Business Manager

**Job no**: 528650

**Work type**: Full-time

**Location**: Geelong - Waurn Ponds

**Categories**: Management, Research
- Based at our Geelong, Waurn Ponds Campus
- Full-time and fixed term for 4 years
- Above HEW 10 + 17% Superannuation

Founded in 1974, Deakin is a public university in Victoria with 61,000 students across five campuses: Melbourne Burwood, Geelong Waurn Ponds, Geelong Waterfront, Warrnambool, and the online Cloud Campus. We are a progressive and open-minded university, with the highest student satisfaction in Victoria and consistently ranked in the top 1% of the world’s universities.

Deakin’s Recycling and Clean Energy Commercialisation Hub (REACH) is part of Australia’s Trailblazer Universities Program.

REACH will build the single largest clean energy ecosystem in Australia, placing Australia at the forefront of critical new technologies, products, and industries. It will have a significant impact on Australia’s National Manufacturing Priorities, and support growth and jobs in manufacturing with significant economic and social impact. The REACH Business Unit provides Program enablement and will promote REACH capabilities in academic communities, government and industry in Australia and internationally, maximising opportunities to fully realise the REACH strategic vision and the Deakin 2030: Ideas to Impact University Strategic Plan.

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Business Manager is a member of the REACH Business Unit leadership team, and has oversight of program performance, including management of milestone delivery by research commercialisation and enablement projects, commercial reporting, oversight of financial management, and coordination with the University’s enabling functions to ensure the delivery of REACH Program outcomes. This will be achieved through dotted line reporting to the Executive Director of Deakin Research Innovation and through a matrix approach linking to Education and to relevant services provided by Infrastructure and Property Group, Office of the General Counsel, People & Culture and Finance.

The position supports the achievement of Deakin’s strategic goals through the establishment of a seamless suite of business, commercial and operational services to the REACH Program of research commercialisation and industry education, transforming services and systems and championing and leading the change.

**Your key responsibilities will include**:

- Providing high quality and authoritative advice to the Executive Director on strategic matters as well as operational and business process issues related to the Program
- Stakeholder engagement with internal partners to support Program operations and external partners aligned to enhancing and delivering operational strategy and impact
- Providing high level support to the Executive Director in the development and deployment of plans and strategies, reporting mechanisms and measurements which are designed to meet the overall objectives and targets set by the REACH Program
- Providing oversight of the management of human and other resources and activities to ensure timely milestone delivery of research commercialisation and enablement workforce, education, and infrastructure projects
- Developing Business cases for new external partner research commercialisation projects, aligned with the strategic framework and Conditions of Grant and making recommendations to the Executive Director and Board
- Providing strategic advice and leadership to governance and management across REACH, ensuring ongoing strategic and/or financial viability, and ensuring appropriate enabling services support to achieve operational requirements of the Program
- Collaborating with Finance to provide financial management and analysis of Program operations and research commercialisation projects ensuring ongoing sustainability
- Working with Finance to develop Program budgets and forecasts (P&L, cashflow) including regular updates to reflect changes and as per regular update cycles
- Working with Finance and Industry partners to manage debtors and key creditors to ensure payments are processed as per terms

**To be successful, you’ll have**:

- A combination of relevant tertiary qualifications, preferably at post graduate level, and demonstrated significant and substantial experience in a senior business or operations management role, in large and complex organisation
- Demonstrated success in the development and implementation of strategic program initiatives
- Demonstrated strong understanding of contemporary business concepts and strategies and the capacity to adapt and implement these for the benefit of an organisation
- Demonstrated capacity to build and maintain strong and productive relationships with multiple internal and external partners and stakeholders from business, government or community sectors
- Proven ability to exercise judgement, influence others, be flexible and adaptive to environmental changes and prior