Academic Operations Team Leader

The University of Auckland; Auckland; On-site; NZD 73,000 - 91,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Auckland is seeking a capable, collaborative Academic Operations Team Leader to provide day-to-day leadership and practical operational support to the Business and Law Group Services team, ensuring high-quality academic and administrative services.

Leading a team of 26 staff and four direct reports, the role focuses on performance coaching, workload planning, stakeholder engagement and continuous service improvement across teaching, learning and research administration.

Qualifications

• Leadership experience in a tertiary or educational environment.
• Experience in academic operations, administration or service delivery.
• Ability to influence, plan and deliver practical service improvements.

Responsibilities

• Provide confident, empathetic and visible people leadership, setting clear expectations while coaching, motivating and supporting staff to perform at their best.
• Take a hands-on approach to operational delivery, stepping in to support work, resolve issues and maintain service continuity when priorities shift or demand increases.
• Plan, prioritise and coordinate work effectively, using sound judgement to balance competing demands, allocate resources and meet agreed service expectations.
• Build trusted relationships with staff, students and schools to deliver professional, customer-focused service.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives to simplify processes and improve consistency across the team.

Skills

People leadership

Stakeholder relationships

Operational delivery

Team coaching

Job description

The University of AucklandThe University of Auckland is New Zealand’s pre-eminent research-led University. Established in 1883, it is an international centre of learning and academic excellence. With just over 5,200 staff and more than...

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a capable, collaborative and people-centred leader to join the Faculty of Law as Academic Operations Team Leader. Working closely with the Academic Operations Manager, this role will provide both visible day-to-day leadership and practical operational support to ensure the Business and Law Group Services team delivers high-quality, responsive and consistent academic and administrative services.

This is a hands-on leadership role within a team of 26 staff, with direct responsibility for four team members: one Group Services Administrator, two Academic Administration Coordinators and one Group Services Coordinator. The successful candidate will set clear expectations, support performance, coach and develop staff, coordinate workload, resolve operational issues and step in where needed to maintain service continuity during business-as-usual activity, periods of increased demand and times of change.

The Academic Operations Team Leader will play an important role in strengthening Academic Operations / Group Services capability across the Faculty. The role requires someone who can lead through influence as well as action: supporting change, embedding improved ways of working, contributing to new initiatives and ensuring practical, consistent approaches are translated into effective service delivery for schools across both faculties, including teaching and learning, research administration and operational activity.

We are seeking someone who brings sound administrative or coordination experience, strong judgement and a genuine commitment to people leadership, service excellence and continuous improvement. The ideal candidate will be approachable, resilient and solutions-focused, with the ability to balance strategic awareness with practical delivery. They will be confident leading people, managing competing priorities, building trust with stakeholders and working alongside the team to support high-quality outcomes.

• Provide confident, empathetic and visible people leadership, setting clear expectations while coaching, motivating and supporting staff to perform at their best.


• Take a hands‑on approach to operational delivery, stepping in to support work, resolve issues and maintain service continuity when priorities shift or demand increases.


• Plan, prioritise and coordinate work effectively, using sound judgement to balance competing demands, allocate resources and meet agreed service expectations.


• Build trusted and constructive relationships with staff, students and schools, bringing a professional, customer‑focused and solution‑oriented approach to service delivery.


• Lead and contribute to continuous improvement by identifying opportunities to simplify processes, improve consistency and support positive change across the team.

This is a fulltime, permanent position.

The salary range for this role is$73,400 – $90,700depending on skills and experience.

You are a proactive and collaborative leader with experience in tertiary operations or academic administration. You thrive in a dynamic environment, guiding teams to deliver efficient, consistent, and student- and staff-centred administrative services, and are confident in managing complex operational challenges while supporting strategic priorities.

You will bring:

• Proven experience leading and developing teams in a tertiary or educational environment.


• Demonstrated experience in academic operations, administration, or service delivery, with an understanding of key functional areas such as finance, recruitment, curriculum management, or teaching & learning administration.


• Ability to build strong relationships, influence outcomes, and act as a point of escalation for complex operational challenges.


• Strong problem‑solving and organisational skills, with experience contributing to operational planning and continuous improvement initiatives.

The University of Auckland is committed to providing an excellent working environment through:

• Flexible employment practices and a culture that supports work‑life balance


• A competitive salary with five weeks’ annual leave

Applications should be submitted online, before the closing date of 4October 2026and include an up-to-date CV and cover letter outlining what strengths you will bring to this role.

If you have any questions, please email Chrissy Bretherton via [e-mail]

Please note we are happy to answer your questions, but we do not accept applications via email