"Principal Administration Coordinator"

Job Description:

• Australia’s Food and Beverage Accelerator’s (FaBA) Program: Based in Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation
• Full-time fixed-term position through to March 2028
• Base salary will be in the range $104,616.68 - $113,920.12 + 17% Superannuation (HEW Level 7)
• Based at our St Lucia Campus

About This Opportunity

We are seeking an experienced, proactive and highly organised Principal Administration Coordinator to play a pivotal role within the FaBA Executive team, supporting the delivery of the nationally significant Food and Beverage Accelerator (FaBA) Trailblazer program. This is an opportunity to work at the heart of a high-impact initiative transforming Australia’s food and beverage sector. In this role, you will drive executive and administrative excellence, streamline systems and processes, and ensure the FaBA Executive operates strategically and efficiently to deliver investment outcomes.

Based at St Lucia Campus and hosted by the Queensland Alliance of Agriculture and Food Innovation, you will collaborate with a high-performing, purpose-driven team in a dynamic research environment where your expertise will directly contribute to industry innovation and national capability.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Lead Executive Administration: Manage the day-to-day administration of the FaBA Executive, including oversight of performance, workloads and staff development (one direct report), ensuring high-quality and responsive support.
• Drive Operational Excellence: Design, implement and continuously improve administrative and financial systems to enable efficient Executive operations and program delivery.
• Governance and Project Oversight: Provide expert secretariat support to FaBA project investment committees and coordinate project tracking, contracting, financial monitoring and reporting obligations, including Commonwealth reporting requirements.
• Strategic Executive Support: Deliver high-level confidential support to the Director and Associate Director, including correspondence, diary and travel management.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Communication: Partner with internal and external stakeholders, including Marketing and Communications, to support engagement activities, events, website management, and continuous process improvement through research and analysis.

About the Food and Beverage Accelerator

Australia’s Food and Beverage Accelerator (FaBA) is a $160 million initiative to boost growth and innovation in the food and beverage manufacturing sector. Part of the Federal Government’s Trailblazer Program, FaBA leverages $50m of government investment with more than $110m from universities and industry. Partners work across four areas: the research programs ‘Innovative Ingredients’ and ‘Premium Food and Beverage Products’, and the enabling programs ‘Innovation Pathways’ and the ‘FaBA Training Centre’.

A national initiative, FaBA provides F&B manufacturers access to research teams, next generation industry professionals, state-of-the-art equipment and pilot facilities. FaBA is proudly hosted by The University of Queensland, in collaboration with participants QUT, UniSQ and UniQuest.

Join the UQ FaBA community where excellence is at the core of our culture, contributions are valued and a range of benefits and rewards are available, such as:

• Up to 26 weeks paid parental leave/paid primary care leave
• 17% superannuation contributions + 17.5% annual leave loading
• Access to flexible working arrangements including hybrid working options, flexible start/finish times, purchased leave, and a condensed fortnight
• Health and wellness discounts – fitness passport access, free yearly flu vaccinations, discounted health insurance, and access to our Employee Assistance Program for staff and their immediate family
• Career development opportunities –access to exclusive internal-only vacancies and our Study for Staff program
• On campus childcare options
• Affordable parking (from just $6.40 a day)
• Salary packaging options

About You

• Qualifications and Experience: A degree with at least four (4) years’ subsequent relevant experience; or extensive experience and demonstrated management expertise in administrative and executive support functions; or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.
• Communication and Stakeholder Engagement: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with proven experience liaising with internal and external stakeholders and the ability to provide sound advice, influence outcomes and negotiate effectively.
• Leadership and Autonomy: Demonstrated ability to work independently while leading and supervising a small administrative team, fostering accountability, collaboration and high performance.
• Governance and Policy Application: Proven capability to interpret and apply policies, procedures and regulatory requirements within a complex organisational environment, ensuring compliance and sound decision-making.
• Organisation and Problem-Solving: Highly developed organisational, time management and analytical skills, with the ability to prioritise competing demands and deliver high-quality outcomes under pressure.
• Systems and Technical Capability: Working knowledge of university administrative systems, including research contract management processes, policies and procedures (or the capacity to rapidly acquire this knowledge). High proficiency in the Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook), with experience in Smartsheet highly regarded.
• Digital and Process Improvement Skills: Experience reviewing and editing digital platforms (e.g. WordPress) for accuracy and consistency, with a demonstrated aptitude for learning new systems and identifying opportunities to streamline and improve processes.

Questions?

For more information about this opportunity, please contact Dr Sue O'Brien at sue.obrien@uq.edu.au.

For application inquiries, please reach out to the Talent Acquisition team at talent@uq.edu.au, stating the job reference number (below) in the subject line.

Want to Apply?

We welcome applications from all individuals and are committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. To be considered, please ensure you upload:

• Resume
• A cover letter summarising how your background aligns with the 'About You' section

Our strength as an institution lies in our diverse colleagues. We're dedicated to equity, diversity, and inclusion, fostering an environment that mirrors our wider community. We're committed to attracting, retaining, and promoting diverse talent, particularly from Australia’s First Nations Peoples. If you require an alternative method to submit your application due to accessibility needs or personal circumstances, please contact talent@uq.edu.au.

Other Information

UQ is committed to a fair, equitable and inclusive selection process, which recognises that some applicants may face additional barriers and challenges which have impacted and/or continue to impact their career trajectory. Candidates who don’t meet all criteria are encouraged to apply and demonstrate their potential. The selection panel considers both potential and performance relative to opportunities when assessing suitability for the role.

Applications close Sunday March 15th 2026 at 11.00pm AEST (R-61763).