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• Employment Type: full time continuing role, Head of Innovation
• Excellent salary package including superannuation
• Location: UNSW Kensington Campus (Hybrid Working Opportunities) 

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. 

The Head of Innovation will provide senior leadership, strategic direction, and operational oversight of the UNSW IT Innovation Program, helping to drive a culture of innovation, making us a trusted partner in enabling innovation across the university. This position is critical to delivering innovative practices, fostering transformative initiatives, and embedding innovation frameworks within UNSW IT, aligned with the University’s strategic goals. The role requires vision, influence, and a focus on delivering measurable outcomes that drive competitive advantage, operational excellence, and future-oriented solutions for UNSW. The Head of Innovation reports into the Director, Innovation Enablement and has 5 direct reports.  

Specific accountabilities for this role include:  

• Continually develop and lead the UNSW IT innovation strategy, ensuring alignment with UNSW’s broader strategic innovation goals.  

• Establish and promote a clear vision for innovation in UNSW IT, inspiring staff, students, and stakeholders to embrace transformative change.  

• Lead and manage the Innovation team to deliver on Innovation, Divisional and UNSW Strategy outcomes.  

• Actively mentor and develop a high-performing innovation team.  

• Oversee innovation frameworks, governance structures, and policies to ensure consistency, effectiveness, and transparency.  

• Oversee the prioritisation framework for the innovation portfolio, ensuring projects are aligned with strategic value and ROI.  

• Align innovation programs with UNSW’s overarching mission and long-term objectives.  

• Foster a collaborative environment that brings together internal stakeholders, students, industry, and external partners.  

• Drive adoption of innovative methodologies (e.g., design thinking, agile frameworks) that deliver measurable and sustainable outcomes.  

• Ensure robust reporting mechanisms to communicate the progress, impact, and learnings of innovation initiatives.  

• Determine and manage the key innovation delivery mechanisms to support UNSW IT to take ideas forward through POC and pilot phases. 

• Build and strengthen strategic partnerships with industry, government, academia, and global thought leaders.  

• Facilitate collaborative ecosystems that unlock new opportunities for research, education, and operational advancements.  

• Champion a culture of innovation, experimentation, and calculated risk-taking within UNSW IT, across UNSW, and externally.  

• Ensure psychosocial and physical risks associated with innovation projects are identified, managed, and mitigated.  

• Align all innovation initiatives with UNSW’s ethical, legal, and regulatory responsibilities.  

• Promote success stories and learnings to inspire the broader UNSW community.  

• 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 psychosocial or physical health and safety of yourself or others.  

• Ensure hazards and risks psychosocial and physical are identified and controlled for tasks, projects, and activities that pose a health and safety risk within your area of responsibility.  

Skills and Experience: 

• Postgraduate qualifications in technology Innovation, Management, Business Strategy, or a related field.  

• Extensive leadership experience driving innovation within complex organizations.  

• Extensive experience delivering innovations that have had demonstratable impact.  

• Proven ability to develop and implement enterprise-wide innovation strategies with measurable success.  

• Demonstrated experience managing large-scale innovation portfolios and delivering significant outcomes.  

• Exceptional stakeholder management skills with the ability to negotiate and influence, particularly at a senior/executive level.  

• Strong understanding of emerging technologies, trends, and their application in higher education or research.  

• Experience fostering organizational culture shifts to encourage innovation, creativity, and collaboration.  

• Demonstrated experience managing a team of individuals with diverse skill sets.  

• Excellent interpersonal and communication and presentation skills with a proven ability to build and maintain relationships with a variety of stakeholders, including senior leadership, academic and professional staff and external partners.  

• An understanding of and commitment to UNSW’s aims, objectives and values in action, together with relevant policies and guidelines.  

To Apply: If this is of interest to you, please submit your CV, Cover Letter and responses to the Skills and Experience outlined above and in the position description.  
 
More Information: visit https://www.jobs.unsw.edu.au/ 

Contact 

Jen MacLachlan, email: j.maclachlan@unsw.edu.au 

Applications close: Tuesday 4th of March 11.30pm

Benefits and Culture 

• Flexible hybrid working 

• An additional 3 days of leave over the Christmas Period 

• Access to lifelong learning and career development 

• Progressive HR practices 

• Discounts and entitlements  

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.