Associate Director, Estate Performance

Role type:

Full time, Fixed term (3 years)

Department:

Corporate Development

Salary:

Senior Manager 1, including 17% superannuation

• Lead executive-level reporting, estate and infrastructure investment planning, and support evidence-based decision-making across all campuses.
• Develop and implement an Estate Performance Framework shaping the long-term performance of an approx. $7 billion estate portfolio at Australia’s leading university.
• Be part of a collaborative team enabling the University’s long-term strategic, financial, and sustainability ambitions.

The University of Melbourne

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Your next career opportunity

The Associate Director, Estate Performance is a senior leadership role within the Estate Planning and Performance team in Corporate Development, responsible for driving the performance and executive level reporting of the University’s estate and infrastructure portfolio, valued at approximately $7 billion.

Reporting to the Portfolio Director, Estate Planning, this role leads the development of a long-term estate investment outlook aligned with the University’s financial strategy and strategic priorities. You will establish and embed a rigorous Estate Performance Framework, ensuring capital is allocated to mitigate risk, support lifecycle sustainability, and maximise impact against the University’s research and education mission.

Working across the whole University, the Associate Director provides high-level advice to senior leaders and governance groups, lifting organisational maturity in estate performance, standardising processes, and transforming complex data into the insights needed for strategic decision-making.

What you will deliver:

• Estate investment planning: Lead the development and continual refinement of a long-term estate and infrastructure investment outlook that aligns with the University’s financial affordability, risk appetite, and strategic objectives.
• Executive-level reporting: Oversee executive reporting for key governance bodies (including Estate Planning Group and Property Management Group), consolidating robust data sources into standardised, predictive reporting rather than solely retrospective analysis.
• Estate Performance Framework: Design, implement, and maintain an Estate Performance Framework that sets out key financial, operational, and strategic criteria for data collection, benchmarking, and portfolio performance monitoring.
• Insight-led decision support: Translate complex, multi-dimensional estate data into clear, compelling narratives and recommendations that support critical executive and Council-level decisions.
• Process standardisation and optimisation: Drive the adoption of consistent processes, methodologies, and performance practices across the University’s estate and infrastructure portfolio, supporting a cultural shift toward evidence-based estate planning.
• Stakeholder engagement: Build and manage strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including Portfolio Directors, Campus Operations and Delivery, and the Enterprise Portfolio and Investments team, ensuring coordinated, strategic estate reporting.
• Leadership and people management: Lead, coach, and develop a small, high-impact team, setting clear expectations, providing regular feedback, and fostering a culture of accountability, high performance, and continuous improvement.

You may be a great fit if:

You are a strategic, analytically minded leader with deep experience in complex infrastructure or property portfolios and a passion for turning data into actionable insight and long-term value. You bring strong commercial acumen, can influence at senior executive level, and are comfortable leading change in a complex, decentralised environment.

You will also have:

• A relevant post-graduate qualification and/or an equivalent combination of education and significant relevant experience.
• Demonstrated experience working with large-scale, complex infrastructure or property portfolios, including developing and embedding data-driven performance frameworks.
• Advanced financial and commercial skills, with the ability to shape investment strategies and influence senior executives.
• A proven track record of using advanced data analytics to drive portfolio optimisation and evidence-based decision-making.
• Experience developing long-term investment plans across a broad and complex asset base.
• Strong capability in designing and implementing standardised processes and governance reporting that support sustainable, long-term outcomes.

What we offer you

You will join a vibrant, purpose-driven community and have access to a comprehensive range of benefits designed to support your success and wellbeing, including:

• Flexible working arrangements that support inclusion, wellbeing, and work–life balance.
• Progressive leave entitlements to help you manage personal, family, and community commitments.
• Salary packaging options and access to discounted services, including health insurance.
• A range of health, wellbeing, and professional development programmes, including a leading Employee Assistance Programme.

For more information, visit our staff benefits page.

If this role sounds right for you, please apply with the following documents:

• Resume
• Cover letter outlining your interest in the role and your relevant experience

You are not required to respond to the selection criteria in the Position Description.

Position Description:
PD - JR-012090 Associate Director, Estate Performance.pdf
PD - JR-012090 Associate Director, Estate Performance.docx

Applications close: Sunday, 10th May 2026 at 11:55 pm, Melbourne time.