Drought Hub Director

The University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne (UoM), the second oldest university in Australia, has been moulding students ever since it was built in 1853, over 160 years ago. It is known internationally as...

Job no: 0062540
Location: Dookie (Goulburn Valley)
Role type: Full-time; Continuing
Faculty: Faculty of Science
Department/School: School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences
Salary: UOM 10 –$149,670 p.a. plus 17% super

• Provide dynamic leadership to the Victoria Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub, ensuring strategic development and operational effectiveness while promoting collaboration among academic, industry, and community partners.
• Opportunity to lead impactful drought resilience initiatives, secure additional funding, and engage with a diverse consortium of universities and agricultural partners in a dynamic and supportive environment.
• Salary packaging, subsidised health and wellbeing services, and a 25% discount on graduate courses to our staff and their immediate families

About the Role
The Hub Director leads the Victoria Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub, ensuring strategic and operational effectiveness while fostering partnerships with academic, industry, and community stakeholders. Responsibilities include managing daily operations, securing funding, integrating the Hub’s initiatives with university research and teaching, and promoting innovative agricultural practices to enhance drought resilience. The role requires strong leadership, an understanding of agriculture and its challenges, strategic planning, and excellent negotiation skills to accomplish the Hub’s mission.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Provide dynamic leadership of the Hub, engaging effectively with academic colleagues, partners, other National Drought Hub leaders, farming and rural communities.
• Be the central point of contact for the Victoria Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub and ensure the smooth functioning of the Hub and delivery of expected deliverables.
• Engage with relevant professional and industry bodies and stakeholders to develop collaborative partnerships.
• Effectively leverage current funding to secure additional financial support for Hub activities including those from the Future Drought Fund, Rural Development Corporations and the Australian Research Council.

Who We Are Looking For
You will ideally demonstrate the drive, energy, and vision to build and lead a world-class research program in agriculture, drought resilience, and climate adaptation. Additionally, you should possess excellent interpersonal and written communication skills to cultivate effective working relationships, particularly among the institutions involved in the Hub, and showcase proven experience and leadership in managing relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

You will also have:

• A relevant postgraduate degree, or equivalent qualifications and/or extensive experience in a similar role in a large and complex organisation.
• Demonstrated evidence of leadership and service in a university environment or in an equivalent, complex work environment.
• Outstanding experience in visionary development and effective strategic planning of complex projects.
• Demonstrated leadership and effective human and physical resource management including experience in relation to operational management of similar projects.

For further information regarding responsibilities and requirements, please refer to the attached PD.

This role requires that the successful candidate must undergo and maintain an up-to-date Working with Children Check. This is essential to guarantee a secure environment for all individuals at the University. In the case the selected candidate doesn't have a valid Working with Children Check, they will be able to apply for the WWCC as part of the initial onboarding procedures.

Please note: Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. This role requires current valid work rights for Australia.

Your New Team – “The School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences“
The School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences (SAFES) brings together diverse discipline strengths to lead the development of new interdisciplinary thinking and high-impact solutions for global challenges relating to climate change, food security, biodiversity conversation, sustainable forest management, invasive species, and environmentally and economically sustainable agricultural practices. With deep expertise across a variety of disciplines, the School offers a range of subjects to undergraduate and postgraduate students, including six Master coursework programs: Master of Agricultural Sciences, Master of Ecosystem Management and Conservation, Master of Food and Packaging Innovation, Master of Food Science, Master of Urban Horticulture and Master of Environment.

The School is situated across four University campuses, with dedicated agriculture, forest and fire, and urban horticulture facilities that enable a unique hands-on learning experience. The School is actively engaged in partnerships with industry, government, alumni, and the community to share knowledge and co-develop solutions to real-world problems. Join a vibrant community committed to benefiting people and nature through education and research.

Dookie campus is an agricultural facility set on the tranquil rolling hills between Shepparton and Benalla in Victoria. Relocation support can be negotiated for successful candidates.

Please note: This position requires the appointee to work in regional Victoria, where there is no public transport connection available. A valid driving license for Victoria is required for this role.

What We Offer You
In addition, we offer the opportunity to be part of a vibrant community and enjoy a range of benefits, including generous leave provisions, salary packaging, health and well-being services and discounts on graduate courses. For more information, check out our benefits page

About the University of Melbourne
We’re tightly connected with the community, both at home and abroad. We take pride in our people, who all contribute to our mission to benefit society through the transformative impact of education and research. Discover more via our website and stay connected with our stories and people on LinkedIn .

Be Yourself
The University of Melbourne values the unique backgrounds, experiences and contributions that each person brings to our community and welcomes and celebrates diversity. First Nations people, those identifying as LGBTQIA+, parents, carers, people of all ages, abilities and genders, and people of diverse ethnicity, nationality and faith are encouraged to apply. Our aim is to create a workforce that reflects the diversity of the community in which we live. For more information please visit our Diversity and Inclusion page.

We are dedicated to ensuring barrier free and inclusive practices to recruit the most talented candidates. If you require reasonable adjustments, please contact the employee listed on the first page of the Position Description found below, with an email containing your name and contact details for a confidential discussion. Please ensure your email is titled "Reasonable Adjustments Request".

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Applicants
We aspire to be the University of choice for Indigenous Australians, with unprecedented investment to attract, nurture and retain Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and staff. Tangible support through a range of programs and initiatives will ensure that you personally succeed and flourish while at the University of Melbourne.

Join Us
If you feel this role is right for you, please apply with the following documents:

• Resume
• Cover Letter outlining your interest and experience
• The responses against the Selection Criteria^ (found in the Position Description)

If you have any questions regarding the recruitment process, please feel free to contact Oliver Bukasa via email at hr-careers@unimelb.edu.au , ensuring that you include the Position Number and the Job Title as the subject. Please do not share your application to this email address.

If you have any particular questions regarding the job please follow the details listed on the Position Description.

We are also recruiting for two other roles: Drought Hub Adoption Coordinator and Drought Hub Financial Administrator. Please refer to our other vacancies for detailed information on these roles.

Please note that in the event of sourcing a suitable candidate, the closing date for applications may be brought forward, and the job vacancy may be closed. Therefore, we encourage interested individuals to submit their applications promptly.