"Head of School, School of Work and Organisational Studies"

• Full time, fixed term for up to 5 years with a continuing professorial appointment
• Opportunity to contribute to world-class research with real-world impact in a highly collaborative environment
• Offering a competitive remuneration package including 17% superannuation

About the opportunity

The University of Sydney Business School is undergoing an exciting transformation, moving from nine disciplines to six schools to enable greater leadership opportunities, balanced resources, and more impactful interdisciplinary teaching and research.

As Head of School, you will be a key member of the Faculty Leadership Group and lead the school’s leadership team. This pivotal role shapes and executes the overall faculty strategy at the school level, ensuring alignment with university policies and external standards. You will set, communicate, and achieve academic and operational objectives, including curriculum development, research and education strategies, resource allocation, talent management, and external engagement.

You will also manage the school’s budget to ensure financial sustainability, while fostering a positive workplace culture and role modelling the University’s values. Your leadership will inspire academic excellence, enhance the student experience, maintain accreditation standards, and further strengthen the school’s reputation nationally and internationally.

About the School of Work and Organisational Studies (WOS)

The School of Work and Organisational Studies (WOS) is one of Australia’s leading centres for scholarship on work, employment regulation, human resource management, leadership and organisational behaviour. Celebrating 75 years of impact since its founding as the discipline of Industrial Relations, WOS has played a defining role in shaping national conversations on the future of work, and organisations, and employment policy. 

WOS is the disciplinary home of human resource management, industrial relations, and organisational behaviour within the University of Sydney Business School. Its academics provide intellectual leadership and deliver specialist teaching across undergraduate, postgraduate, and executive education programs, including the Business School’s flagship management and MBA offerings. This depth and scale create a rare platform for academic leadership across high-impact teaching, research, and external engagement.

What distinguishes WOS is its multidisciplinary strength and applied relevance. Drawing on organisational behaviour, human resource management, psychology, sociology, political economy, and public policy, the school addresses some of the most pressing challenges shaping the future of work—leadership capability, workforce regulation, psychosocial risk, gender equality, inclusion, and organisational sustainability. WOS academics are trusted advisers to government and regulators, often contributing to national policy on issues such as equity and inclusion, wage theft, workers’ compensation, and workplace wellbeing, and serving on a range of ministerial and statutory advisory bodies.

The school is also a recognised leader in research excellence and societal impact, with a strong record of ARC funding, collaborative and applied research, and influential scholarly output. Flagship strengths include Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource Management, Employment Relations, and national leadership in gender equality through the Australian Centre for Gender Equality at Work (ACGEI@Work). WOS makes a significant contribution to the Management subject ranking of #2 in Australia and #31 globally (ShanghaiRanking 2025).

WOS offers a Head of School an exceptional opportunity to lead a high-performing, values-driven academic community, steward a respected national legacy, and shape the future of work, leadership, and policy at scale—within one of the world’s leading Business Schools.

About you (skills, capabilities and experience)

We are seeking an experienced and visionary leader with:

• A wide network of established relationships with key academic, industry, and professional institutions, partners, and stakeholders.
• In-depth knowledge of strategic issues in the higher education sector.
• Proven skills and experience in financial and operational management.
• A strong understanding of academic leadership, from curriculum design to research excellence and student success.
• Demonstrated experience in people leadership and management within the higher education or knowledge sector.

Your ability to inspire, influence, and lead will be critical in shaping the future of the school and contributing to the University’s reputation for excellence.

Key benefits 

• a University contribution of 17% of your base salary to your superannuation fund 
• tax-efficient salary packaging options for cars, laptops, and additional contributions to your superannuation fund 
• generous relocation allowance if moving from interstate or overseas 
• access to fitness passport, as well as discounted rates on university sports and fitness centers 
• gain the recognition of working in a leading University. 

Term and remuneration

The successful candidate will be offered up to a 5 year fixed term position on a full-time basis, with a professorial appointment in an appropriate discipline in the school and will retain that position at the conclusion of their headship. The appointment is subject to completion of a satisfactory probation period for new appointees.

Pre-employment checks

Your employment is conditional upon the completion of all role required pre-employment or background checks in terms satisfactory to the University. Similarly, your ongoing employment is conditional upon the satisfactory maintenance of all relevant clearances and background check requirements. If you do not meet these conditions, the University may take any necessary step, including the termination of your employment.

EEO statement 

At the University of Sydney, our shared values are trust, accountability and excellence and we strive to be a place where everyone can thrive. We are committed to creating a University community that thrives through diversity and reflects the wider community that we serve. We deliver on this through our commitment to diversity and inclusion, evidenced by our people and culture programs, as well as key strategies to increase participation and support the careers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, women, people living with a disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and those who identify as LGBTQIA+. We welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds. 

We are proud to be recognised as an Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI) Platinum Employer. Find out more about our work on diversity and inclusion. 

How to apply

Applications (including a CV and cover letter outlining how your skills, capabilities and experience meet the requirements for the role) can be submitted via the Apply button at the top of the page. Please refer to the candidate information brochure and position description for further details.

Click to view the Candidate Information Brochure for this role.

You can also obtain a link to the brochure by contacting Alistair.Clark@odgers.com

Click to view the Position Description for this role.

For employees of the University or contingent workers, please login into your Workday account and navigate to the Career icon on your Dashboard. Click on USYD Find Jobs and apply.

The university has engaged executive search firm Odgers to assist with this appointment who will support the Selection Committee to identify the widest possible field of qualified candidates and to assess candidates against the requirements for the role.

For a confidential conversation concerning the Heads of the Schools of International Business, Logistics and Supply Chains; Strategy, Innovation and Technology; or Work and Organisational Studies, please contact:

• Dr Alistair Clark on Alistair.Clark@odgers.com
• Sophie Malone on +61 2 8905 3703 or Sophie.Malone@odgers.com