"Executive Recruitment Partner"

• Department: Chief People Officer Portfolio
• Role type: Full‑time, 12‑month Fixed Term
• Salary: UoM 8 $125,191 - $135,504 p.a. plus 17% super (negotiable depending on experience)

The University of Melbourne is seeking an exceptional Executive Recruitment Partner to join the Organisational Development team within the Chief People Officer Portfolio. This is a rare opportunity to play a pivotal role in shaping the University’s executive talent landscape and supporting senior recruitment across one of Australia’s most respected higher‑education institutions.

About the University of Melbourne

The University of Melbourne is a globally recognised, research‑intensive university ranked among the world’s leading institutions. For more than 160 years, the University has contributed to society through world‑class education, research excellence, and strong partnerships locally and globally. With more than 60,000 students, a diverse and vibrant community, and a bold strategic agenda - Advancing Melbourne 2030 - we are committed to excellence, inclusion, and impact.

The Opportunity

Reporting to the Associate Director, Executive Recruitment & Talent Development, you will act as a trusted advisor to senior leaders, managing end‑to‑end executive recruitment for senior academic and professional roles. This role requires exceptional judgement, strategic insight, and an ability to deliver high‑quality search outcomes across a complex and dynamic organisation.

You will partner closely with University Executive, Deans, HR Directors and senior stakeholders to understand workforce needs, shape search strategies, and ensure an outstanding candidate and hiring‑manager experience.

Key Responsibilities:

Executive Recruitment Delivery

• Lead end‑to‑end executive search processes, including briefing, search strategy, longlisting, shortlisting, assessments, interviews and offer management.
• Conduct detailed job briefings and develop tailored sourcing strategies, including direct search, market mapping and targeted outreach.
• Prepare high‑quality documentation such as role specs, briefing notes, candidate packs and longlist summaries.
• Oversee candidate communication to ensure a seamless and exceptional experience.
• Ensure compliance with relevant legislation and University policy frameworks.

Stakeholder & Relationship Management

• Build and maintain strong relationships with senior leaders, providing trusted advice and market insights.
• Partner with HR Directors and hiring managers to ensure coordinated and transparent processes.
• Manage relationships with external search partners, monitoring quality and deliverables.

Talent Insights & Market Intelligence

• Conduct proactive talent mapping and build executive talent pipelines aligned to workforce planning.
• Monitor sector and market trends to inform recruitment strategies and remuneration expectations.
• Leverage systems such as Workday and LinkedIn Recruiter to track activity, manage pipelines, and generate reports.

Process & Continuous Improvement

• Contribute to enhancements in executive recruitment practices, templates and service models.
• Support reporting, dashboarding and trend analysis to drive insights.
• Maintain integrity of recruitment documentation and identify opportunities to improve service delivery.

About You

You will bring:

• Relevant tertiary qualifications and/or strong experience in executive recruitment, talent acquisition or HR.
• Demonstrated success in managing senior or executive recruitment within complex organisations or search firms.
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement skills and the ability to influence at senior levels.
• Excellent written and verbal communication abilities, with strong documentation skills.
• Expertise in direct sourcing, market mapping and proactive candidate engagement.
• Strong discretion, judgement and the ability to handle highly confidential matters.
• Experience with recruitment systems (Workday preferred) and leveraging data for decision‑making.
• A demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Role Requirements

• Based on the Parkville campus in Melbourne.
• This position requires a valid Working with Children Check (Employee).

Why Join Us?

At the University of Melbourne, our people are our greatest asset. We offer:

• A culturally inclusive and collaborative environment
• Opportunities for career development and learning
• A vibrant campus life with access to world‑class facilities
• Competitive salary packaging and an extensive range of staff benefits
• Flexible working arrangements and family‑friendly policies

Explore more staff benefits: https://about.unimelb.edu.au/careers/staff-benefits.

View the position description here: 

PD Executive Recruitment Partner 2026.pdf

PD Executive Recruitment Partner 2026.docx (accessible version)

Applications close: Sunday 22nd February 2026, 11:55 PM; AEDT, Melbourne time zone.