Faculty of Education and Social Work
Reference no. 1070/0616

The University of Sydney is Australia’s first university and has an outstanding global reputation for academic and research excellence, employing over 7600 permanent staff, supporting over 60,000 students.

The Faculty of Education and Social Work is one of 16 faculties at the University and is a diverse, internationally renowned community of scholars, staff and students committed to community development, meeting social development needs and improving teaching and learning through innovation and enquiry-driven programs, research, reflection and critique in partnership with our communities. The faculty offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate entry programs in education and social work together with research and research training.

Applications are invited for the position of Director, Institute of Open Adoption Studies to lead the work of the Institute, where you will be appointed at the professorial level to establish the Institute as a centre for excellence in the University through a program of applied collaborative research.

You will have an extensive and distinguished reputation for research, scholarship and leadership, and be expected to demonstrate:

• the capacity to think strategically in developing the Institute research agenda
• interpersonal skills by building the Institute team
• high level management skills in measuring the performance of the Institute against agreed benchmarks.

To be considered for the position, you will need an extensive history of:

• outstanding scholarship with a significant track record of research productivity, including cultivating and promoting research in fields relevant to open adoption
• providing scholarly leadership including mentoring of early and mid-career academics
• attracting substantial levels of research funding
• building strong and productive links with the broader human services sector, such as such as government departments, practitioners and the judiciary
• significant leadership and management experience.

As Director, you will lead the Institute to pursue an applied research agenda that will focus primarily on understanding open adoption practice and the barriers to open adoption in New South Wales (NSW). You will oversee the development of a comprehensive knowledge translation strategy that will provide expert research-led advice to a range of audiences. Furthermore, you will work with the Institute partners to deliver specific evidence-informed expertise to support the Children’s Court and also the Supreme Court.

Term

The appointment will be available as full-time fixed term for an initial period of three years with a possible extension to five years, and the successful candidate will be offered an attractive remuneration package.

Apply

For more information on the position, faculty and University, please request the candidate brochure by contacting Ms Nicole Pearson, Recruitment Administrator – Senior Academic, at nicole.pearson@sydney.edu.au

All applications must be submitted via the University of Sydney careers website.  Visit sydney.edu.au/recruitment and search by the reference number for more information and to apply.

Closing Date: 11.30pm 4 January 2017 (Sydney time)

The University is an equal opportunity employer committed to equity, diversity and social inclusion. Applications from equity target groups, including women and people with disabilities are encouraged. As the University of Sydney has established a scheme to increase the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff employed across the institution, applications from people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent are also encouraged.

The University reserves the right not to proceed with any appointment.