Employment Type: Full Time, Fixed Term, opportunity until February 2028
Remuneration: Competitive Total Remuneration Package
Location: Kensington NSW (hybrid work profile)
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. It's the reason we're one of the top universities in the world and a member of Australia's prestigious Group of Eight.
As UNSW continues to expand its global footprint, a range of strategic global education initiatives, including UNSW Bengaluru and future transnational education ventures, will shape the future of international education, global student experiences, and offshore operations. These initiatives create exciting opportunities to design new ways of delivering education, supporting students, and operating at a global scale.
About the Role
The Lead Project Manager is a senior strategic role responsible for planning, leading, and delivering complex, high-value Global Education initiatives (GEI) and Transnational Education projects aligned with Divisional and UNSW priorities. Operating with significant autonomy, the position oversees cross-functional initiatives spanning people, process, systems, and culture change.
The role directs and coordinates project workstreams, manages senior stakeholder engagement, and maintains oversight of governance, change management, benefits realisation, and financial control. The Lead Project Manager partners across portfolios and disciplines to deliver sustainable outcomes.
Reporting to the Program Manager, this role has no direct reports but provides strategic leadership and is accountable for the successful delivery of complex projects.
Responsibilities
- Lead the end-to-end delivery of major Transnational Education Projects (Multi-Campus) or portfolio-wide initiatives to ensure scoped outcomes are achieved on time, within budget, and aligned with strategic benefits.
- Provide strategic direction and governance oversight across project teams, managing risks, issues, finances, and alignment with UNSW framework standards.
- Coordinate cross-functional teams, resources, and external vendors to deliver integrated outcomes across multiple project workstreams.
- Drive stakeholder engagement and change readiness strategies to support broad adoption, capability building, and sustainable operational embedding.
- Deliver transparent reporting and guidance to senior governance bodies on critical decisions, risks, interdependencies, and milestone achievements.
- Champion continuous improvement in project delivery practices while promoting a collaborative culture that models UNSW values and leadership behaviours.
About You
- Tertiary qualifications paired with extensive experience leading large-scale, complex projects, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and industry experience.
- Proven track record of delivering enterprise-wide initiatives within higher education or similarly complex, regulated environments, successfully managing interdependencies and organisational change.
- Advanced expertise in project management methodologies (such as PRINCE2, PMBOK, or Agile) with demonstrated skill in strategic planning, benefit realisation, and budget and vendor oversight.
- Outstanding stakeholder management, negotiation, and influencing capabilities, with a proven ability to engage effectively at executive levels and navigate ambiguity.
- High-level analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills, with a focus on delivering clear reports and managing competing strategic priorities.
- Strong commitment to embedding UNSW values, work health and safety obligations, equity, diversity, and inclusion principles into all project practices.
For further information on the role & responsibilities, please refer to the Position Description.
How to Apply
Submit your CV & cover letter detailing your interest and suitability for the job (as per the skills & experience bullet points in the job description) before 11:55pm, Thursday 5 November 2026.
Please note: Sponsorship is not available for this role, valid Australian working rights are required on application.
UNSW Benefits and Culture
People are at the core of everything we do. We recognise it is the contributions of our staff who make UNSW one of the best universities in Australia and the world. Our benefits include:
- Additional 3 days leave during December festive period.
- Career development opportunities
- Up to 50% discount on UNSW courses
- Flexible 17% Superannuation contributions, additional leave-loading payments and salary sacrifice.
- Discounts and entitlements (retail, education, fitness passport)
Job queries contact: Tai James, Talent Acquisition Consultant
E: tai.james@unsw.edu.au (applications to the address cannot be accepted, please apply online)
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.
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
- Completion of a Gender-Based Violence Prevention Declaration
- Verification of relevant qualifications
- Employment history and reference checks
Compliance with the necessary combination of these checks is a condition of employment at UNSW.