in the advertisement. Alternatively, please contact the Talent team at ******@uwa.edu.au with details of your query. To enable a quick response, please include the 6-digit job reference number.

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