UQ’s Graduate Research School
Full-time, fixed-term position for up to 5 years
Based at our St Lucia Campus

About This Opportunity 

This is an excellent opportunity to shape the future of graduate research at one of Australia’s leading universities.

As Director, Graduate Research School, you will lead the professional services that enable more than 4,000 higher degree by research candidates to pursue ambitious ideas and create meaningful impact. Working in close partnership with the Dean and Deputy Dean, you will set strategic direction, strengthen service delivery and ensure the School’s people, resources and operations are positioned for excellence.

This is an opportunity to lead an accomplished and committed professional team while influencing UQ’s broader graduate research ecosystem. You will build trusted partnerships across the University, champion purposeful innovation and translate complexity into clear priorities and lasting improvement. Your leadership will create the conditions for talented people to thrive and for research candidates to succeed, from their first enquiry through to thesis submission and beyond.

For more information about this opportunity, please view the information pack.

About You

You are a visionary and considered executive leader who combines strategic perspective with the judgement and discipline to deliver. You will bring postgraduate qualifications and extensive senior management experience in a large, complex organisation, or an equivalent combination of relevant knowledge, training and experience. Your background will demonstrate success in strategic and operational planning, resource and workforce leadership, complex service delivery, business transformation and cultural change.

Credible, collaborative and purposeful, you build confidence across diverse stakeholder groups and know how to bring people with you through change. You set a compelling direction, communicate with clarity and trust the expertise of your people, creating autonomy with accountability. With highly developed analytical, interpersonal and influencing skills, you will foster an inclusive, high-performing culture in which contribution is recognised, independent thinking is encouraged and individuals and teams are empowered to excel.

About UQ

As part of the UQ community, you’ll have the opportunity to work alongside the brightest minds, who have joined us from all over the world, working together to create a better world. Join a community where excellence is at the core of our culture, contributions are valued and a range of benefits and rewards are available.

Enjoy up to 26 weeks paid parental and primary care leave, 17% super, flexible and hybrid working options, health and wellbeing programs, a heavily discounted Study for Staff program, on campus childcare, affordable parking, and salary packaging.

Interested?

For enquiries regarding the application process, please contact Executive Recruitment via executiverecruitment@uq.edu.au.

When you apply, please ensure you upload a resume and cover letter summarising how your background aligns to the ‘About You’ section in the attached information pack.

Other Information 

Pre-employment checks may include: verification of the right to work in Australia, qualifications, criminal history checks. This may also include checks relating to gender-based violence matters or other integrity and conduct requirements.

You must maintain unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this appointment to apply. Employer sponsored work rights are not available for this appointment.

We're dedicated to equity, diversity, and inclusion. We recognise that career pathways and opportunities differ, and encourage applications from candidates who may not meet every criteria but can demonstrate their potential relative to opportunity.

We’re also happy to support any accessibility needs throughout the recruitment process. Just let us know how we can help by emailing executiverecruitment@uq.edu.au or calling +61 7 3365 2623.

Applications close Wednesday 28th October 2026 at 11.00pm AEST (R-69462).

Acknowledgment of Country:

The University of Queensland (UQ) acknowledges the Traditional Owners and their custodianship of the lands on which UQ is situated. We pay our respects to their Ancestors and their descendants, who continue cultural and spiritual connections to Country.

Why Choose UQ?

At the University of Queensland, we are proud to be one of Australia’s leading research and teaching institutions, consistently ranking among the top 50 universities worldwide.

As a member of the prestigious Group of Eight (Go8) universities, UQ is widely recognised for its intensive focus on research and teaching excellence – evidenced by our numerous accolades including more teaching awards than any other Australian University and reflected in UQ being the number one recipient of ARC Fellowships and Awards nationally across all scheme years (totalling 452 awards worth $339 million).

Our state-of-the-art facilities, libraries, and cutting-edge research centres offer unparalleled opportunities for academic and professional growth. With five faculties, a number of globally recognised research institutes, and over 100 research centres, we attract an interdisciplinary community of more than 7000 staff, supporting more than 55,000 current students from over 137 countries.

Career Development and Support:

UQ is dedicated to supporting the career aspirations of our students and staff. Our comprehensive career services provide personalized guidance, skills development, and networking opportunities to help you achieve your professional goals. Whether you are a student seeking internships and job placements or a staff member looking for career advancement, UQ is here to support you every step of the way.

Diverse and Inclusive Community:

UQ values equity, diversity and inclusion and seeks to reflect the broader community by attracting and retaining high-quality staff from a range of backgrounds. Our commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion aims to ensure that everyone at UQ feels valued and empowered to achieve their full potential. We are particularly interested to hear from people who bring diversity to UQ – whether that be gender identity, LGBTQIA+, cultural and/or linguistic, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples, or people with a disability.

Join the UQ Community:

Whether you are a recent graduate, an Academic, or an experienced professional, UQ offers a wide range of opportunities to help you grow and succeed. Explore our current job openings, discover our programs, and become part of a community that is dedicated to creating lasting, meaningful impact for the communities in which we live and work.

For more information about working at UQ and our employee benefits (such as generous leave provisions, 17% superannuation, flexible working arrangements, and health and wellness discounts) please visit Why Work at UQ.

Director, Graduate Research School