• One of Australia’s leading research & teaching universities
• Vibrant campus life with a strong sense of community & inclusion
• Enjoy a career that makes a difference by collaborating & learning from the best

At UNSW, we pride ourselves on being a workplace where the best people come to do their best work.

The School of Materials Science and Engineering is one of the top ranked Materials programs in the Asia-

Pacific regions and strongly positioned in every facet of materials science and engineering. It offers undergraduate programs in Materials Science and Engineering (Honours), as well as a number of combined degree programs with Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering and Commerce.

The Senior Manager, Industry Engagement & Strategic Projects provides leadership and execution across industry engagement, strategic project delivery, externally funded research growth, and research translation and commercialisation activities. Operating at the interface between the University, industry, and government, this role supports the delivery of large-scale, industry-funded collaborative programs, drives external engagements and research revenue growth, and enables the translation of research into meaningful commercial and societal impacts within the School of Materials Science & Engineering and the UNSW Business Development & Commercialisation Office.

About the role

• $148K - $157K plus 17% superannuation and annual leave loading
• Fixed Term – 12 months
• Full-time (35 hours per week)

Specific responsibilities for this role include:

• Provide oversight of and execution leadership for University-level strategic projects, ensuring timely, responsive, and well-coordinated engagement, professional delivery, alignment with University priorities, and the achievement of agreed outcomes within established timeframes.
• Act as the senior point of contact for industry and government engagement, representing the University in high-level discussions, building trusted and long-term relationships, aligning expectations, resolving issues, and fostering outcomes-focused collaboration.
• Provide leadership for research translation and commercialisation activities across major research and translation programs, including identifying and assessing market opportunities, shaping commercial pathways and working with relevant internal teams to progress deals and agreements that maximise impact.
• Provide leadership of business development and large-scale external funding initiatives, including building and managing an opportunity pipeline, leading the formation of industry and government consortia, and shaping compelling value propositions for partners.
• Provide strategic sector and market insight, coordinating industry co-investment, overseeing compliance and governance inputs, and guiding the development of grant and tender applications to ensure commercial and strategic objectives are clearly articulated and aligned.
• Lead end-to-end project delivery. This will include:
  • Proactively identifying commercial, legal and operational risks, dependencies, and constraints and developing effective problem-solving and mitigation strategies to support successful outcomes.
  • Providing oversight of contractual and commercial negotiations and arrangements for industry-engaged projects.
  • Shaping collaboration frameworks and ensuring that roles, responsibilities, IP, financial, and governance terms are clearly defined and aligned with project objectives.
  • Working closely with University Legal, Research Grants and Contracts (RGC), Faculties, and other relevant professional teams to secure balanced, compliant, and outcome-focused industry agreements.
  • Providing oversight of financial governance and ensuring adherence to University financial procedures.
  • Leading, mentoring and influencing cross-functional project teams and early career researchers, setting clear accountabilities for industry projects, promoting a high-performance and collaborative culture, and building capability in industry engagement, project delivery, and commercial awareness.
  • Managing strong stakeholder relationships, maximising network opportunities, and providing influential insight to achieve project outcomes.
• Align with and actively demonstrate the Code of Conduct and Values.
• Cooperate with all health and safety policies and procedures of the university and take all reasonable care to ensure that your actions or omissions do not impact on the health & safety of yourself or others.

About the successful applicant
(selection criteria)

To be successful in this role you will have:

• Postgraduate qualifications and/or equivalent relevant experience in the field of Materials Science and Engineering accompanied by extensive experience (minimum 7+ years) in the higher education sector within management, business development and/or client relationship management.
• Demonstrated track record of securing industry and government funding within a University environment through external partnerships, with experience in securing or managing funding at scale (e.g., over $10 million+).
• Proven success in stakeholder engagement and in establishing and managing strategic partnerships with industry executives and academic leaders.
• Demonstrated experience in or knowledge of:
  • End-to-end project and grant management.
  • Supporting research translation and commercialisation activities to achieve large-scale technology validation and production outcomes.
  • Funding lifecycles and a range of government funding frameworks.
  • Structuring and negotiating commercial agreements.
  • Business development and industry partner acquisition.
  • Producing high-quality communications deliverables for a variety of audiences.
  • Exercising analytical and reporting capability to prepare project progress reports and provide structured updates to stakeholders in a research/industry environment.
• Advanced written and verbal communication skills, with a high level of attention to detail in preparing high-quality deliverables.
• An understanding of and commitment to UNSW’s aims, objectives and values in action, together with relevant policies and guidelines.
• Knowledge of health and safety responsibilities and commitment to attending relevant health and safety training

You should systematically address the selection criteria listed within the position description in your application.

Please apply online - applications will not be accepted if sent to the contact listed.

Contact:
Sean Li
E: sean.li@unsw.edu.au
Applications close: March 31^st, 2025

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Pre-Employment Checks
Aligned with UNSW’s focus on cultivating a workplace defined by safety, ethical conduct, and strong integrity preferred candidates will be required to participate in a combination of pre-employment checks relevant to the role they have applied for.
These pre-employment checks may include a combination of some of the following checks:-
• National and International Criminal history checks
• Entitlement to work and ID checks
• Working With Children Checks
• Completion of a Gender-Based Violence Prevention Declaration
• Verification of relevant qualifications
• Verification of relevant professional membership
• Employment history and reference checks
• Financial responsibility assessments/checks
• Medical Checks and Assessments

Compliance with the necessary combination of these checks is a condition of employment at UNSW.

Find out more about working at UNSW at www.unsw.edu.au

UNSW is committed to equity diversity and inclusion. Applications from women, people of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, those living with disabilities, members of the LGBTIQ+ community; and people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent, are encouraged. 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.