Program Manager (The Melbourne Biodiversity Institute)

Job no: 0060945
Location: Parkville
Role type: Part-time; Fixed-term for 12 months
Faculty: Faculty of Science
Department/School: Melbourne Biodiversity Institute | School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences
Salary: Level 8 – $119,742 – $129,607 p.a. plus 17% super

• Support the effective delivery of strategy and operations at the Melbourne Biodiversity Institute.
• Work at the intersection of science, environmental conservation, and social impact in a new interdisciplinary institute.
• Salary packaging, subsidised health and wellbeing services, fitness and cultural clubs, Myki discounts, and a 25% discount on graduate courses to our staff and their immediate families!

About the Role
The Melbourne Biodiversity Institute (MBI) is seeking a Program Manager for a new position to support its mission of addressing biodiversity loss and degradation. Reporting to the Deputy Director, this role involves coordinating MBI's program of work, supporting strategic planning, and leading a small team. The position offers a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of science, research, and environmental conservation.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Communicate effectively with a diverse group of individuals and stakeholder organizations, fostering productive relationships critical to project success.
• Oversee project work plan, monitor progress, track milestones, and help develop and shape project reporting as needed to ensure project objectives are met.
• Develop and oversee mechanisms for tracking impact, maintain accurate records, and prepare compliance and strategic reports, dissemination of reports to relevant parties, promoting the achievements of the MBI and ensuring adherence to reporting standards.
• Support development of research project proposals, including through synthesising and gathering materials, proposal writing, and coordinating with researchers and partners.

Who We Are Looking For
You will possess exceptional written and oral communication skills, with the ability to effectively convey information in a diverse work environment. Additionally, you will have excellent interpersonal skills to initiate and maintain collaborative relationships and strong organisational abilities to manage priorities. You will also have the capability to navigate university systems and supervise administrative roles, making the position your own.

You will also have:

• A tertiary degree in a relevant discipline and extensive relevant experience in strategic roles, operations and/or research or business administration, or an equivalent combination of relevant experience and/or education/training.
• Experience in strategy planning, project implementation, governance and leadership support in a research environment.
• Exceptional strategic management skills suited to a dynamic environment.
• Strong administrative, planning, and organisational skills.
• Proficiency in grant development and program evaluation, including understanding program logic and tracking and synthesising evidence of impact.

For further information regarding responsibilities and requirements, please refer to the attached PD.

This role requires that the successful candidate must undergo and maintain an up-to-date Working with Children Check. This is essential to guarantee a secure environment for all individuals at the University. In the case the selected candidate doesn't have a valid Working with Children Check, they will be able to apply for the WWCC as part of the initial onboarding procedures.

Please note: Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. This role requires current valid work rights for Australia.

The School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences
The School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences (SAFES) has a vision of science for flourishing environments and communities. The School brings together diverse discipline strengths to lead the development of new interdisciplinary thinking and high impact solutions for global challenges relating to climate change, food security, healthy food systems, biodiversity conservation, sustainable forest management, invasive species, and environmentally and economically sustainable agricultural practices. Our expertise spans biophysical, social and technical sciences, and we support a large cohort of PhD students across these domains.

The School teaches a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs, including the Bachelor of Agriculture, several majors of the Bachelor of Science and, and six Master coursework programs: Master of Agricultural Sciences, Master of Ecosystem Management and Conservation, Master of Food and Packaging Innovation, Master of Food Science, Master of Urban Horticulture and Master of Environment.

What We Offer You!
In addition, we offer the opportunity to be part of a vibrant community and enjoy a range of benefits, including generous leave provisions, salary packaging, health and well-being services and discounts on graduate courses. For more information, check out our benefits  page!

About the University of Melbourne
We’re tightly connected with the community, both at home and abroad. We take pride in our people, who all contribute to our mission to benefit society through the transformative impact of education and research. Discover more via our website  and stay connected with our stories and people on LinkedIn .   

Be Yourself
The University of Melbourne values the unique backgrounds, experiences and contributions that each person brings to our community and welcomes and celebrates diversity.  First Nations people, those identifying as LGBTQIA+, parents, carers, people of all ages, abilities and genders, and people of diverse ethnicity, nationality and faith are encouraged to apply. Our aim is to create a workforce that reflects the diversity of the community in which we live. For more information please visit our Diversity and Inclusion page.

We are dedicated to ensuring barrier free and inclusive practices to recruit the most talented candidates. If you require reasonable adjustments, please contact the employee listed on the first page of the Position Description found below, with an email containing your name and contact details for a confidential discussion. Please ensure your email is titled "Reasonable Adjustments Request".

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Applicants
We aspire to be the University of choice for Indigenous Australians, with unprecedented investment to attract, nurture and retain Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and staff. Tangible support through a range of programs and initiatives will ensure that you personally succeed and flourish while at the University of Melbourne.

For further information, including our 2023-2027 Indigenous strategy please visit -https://about.unimelb.edu.au/reconciliation/murmuk-djerring

Join Us!
If you feel this role is right for you, please apply with the following documents: 

• Resume
• Cover Letter outlining your interest and experience
• The responses against the Selection Criteria^ (found in the Position Description)

^For information to help you with compiling short statements to answer the selection criteria and competencies, please go to http://about.unimelb.edu.au/careers/selection-criteria

If you have any questions regarding the recruitment process, please feel free to contact Oliver Bukasa via email at [email protected] , ensuring that you include the Position Number and the Job Title as the subject. Please do not share your application to this email address.

If you have any particular questions regarding the job please follow the details listed on the Position Description.

Position Description