• Employment Type: Full-Time
• Duration: 12 Months
• Salary: TFR – Salary determined after interview (commensurate with skills & experience)
• Location: Based at UNSW Kensington Campus with regular travel to Canberra

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 an exciting opportunity for an experienced Program Manager with extensive Change Management experience to lead the planning, development and delivery of major improvement initiatives at UNSW. Reporting to the Enterprise Portfolio Management Office (EPMO), you will be deployed to the Canberra City Program, a strategic initiative that will establish UNSW’s new presence in the nation’s capital. The program covers five key streams: Education, Innovation, Operating Model, Estate and Site Technology, building on UNSW’s defence partnerships to drive growth and innovation.

As Program Manager, you will shape and deliver this ambitious program, overseeing master planning and execution across all phases from design to implementation. Working closely with senior leaders and stakeholders across faculties and divisions, you will ensure alignment, collaboration and effective delivery across multiple interdependent workstreams.

You will bring proven experience in large-scale program establishment and delivery, strong leadership and stakeholder management and change management skills to drive outcomes that enhance UNSW’s operations and community impact.

The role reports to the Program Director.

Responsibilities Summary:

• Lead and advise on program delivery to achieve strategic objectives, benefits, and value.
• Develop and manage the program master plan, covering schedules, milestones, budgets, risks, and dependencies.
• Drive and execute the plans and activities for the change management strategy.
• Support project owners in securing and managing funding through business cases, stage gates, and post-investment reviews.
• Provide insights on market trends and business strategies to guide prioritisation and maximise benefits.
• Ensure alignment with University governance and EPMO project management frameworks.
• Build and manage strong relationships with senior stakeholders across academic and professional portfolios.
• Foster a customer-centric culture and deliver clear, effective program communications.
• Oversee reporting on program scope, schedule, resources, finances, risks, and benefits.
• Anticipate, escalate, and mitigate risks to maintain program performance.
• Lead and develop a team of Project Managers and Officers, ensuring consistent delivery across all projects.

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

Skills and Experience Summary:

• Relevant tertiary qualifications or equivalent professional experience.
• Demonstrated experience across both change management and program/project delivery roles, with a strong understanding of how to integrate change and delivery for successful outcomes.
• Proven experience in workload planning and resource management across diverse teams.
• Extensive background as a Program Director leading complex, high-impact programs in dynamic environments.
• Strong expertise in program governance and delivery using a range of project management methodologies.
• Exceptional written communication skills, with the ability to produce clear, persuasive reports, proposals, and executive papers.
• Demonstrated leadership and team management skills, fostering collaboration and professional credibility across stakeholders.
• High-level problem-solving, continuous improvement, and risk management capabilities, with adaptability to change.
• Sound financial literacy, with experience managing budgets and controlling expenditure.
• Comprehensive understanding of core project management competencies including scope, time, cost, quality, risk, and stakeholder engagement.

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
• Additional 3 days of leave over Christmas period 
• Discounts and entitlements (retail, education, fitness)
  
  

How to Apply: Make each day matter with a meaningful career at UNSW. Submit your CV & cover letter that addresses your suitability for the position in relation to the selection criteria (listed under ‘skills & experience’ above) via the application portal.

Applications close: 9am on the 2^nd of December.

A copy of the Position Description can be found on JOBS@UNSW.

Please note: Applications may be reviewed and progressed as they are received. The advertisement may close early if we receive a high volume of applications, so we encourage you to apply without delay.

Get in Touch: For queries regarding the recruitment process, contact Lucy Gerondis, Talent Acquisition Consultant, UNSW: l.gerondis@unsw.edu.au
(Applications sent via email will not be accepted, please apply online via the application portal).

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.