Manager, Research Centre Operations. Dow Centre for Sustainable Engineering Innovation, Faculty of EAIT

• UQ Dow Centre for Sustainable Engineering Innovation

• Collaborate with world-class colleagues

• Overseeing all aspects of the administrative operations within the centre

• Full-time (100%), Fixed term until mid-April 2025

• Visa sponsorship not available for this position

• Advertisement closes on Tuesday, 26 March 2024 – job reference R-36507

• Based at St Lucia Campus

About UQ

As part of the UQ community, you’ll have the opportunity to work alongside the brightest minds, who have joined us from all over the world.

Everyone here has a role to play. As a member of our professional staff cohort, you will be actively involved in working towards our vision of a better world. By supporting the academic endeavour across teaching, research, and the student life, you’ll have the opportunity to contribute to activities that have a lasting impact on our community.

Join a community where excellence is at the core of our culture, contributions are valued and a range of benefits and rewards are available, such as:

• 26 weeks paid parental leave or 14 weeks paid primary caregiver leave

• 17% superannuation contributions

• 17.5% annual leave loading

• Health and wellness discounts – fitness passport access, free yearly flu vaccinations, discounted health insurance, and access to our Employee Assistance Program for staff and their immediate family

• On campus childcare options

• Cheap parking (from just $5.75 a day)

• Salary packaging options

About This Opportunity 

An opportunity has arisen to join the Dow Centre for Sustainable Engineering Innovation as the Manager, Research Centre Operations. The mission of the UQ Dow Centre for Sustainable Engineering Innovation is to provide thought leadership, and to facilitate innovation, in the sustainable production and use of energy and materials.

This position is responsible for centre operations, human resource management, OH&S, centre financial documentation, and correspondence. This position also provides support to the Director and Advisory Board and contributes to implementation of Centre strategic initiatives, policies and procedures.

Key responsibilities will include:

Administrative Management and Director Support
 

• Manage and/or oversee all aspects of the administrative operations of UQ Dow Centre, including committee support, project support, research performance, finance, human resource management, marketing, contract negotiation, IT and compliance.

• Represent and promote the Dow Centre to the internal UQ community and to industry, government and the broader community, build and maintain productive working relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders, using these to facilitate communication.

• Facilitate and contribute to the preparation of major research proposals with distinctive commercial, financial or strategic value.

• Provide planning and project controls support for projects undertaken by the Dow Centre, including assisting the Director with the formation and monitoring of the Dow Centre Strategic Plan and planning and management of new initiatives.

• Prepare and ensure timely submission of Dow Centre’s reports in accordance with its reporting obligations.

• Plan, develop, budget for and implement a range of high-level meetings and events, including conferences, workshops, Advisory Board meetings.

• Proofread and edit Centre publications as required.

• Write, edit and circulate a range of communications and promotional materials in print and digital mediums using various media tools and maintain online content on website and social media.

Resource and Personnel Management

• Develop and monitor the Dow Centre’s budget annually.

• Advise and report to Director on budgetary forward projections and planning issues at the project and overall centre level.

• In collaboration with UQ Research Office, coordinate and support the grant applications.

• In collaboration with UQ Research Partnership Team, coordinate and support industry and government engagement.

• In collaboration with UQ Contracts & Grants, coordinate the preparation of financial reports as per the requirements on each individual agreement.

• Manage the Dow Centre’s financial policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with statutory and University requirements: cost control, cost recovery, advice and reporting.

• Coordinate the preparation of financial statements and reports for research grants as required. Manage financial issues as they occur on a daily basis.

• Under guidance of the Director and in coordination with EAIT HR, arrange recruitment and appointment of all staff.

• In consultation with relevant EAIT officers, provide or arrange financial, HR, IT and OH&S support for all Dow Centre members.

• Comply with the University’s Code of Conduct (see the University’s web site at http://www.uq.edu.au/staff/employment/ ).

Occupational Health and Safety and Environmental Management

• Actively support Centre staff with OH&S issues.

• Review Dow Centre procedures where and whenever necessary.

• Comply with requirements of Queensland environmental legislation and the University’s environmental management system and policies.

This is a full-time (100%), fixed term position until mid-April 2025.

At HEW level 8, the full-time equivalent base salary will be in the range $108,975.08 - $122,176.31, plus a generous super allowance of up to 17%. The total FTE package will be up to $127,500.84 - $142,946.29 annually. As this role is covered by an Enterprise Agreement, you will also receive regular remuneration increases – at least once a year.

About You  

Essential

•  A university undergraduate degree and extensive administration and management experience in a higher education environment or related field.

• A good understanding of engineering and science technical objectives, philosophy and quality standards.

• Demonstrated ability to support research proposal development and application.

• Demonstrated ability to lead industry and government engagement.

• The ability to act autonomously within set guidelines in order to implement the vision of the Dow Centre’s Director.

• The ability to implement programs, procedures and policies that will contribute to the increased operational efficiency of the Dow Centre.

• A good working knowledge of University financial operations and systems as well as a broad understanding, or the capacity to gain a broad understanding, of the Commonwealth and University funding system.

• A working knowledge of University information systems as well as a good understanding of University policies and procedures relevant to Dow Centre operations (e.g. human resources, gender equity, health & safety, financial reporting).

• A good understanding of the operation and rules associated with research grants, grant application processes and commercialisation.

• A high level of interpersonal and communication skills including the ability to negotiate, provide advice and liaise with a wide range of individuals and agencies.

• Excellent writing skills for Centre’s reports, research proposals, communication and promotion materials.

• Must be self-motivated and take initiative within established management guidelines.

Desirable

• Postgraduate or PhD qualifications or equivalent experience in Science & Engineering, business management, project management or innovation management.

• Skills in strategic and operational planning and marketing associated with a large organisational unit.

In addition, the following mandatory requirements apply:

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

• Background Checks: All final applicants for this position may be asked to consent to a criminal record check. Please note that people with criminal records are not automatically barred from applying for this position. Each application will be considered on its merits. 

 
Questions? 

For more information about this opportunity, please contact Professor Xiwang Zhang . For application queries, please contact [email protected] stating the job reference number (below) in the subject line. 
 

Want to Apply? 

All applicants must upload the following documents in order for your application to be considered:

• Cover letter addressing the ‘About You’ section  

• Resume 

Other Information 

At UQ we know that our greatest strengths come from our diverse mix of colleagues, this is reflected in our ongoing commitment to creating an environment focused on equity, diversity and inclusion .  We ensure that we are always attracting, retaining and promoting colleagues who are representative of the diversity in the broader community, whether that be gender identity , LGBTQIA+ , cultural and/or linguistic , Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples , or people with a disability . Accessibility requirements and/or adjustments can be directed to [email protected] .

If you are a current employee (including casual staff and HDR scholars) or hold an unpaid/affiliate appointment, please login to your staff Workday account and visit the internal careers board to apply for this opportunity. Please do NOT apply via the external job board.

Applications close on Tuesday, 26 March 2024 at 11.00pm AEST (Job Reference Number - R-36507).

#LI-DNI