Senior Category Specialist (Information Technology and Digital Services)

• Total remuneration range $133,806 to $153,649 pa
• Full-time continuing appointment
• Toowoomba, Springfield or Ipswich campus
• $112,845 to $129,580 pa + 17% Super + Leave Loading
• Full-time continuing appointment (36 hours/week)
• Toowoomba, Springfield or Ipswich campus

To be considered for this position, you will need to have the right to work in Australia.

Are you an experienced procurement and category management professional who enjoys shaping strategy, leading high-value sourcing initiatives, and building strong partnerships with technical and executive stakeholders?

If so, a unique opportunity is available for a Senior Category Specialist to join UniSQ’s Strategic Procurement and Business Services team where you will play a key role in ensuring that the University’s Information Technology and Digital Services (ITDS) procurement delivers value for money, supports digital transformation, and meets compliance obligations.

What you’ll do

You will play a key leadership role within the University’s Strategic Procurement and Business Services team and be the primary category lead for ITDS procurement. You will:

• Shape and drive the University’s ITDS category management strategy, ensuring all technology and digital investments are commercially optimised, strategically aligned, and delivered through best-practice procurement.
• Lead the development of ICT category plans, oversee strategic sourcing, and manage complex negotiations that balance commercial value, technical requirements, cybersecurity considerations, and whole-of-life risk.
• Be central to uplifting capability across both Procurement and ITDS.
• Mentor a Procurement Advisor (ITDS) and provide authoritative advice to stakeholders, and model high-quality procurement conduct aligned with UniSQ and Queensland Government standards.

Your leadership will directly influence how UniSQ partners with the digital marketplace, engages vendors, and enables major ITDS-led transformation initiatives. Your work will also improve contract outcomes, enhance vendor performance, and embed a consistent, strategic, category-led approach to technology procurement.

What will help you succeed

Together with your relevant qualifications, you will have extensive experience in ICT category management and strategic procurement within a complex organisation, preferably in government or higher education. You will also bring:

• Proven success in leading high-value ICT procurement projects, including negotiation of complex contracts and supplier arrangements.
• Detailed knowledge of procurement legislation, government policy frameworks (including QPP23) and best practice ICT procurement standards.
• Strong understanding of ITDS markets, licensing models, contract structures and vendor risk factors. 
• Excellent stakeholder engagement skills and the ability to engage senior executives and technical experts.

What we offer

This is a high-impact category management role where your leadership will strengthen UniSQ’s digital procurement maturity and ensure that the University builds a secure, innovative, cost-effective Information Technology and Digital Services environment. We also offer:

• Generous superannuation contributions.
• Flexible work options to help you balance life and career.
• The opportunity to work closely with senior ITDS and University leaders, giving you visibility, influence, and the chance to embed best-practice category management at an enterprise level.
• Ongoing professional development.

For further information about this role, please contact Tim Dodds, Director (Strategic Procurement and Business Services) via +61 7 4631 2919 or director.procurement@unisq.edu.au.

The University offers a range of different ways of working and connecting across our physical and virtual spaces to meet the needs of our students, partners and community. We value diversity and strive to foster an inclusive environment that is underpinned by our values and champions, embraces and respects differences.

We support and encourage applications from all diversity groups. With an increasingly diverse workforce, we understand that careers may be placed on hold or limited throughout many life circumstances.

Find out more about UniSQ at www.unisq.edu.au.

To be considered for this position, you will need to have the right to work in Australia.

Reference Number: 0177_12/25

Location: Toowoomba, Springfield or Ipswich campus

Term: Full-time continuing appointment (36 hours/week)

Salary: Total remuneration range $133,806 to $153,649 pa (includes salary range of $112,845 to $129,580 pa, employer super contributions of 17% and annual leave loading)

Closes: Sunday, 8 March 2026 at 11:30 pm (AEST)

At UniSQ we are united by our core values of Respect, Integrity and Excellence, which guide our daily actions and decision-making. UniSQ is a child safe organisation.

As part of the University of Southern Queensland's commitment to fostering a safe, respectful and rewarding work environment and in compliance with our legal obligations, we require candidates to declare whether they have been investigated for an allegation of Gender Based Violence, or determined to have engaged in conduct that constitutes Gender Based Violence, during the course of their previous employment or in any legal process.

This information helps us meet our legal obligations under the National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender Based Violence, and will be considered when determining a candidate's suitability for employment, so that we can keep our University community safe.

If you know that this role is right for you, please submit your current resume together with a two-page (maximum) statement, outlining your skills and experience relative to ‘Who we’re looking for’ in the position description.

For more information on our selection process please refer to your recruitment journey available on our website.

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