Property Manager

What the job actually covers

Queensland University of Technology is hiring a Property Manager in its Campus Services division, reference 26599, at Higher Education Worker level 9. The base salary runs from A$136,251 to A$142,738. With 17 per cent superannuation and 17.5 per cent recreation leave loading, the full package is A$161,241 to A$168,919. It is an ongoing, full-time position based at Kelvin Grove with hybrid work options, and applications close 8 November 2026 at 11.30pm Brisbane time.

The person appointed will oversee daily operations, marketing, lease management and compliance, and the budgets tied to QUT's on-campus retail and commercial tenants plus its off-campus property portfolio. That includes site inspections across distributed sites, reporting on lease compliance and safety, and driving retailer operational improvement, presentation and turnover growth. The role also provides expert property advice, research and reporting across asset classes, and leads new and renewing lease negotiations when directed.

QUT's physical estate is substantial. Gardens Point has 28 buildings across 7.3 hectares, Kelvin Grove has 41 buildings on a 20-hectare site, and another 17 buildings sit off campus across almost two hectares. The combined gross floor area exceeds 400,000 square metres. The Property area within Campus Services handles retail and commercial leasing, strategy, retailer management, marketing, operations and liaison, plus the leasing and management of off-campus leasehold and freehold assets. Its neighbours in Campus Services include Campus Planning, Commercial Services, Security and Emergency Management, Integrated Transport Services and Travel.

The pay is above the Brisbane base rate

Against the wider Brisbane property management market, QUT's base is generous. PayScale reports an average base of A$60,678 for a Brisbane property manager, with the typical range from roughly A$45,000 to A$79,000. SEEK's current Brisbane estimate sits between A$80,000 and A$90,000. Indeed's survey of 26 recent Brisbane postings reports an average base of A$88,015, while SalaryExpert's employer-sourced estimate runs to A$109,695. QUT's base of A$136,251 to A$142,738 sits above all four benchmarks, and the total package of A$161,241 to A$168,919 places it near the top of Queensland university and public-sector property roles.

That premium reflects the mix QUT is asking for. This is a commercial landlord and tenant role spanning retail, licences, telecommunications tower agreements and access easements, not a residential portfolio manager tracking rental arrears. The pay recognises the breadth.

Queensland's retail lease regime shapes the work

The legal frame for much of this role is the Retail Shop Leases Act 1994 (Qld). The Act applies to premises in a retail shopping centre or used predominantly for a retail business, and it imposes disclosure obligations, controls how and when rent can be reviewed, limits the outgoings a landlord can recover, and creates a mandatory mediation path for retail tenancy disputes. On a campus with a cluster of food outlets, bookshops and other retailers, five or more retail premises in one building can meet the Act's definition of a retail shopping centre, which changes what QUT can charge and what it must disclose. The current text is on the Queensland legislation website.

The advertisement notes that QUT acts as landlord and tenant across retail, commercial, licences, phone tower licences and access easements on reserve, freehold or leasehold land. The dual position matters. For off-campus leases, the manager negotiates against landlords. On campus, the same person enforces lease obligations against retail tenants. The success criteria list a practical understanding of Queensland legislation, particularly the Retail Shop Leases Act, alongside a postgraduate-level qualification in property economics, valuation, business or law, or equivalent experience.

The gap between a signed lease and a working shopfront

The numbers cannot show what this job feels like in practice. A campus commercial operations manager I know spent most of a summer reconciling tenancy arrears that were scattered across the property database and the finance spreadsheet, with landlord invoices arriving separately by email. Call him M; he moved on to an estates director role after fixing the tenant records. Multiply him by every university campus services team you know, and you understand why QUT's advertisement calls the Property Manager the key driver for retailer operational improvement, presentation and turnover growth. The role lives in the space between what a lease says and how an outlet actually performs.

That means walking shopfronts at Kelvin Grove and Gardens Point, checking whether a cafe's fitout matches its permitted use, reviewing turnover reports against lease terms, and deciding whether a lease breach justifies a formal notice or a conversation with the operator is the faster fix. It also means reading turnover figures closely for tenants on turnover rent, because under the Retail Shop Leases Act confidentiality and accurate reporting are not academic details; they are enforceable obligations.

What this means for your application

The selection criteria are explicit. QUT wants someone whose education, training or experience is equivalent to a postgraduate qualification, combined with extensive retail and commercial property management experience covering leasing, operations, finance and budgeting, and marketing. Candidates need a record of successful lease and property management, strong negotiation and stakeholder skills, and the ability to manage workload and deliver outcomes that meet client expectations.

• Practical command of the Retail Shop Leases Act 1994 (Qld) and related Queensland property legislation
• Experience with both landlord and tenant positions, including off-campus leasehold and freehold assets
• Financial literacy for budgets, arrears, turnover rent and operational reporting
• A track record of improving retail turnover, presentation and compliance rather than just administering leases
• Commitment to equity, diversity and Indigenous Australian engagement, which QUT lists among the requirements

One eligibility detail needs attention. The advertisement for reference 26599 states the role is open to current QUT staff who have ongoing full-time work rights in Australia. Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islander people who are not QUT staff are also eligible and encouraged to apply in line with the university's Indigenous employment strategy. If you are an external applicant who is not Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, this round may not be open to you, so read the full listing before building an application.

The Kelvin Grove setting and what QUT offers

Kelvin Grove is not a standalone campus in a field. It sits inside the Kelvin Grove Urban Village, a mixed-use precinct with a supermarket, cafes, restaurants, offices, health care and the Saturday Village Markets. The university's Creative Industries Precinct at Kelvin Grove includes La Boite's 400-seat Roundhouse Theatre, production studios and exhibition spaces, and the Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation is on the same site. A property manager here works in a functioning urban village, not an isolated estate.

QUT's benefits package includes up to 17 per cent superannuation and 17.5 per cent leave loading, primary carer parental leave of up to 26 weeks, Fitness Passport access, purchased leave of up to eight extra weeks, salary packaging for childcare, parking and gym services, and a study assistance scheme. The university also runs an Indigenous Australian Staff Network and dedicated development workshops.

Apply before 8 November

Applications close 8 November 2026 at 11.30pm Brisbane time. The application is lodged through QUT's recruitment portal. You can submit your application through QUT's recruitment portal.

Before you write a word, pull the position description and map your last two years of lease negotiations, compliance audits and retailer conversations to the selection criteria. If you are eligible, submit by 8 November.