Director, Research Development and Support

About Flinders

Our bold vision, captured in our Strategic Plan: making a Difference: The 2025 Agenda, is to be internationally recognised as a world leader in research, an innovator in contemporary education, and the source of Australia’s most enterprising graduates.

To realise this ambition, we recently made a significant organisation change to a six College structure with a professional staff and services alignment.

We recognise the key to our success is exceptional people and we’re seeking an outstanding individual to join the team of our transformed university.

Employment Type:

Fixed Term (Fixed Term)

Position Summary

Fixed-term, full-time available for 5 years
Compensation Grade:
Senior Management
Reporting to:
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research)
Under broad direction, and in accordance with the strategic goals of the University, the Director, Research Development and Support is responsible for leading, managing and enhancing the delivery of research development and support services towards achieving the strategic goals of the University as described in the Towards 2025 Strategic Plan.
The Director, Research Development and Support will report to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) (DVCR). As a senior member of staff, the incumbent will be expected to determine goals and objectives for the Research Development and Support team, consistent with the broader University strategic planning framework and external obligations. These plans will be agreed annually with the DVCR and will be used as the framework for regular performance assessment.
The Director, Research Development and Support is expected to assist in the delivery of the DVCR’s portfolio responsibilities by providing high level direction, advice and solutions as appropriate. The Director will ensure the efficient, effective and compliant delivery of research development and support services within the University. This will require the Director to work collaboratively with senior leaders of Colleges, Directors of Portfolios, and other internal and external stakeholders to establish and grow research performance in line with University expectations. This will involve making high level significant contributions to the development and implementation of strategies, frameworks, standards, and transformation initiatives to drive a stakeholder service culture across the University. In this regard, the position will also lead and manage people through periods of significant workplace change.

Key Position Responsibilities

• Provide strategic advice and support to the DVCR on the implementation of the research pillar of the University’s Strategic Plan and the Research Support Plan promoting excellence in, and impact from, the University’s research.
• Provide advice to the DVCR and relevant Directors on the development and implementation of research infrastructure, research data management and analysis, researcher professional development and communication plans, and other plans, as required.
• Provide strategic leadership for the delivery of research development and researcher support related policies and projects that lead to opportunities for growth in domestic and international research activity and collaboration, research translation and commercialisation.
• Establish and continually develop and foster a Research Development and Support team that operates in a strategic and innovative way with a strong stakeholder focus and ensuring organisational values are embedded in all research support practices, policies, processes and activities. 
• Develop and implement strategies that ensure effective performance and management of the financial, human and physical resources of the Research Development and Support team.
• Develop and implement effective engagement strategies to inform University researchers about the services and work program of the Research Development and Support team.
• Develop and sustain efficient and effective systems, processes and internal and external partnerships to facilitate the University’s research development, innovation, commercialisation and industry engagement agenda.
• Develop and maintain strong collaborative links with the senior executive, academic units and relevant administrative units, to ensure that the delivery of research development and support services across the University is efficient and effective.
• Manage relationships with potential external partners and external bodies and represent the University in negotiations and discussions with government agencies, research partners and other organisations, as required.
• Foster and implement continuous improvements to administrative systems and processes to ensure that the provision of research development and support services keeps pace with changing requirements and supports researchers and University leaders effectively.
• Coordinate the development and review of research related policy and projects to ensure that the University is able to meet its external obligations.
• Provide leadership for the provision of specialist support to ensure research compliance training and management of compliance in relevant areas including research integrity, export trade controls, ethics, gene technology, quarantine and foreign arrangements.
• Contribute to the broader management of the University and promote the University to the general public, as required.
• Other duties as directed by the DVCR and/or by the University.

Key Position Capabilities

• Extensive knowledge of the issues associated with research, research development and support management at a strategic and operational level and experience in creating, implementing and monitoring strategies and services that support researchers in the achievement of international standing and impact.
• Extensive knowledge of current developments in research, innovation and research translation policy, funding and practice and an ability to translate these into building research capacity.
• Extensive stakeholder management and communications experience across a variety of industries and organisations in a management capacity, including the ability to build consensus and advocate for plans and strategies effectively in a complex matrix organisation.
• Demonstrated ability to liaise and work closely with internal and external stakeholders to enable high impact, externally funded projects.
• Demonstrated capacity to develop and implement innovative and stakeholder-centric procedures and to effectively manage workplace change.
• Demonstrated commitment to, and experience in, managing stakeholder-focussed service delivery, and the ability to identify and build relationships with internal and external stakeholders to develop solutions and research opportunities.
• Demonstrated ability to foster a strategic, entrepreneurial and analytical approach to research development, management and compliance.
• Demonstrated inspirational leadership and management skills, including a commitment to high performance and continuous improvement.
• Significant experience and success in providing transformational leadership and management to a service-oriented organisational unit, including management of human, financial and physical resources.
• A postgraduate qualification in a relevant field is preferred.

For application enquiries please contact: Professor Robert Saint ( [email protected] )

Information for Applicants:

You are required to provide a suitability statement of no more than three pages, addressing the key capabilities of the position as outlined above. In addition, you are required to upload your CV.

A valid National Police Certificate which is satisfactory to the University will also be required before the successful applicant can commence in this position.

We are seeking to increase the diversity to improve equal opportunity outcomes for employees, and therefore we encourage female applicants, people with a disability and/or from Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders descent to apply.

Please note, late applications and applications sent via agencies will not be accepted.

Applications Close 11:59pm:

08 Aug 2021

About Flinders

Our bold vision, captured in our Strategic Plan: making a Difference: The 2025 Agenda, is to be internationally recognised as a world leader in research, an innovator in contemporary education, and the source of Australia’s most enterprising graduates.

To realise this ambition, we recently made a significant organisation change to a six College structure with a professional staff and services alignment.

We recognise the key to our success is exceptional people and we’re seeking an outstanding individual to join the team of our transformed university.

Employment Type:

Fixed Term (Fixed Term)

Position Summary

Fixed-term, full-time available for 5 years
Compensation Grade:
Senior Management
Reporting to:
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research)
Under broad direction, and in accordance with the strategic goals of the University, the Director, Research Development and Support is responsible for leading, managing and enhancing the delivery of research development and support services towards achieving the strategic goals of the University as described in the Towards 2025 Strategic Plan.
The Director, Research Development and Support will report to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) (DVCR). As a senior member of staff, the incumbent will be expected to determine goals and objectives for the Research Development and Support team, consistent with the broader University strategic planning framework and external obligations. These plans will be agreed annually with the DVCR and will be used as the framework for regular performance assessment.
The Director, Research Development and Support is expected to assist in the delivery of the DVCR’s portfolio responsibilities by providing high level direction, advice and solutions as appropriate. The Director will ensure the efficient, effective and compliant delivery of research development and support services within the University. This will require the Director to work collaboratively with senior leaders of Colleges, Directors of Portfolios, and other internal and external stakeholders to establish and grow research performance in line with University expectations. This will involve making high level significant contributions to the development and implementation of strategies, frameworks, standards, and transformation initiatives to drive a stakeholder service culture across the University. In this regard, the position will also lead and manage people through periods of significant workplace change.

Key Position Responsibilities

• Provide strategic advice and support to the DVCR on the implementation of the research pillar of the University’s Strategic Plan and the Research Support Plan promoting excellence in, and impact from, the University’s research.
• Provide advice to the DVCR and relevant Directors on the development and implementation of research infrastructure, research data management and analysis, researcher professional development and communication plans, and other plans, as required.
• Provide strategic leadership for the delivery of research development and researcher support related policies and projects that lead to opportunities for growth in domestic and international research activity and collaboration, research translation and commercialisation.
• Establish and continually develop and foster a Research Development and Support team that operates in a strategic and innovative way with a strong stakeholder focus and ensuring organisational values are embedded in all research support practices, policies, processes and activities. 
• Develop and implement strategies that ensure effective performance and management of the financial, human and physical resources of the Research Development and Support team.
• Develop and implement effective engagement strategies to inform University researchers about the services and work program of the Research Development and Support team.
• Develop and sustain efficient and effective systems, processes and internal and external partnerships to facilitate the University’s research development, innovation, commercialisation and industry engagement agenda.
• Develop and maintain strong collaborative links with the senior executive, academic units and relevant administrative units, to ensure that the delivery of research development and support services across the University is efficient and effective.
• Manage relationships with potential external partners and external bodies and represent the University in negotiations and discussions with government agencies, research partners and other organisations, as required.
• Foster and implement continuous improvements to administrative systems and processes to ensure that the provision of research development and support services keeps pace with changing requirements and supports researchers and University leaders effectively.
• Coordinate the development and review of research related policy and projects to ensure that the University is able to meet its external obligations.
• Provide leadership for the provision of specialist support to ensure research compliance training and management of compliance in relevant areas including research integrity, export trade controls, ethics, gene technology, quarantine and foreign arrangements.
• Contribute to the broader management of the University and promote the University to the general public, as required.
• Other duties as directed by the DVCR and/or by the University.

Key Position Capabilities

• Extensive knowledge of the issues associated with research, research development and support management at a strategic and operational level and experience in creating, implementing and monitoring strategies and services that support researchers in the achievement of international standing and impact.
• Extensive knowledge of current developments in research, innovation and research translation policy, funding and practice and an ability to translate these into building research capacity.
• Extensive stakeholder management and communications experience across a variety of industries and organisations in a management capacity, including the ability to build consensus and advocate for plans and strategies effectively in a complex matrix organisation.
• Demonstrated ability to liaise and work closely with internal and external stakeholders to enable high impact, externally funded projects.
• Demonstrated capacity to develop and implement innovative and stakeholder-centric procedures and to effectively manage workplace change.
• Demonstrated commitment to, and experience in, managing stakeholder-focussed service delivery, and the ability to identify and build relationships with internal and external stakeholders to develop solutions and research opportunities.
• Demonstrated ability to foster a strategic, entrepreneurial and analytical approach to research development, management and compliance.
• Demonstrated inspirational leadership and management skills, including a commitment to high performance and continuous improvement.
• Significant experience and success in providing transformational leadership and management to a service-oriented organisational unit, including management of human, financial and physical resources.
• A postgraduate qualification in a relevant field is preferred.

For application enquiries please contact: Professor Robert Saint ( [email protected] )

Information for Applicants:

You are required to provide a suitability statement of no more than three pages, addressing the key capabilities of the position as outlined above. In addition, you are required to upload your CV.

A valid National Police Certificate which is satisfactory to the University will also be required before the successful applicant can commence in this position.

We are seeking to increase the diversity to improve equal opportunity outcomes for employees, and therefore we encourage female applicants, people with a disability and/or from Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders descent to apply.

Please note, late applications and applications sent via agencies will not be accepted.

Applications Close 11:59pm:

08 Aug 2021