"Research Group Senior Manager"

HEO9 $132,705 to $141,974 per annum plus an employer contribution of 17% superannuation applies.

24 Months Fixed term Full time position until Oct 2027.

The University of Adelaide is recognised as one of the nation’s most respected research-intensive universities, challenging and inspiring graduates to make a real difference. The Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology (SET) holds an outstanding reputation for teaching, research, and quality graduates. The faculty is responsible for teaching and research across wide range of disciplines including Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences, Architecture, Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences, Agriculture, Food and Wine and Animal and Veterinary Science. The Faculty of SET is an innovative and agile working environment that champions excellence, diversity and inclusion in our teaching, research, and global engagement leadership.

A Research Group Senior Manager is required to support the activities of the Precision Measurement Group at the Institute for Photonics at the University of Adelaide. This award-winning team of 25 people has demonstrated success in developing very high-performance quantum technologies. These devices have been validated in both international and national field trials, in real-world environments, and with high value partners. The research group is formed from a diverse team of both physicists and engineers, some working remotely, and with a wide range of skillsets. The team’s activities bridge from proof-of-concept testing in the laboratory to delivery of fully automated, turn-key systems for use in real-world environments. The group is one of the best funded groups in Australia with a broad range of sponsors with complex milestones and deliverables. The team needs support to ensure that tasks are achieved on schedule and on budget while also working closely with industry partners to ensure commercialization of the outputs of the group. This is an opportunity to work with some of the nation’s best researchers and assist them to see their efforts turned into real-world impact.

To be successful you will need:

• Proven ability to support a large team with a high degree of autonomy and vision while ensuring alignment of the team with strategic goals, particularly in complex or research-oriented environments.
• Demonstrated success in fostering strong relationships across diverse internal and external stakeholders, collaborating across sectors to remove barriers, influence outcomes, and deliver shared objectives.
• Experienced in managing significant budgets and intellectual property, with a strong focus on planning, resource allocation, and prioritisation to meet deadlines and achieve high-impact results.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to develop high-quality executive reports and committee papers. Skilled in conflict resolution and managing sensitive staffing and HR issues with sound judgment.
• Consistently promotes and models organisational values such as integrity, respect, collegiality, excellence, and discovery, and actively contributes to a positive, accountable, and inclusive workplace culture.

Qualifications:

• Qualifications in management, project management, business or administration as well as relevant experience; and/or
• An equivalent combination of relevant experience and/or education/training.
• Desirable – experience in working in an environment that supports technical objectives (i.e. science or engineering) or qualifications in a technical field (i.e. science or engineering).

Click on the ‘Apply Now’ button to be taken through to the online application form. Please ensure you submit a cover letter, resume, and upload a document that includes your responses to all of the selection criteria for the position as contained in the position description or selection criteria document. Applications close 11:55pm, 6 October 2025.

For further information: For a confidential discussion regarding this position, contact: Professor Andre Luiten, Chair of Experimental Physics / IPAS Chief Innovator, E: andre.luiten@adelaide.edu.au