Director, Performance and Assurance

Full time, 5-year fixed term senior leadership appointment within University Infrastructure. Lead the governance, performance and assurance functions that enable delivery of the University's infrastructure ambitions while building capability and operational excellence.

About the opportunity

The University of Sydney is seeking an accomplished executive leader to join the University Infrastructure division as Director, Performance and Assurance. Reporting to the Chief University Infrastructure Officer (CUIO), this role leads the operating backbone of University Infrastructure, ensuring the function is safe, compliant, commercially sound and operationally disciplined to enable performance across the team.

The Director leads the enterprise operating system for University Infrastructure, providing accountability for policy, governance, risk and assurance, commercial frameworks, workforce operations, and data and reporting. The role ensures the frameworks, controls and systems that underpin infrastructure management are effective, practical and aligned to University requirements.

Focused on operational integrity, assurance and continuous improvement, the Director translates University policy and governance settings into deliverable operating frameworks that enable effective estate lifecycle management and sustainable performance. The role drives strong governance, commercial discipline, workforce capability and data-informed decision-making across the division, fostering a culture of accountability, service excellence and continuous improvement.

About the role (skills, capabilities and experience)

The Director, Performance and Assurance provides operational leadership across a multidisciplinary division responsible for governance, compliance, commercial management, workforce operations, reporting, data management and enterprise performance. As a trusted adviser to the CUIO, the Director establishes and oversees the frameworks, controls, systems and operating disciplines that support infrastructure delivery and asset management across the University.

The role provides expert leadership in governance, compliance, performance, policy, risk management and continuous improvement, ensuring operational integrity and organisational maturity across the portfolio. Leading a team of specialist professionals, the Director is accountable for:

• Enterprise Program Management Office: Leading enterprise governance frameworks, standards and controls across the asset lifecycle including project controls, performance reporting, stage-gate reviews and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Compliance, Risk and Assurance: Leading the compliance, risk and assurance framework, including regulatory, WHS and environmental obligations, risk-based assurance, compliance reviews and corrective actions.
• Commercial and Contract Management: Leading commercial and procurement governance, strategic sourcing, supplier and contract management, ensuring probity, ethical practice, compliance and value for money.
• Business Intelligence: Leading the University Infrastructure data service to deliver trusted data, executive reporting and business intelligence capabilities, enabling data-driven decision making through Power BI, M365, AI and automation.
• Space Data Management: Managing enterprise-wide spatial data as a governed digital asset, supporting teaching, research and workplace decision-making, and enabling emerging capabilities including digital twin and predictive analytics.
• Workforce Operations: Overseeing workforce planning and people operations, ensuring effective recruitment, onboarding, compliance and reporting processes while fostering a safe, efficient and high-performing workforce culture.

The role is responsible for the property and infrastructure-related policies, standards and frameworks, leading the full policy lifecycle from development and consultation through governance, implementation and continuous improvement. It translates University settings into practical requirements, controls and procedures that are deliverable in practice, aligned to risk appetite, and are cost-aware and operationally feasible.

Operating with a high degree of autonomy, the Director balances risk, compliance, cost, deliverability and operational requirements across complex, high-value and high-risk infrastructure environments. The position is focused on strengthening operational capability, assurance and operational excellence to facilitate performance and service outcomes.

The role acts as the primary interface with Central Operations Services and works closely with the University Infrastructure Executive Leadership Team, Finance, Procurement, HR, Legal, Risk and ICT, as well as external consultants, contractors, auditors and regulators.

About You

You will bring tertiary qualifications in project management, commercial management, procurement, quantity surveying or an MBA, or an equivalent combination of training and experience, together with senior experience in infrastructure, operations, governance, risk or commercial fields within large and complex organisations.

Applicants must have:

• a strong track record leading complex operational environments and multidisciplinary teams
• proven experience leading policy development and governance frameworks, including end-to-end lifecycle ownership
• a deep understanding of assurance, compliance and control environments in complex organisations
• sound commercial acumen spanning contract governance, procurement and supplier management
• experience establishing or overseeing enterprise reporting, data and systems environments
• experience leading operational improvement initiatives and establishing frameworks, services and processes that enhance organisational performance and operational effectiveness
• strong executive communication and advisory capability

A strong working understanding of infrastructure, construction, capital works or similarly complex operational environments will be highly regarded.

Other

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