Head of Academic Project Operations (2024)

Our mission is to improve the health of millions of people worldwide.

  • Full-Time permanent position
  • Barangaroo, Sydney CBD
  • Hybrid working environment (3 days in the office per week)

Competitive salary based on experience, skills and capabilities plus 11.5% Superannuation + Smart Salary Packaging Benefit

Join us in improving the health of millions around the world by leading a dedicated team in executing the operational aspects of clinical trials, ensuring every step brings us closer to achieving our vision.

The Opportunity:

The Academic Project Operations (APO) team, a division of the Centre of Operational and Research Excellence (CORE) comprises over 90 people who work closely with TGI Research staff and external partners and collaborations to ensure the efficient and effective set-up, conduct and delivery of clinical trials and other research projects both in Australia and globally, and across all of the George Institute’s program areas.

We are seeking an experienced leader to join our team as the Head of APO, Australia. This role is pivotal in leading the APO Team through transformational change as the team continues to grow to meet the project delivery needs, overseeing strategic planning, driving strong execution of project operations deliverables in APO, which align with global objectives, and are integrated with the CORE strategic plans.

Key Responsibilities and Duties:

  • Provide leadership, strategic direction, and guidance to the APO team to achieve quality, meet timelines, allocate resources effectively, and adhere to budget goals.
  • Maintain rigorous standards in clinical activities to align with the organisation’s SOPs, ICH-GCP guidelines, regulatory authority regulations, and patient safety requirements.
  • Lead the identification, design and implementation of change initiatives in a dynamic and growing environment.
  • Stay abreast of industry trends, regulatory requirements, and best practices to inform decision-making and drive continuous improvement.
  • Cultivate a culture within the team of ongoing personnel development, continuous learning, and career advancement
  • Foster and maintain strong relationships with cross-functional teams and the various corporate services departments within The George Institute.

For more information on this role, please see our detailed Position Descriptionhere

Our Successful Candidate will have:

  • Strong leadership and people management skills, with experience leading a large team in the delivery of clinical trials
  • Significant experience in strategic planning for an operational group, including stakeholder consultation, implementation and review.
  • Experience in end-to-end budget management of large and complex budgets, or the ability to quickly build the required skills, ideally with complex funding streams.
  • Ability to adopt a strategic approach to own work, analysing and solving complex problems.
  • Demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgement and make informed, ethical and equitable decisions in ambiguous situations.
  • Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills and demonstrated ability to inspire and motivate a large, diverse team.
  • Demonstrated resourcefulness and ability to influence others to achieve common goals.
  • Demonstrated success in seeking avenues for innovation, initiating process improvements, and developing guidelines and procedures.
  • Extensive project management experience and a proven track record of successfully managing complex clinical trials to completion within regulatory requirements and timelines.
  • In depth understanding of, and commitment to, the ethical and compliant conduct of clinical trials
  • Commitment to compliance and ethical conduct and ability to promote a quality focused mindset.

The closing date for applications is midnight Wednesday14 August 2024.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if a suitable candidate is found.

Please note - the unrestricted right to work in Australia is required for this position. Candidates requiring visa sponsorship will not be considered. A Working with Children Check and Background Check is required for the appointment of our successful candidate.

About the George

The George Institute for Global Health (The George) is 700+ employees around the world and projects in over 40 countries all focused on improving the health of millions of people worldwide.

As a medical research institute affiliated with leading universities, we are challenging the status quo in healthcare to:

  • Lead world-class, large-scale clinical trials, epidemiological studies and health systems research to transform treatments and healthcare delivery
  • Look beyond single diseases, across the life course, to identify patient-centred approaches to care that can be implemented at scale
  • Develop low-cost, innovative solutions to global unmet needs
  • Drive our global impact through a program of research, advocacy, thought leadership and disruptive social entrepreneurship


We pride ourselves with our 6 core values: excellence, integrity, can-do approach, creativity, impact, and humanitarian commitment.

Please visit our website for more on The George: Home | The George Institute for Global Health

Please apply now!

Our big and bold mission to improve the health of millions of people worldwide needs a diverse and innovative team to deliver it. So we foster a dynamic, inclusive and flexible workplace where each individual can bring their best selves to work.
We value workplace diversity and encourage applications from people living with disability; women; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; people who identify as LGBTIQ+; mature-aged adults and those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Why The George?

We are committed to attracting, developing, rewarding and retaining the best people in their fields to conduct and support our innovative and highest quality research programs.

Take advantage of our rewards you may enjoy as part of The George team.

  • Generous salary packaging benefits increasing your take home pay
  • Learning and career development opportunities
  • Extra leave days including extended Christmas break and study leave
  • YourFlex arrangements e.g. start/finish times, purchase leave, location
  • A global, diverse, inclusive team committed to making impact

Head of Academic Project Operations (1)

Head of Academic Project Operations (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between a project director and a head of project management? ›

Project Directors often handle the broader visionary aspects of projects, aligning multiple projects with business strategies, while Project Managers focus on the day-to-day management of specific projects.

What is the hardest task for the project manager during the project? ›

As a project manager, one must ensure that the risk of working on a particular project remains low. This might be one of the hardest tasks to deal with, especially if the project manager is affected by internal issues, like unrealistic deadlines, poor teamwork and lack of budget.

What questions do you answer when you manage a project answer? ›

Project management interview questions
  • Tell me about yourself. ...
  • Can you tell us about the last project you worked on? ...
  • Tell us about a time something went wrong in a project you were managing. ...
  • How do you prioritise tasks in a project? ...
  • What was your most successful project? ...
  • What is your experience with budget management?
Nov 29, 2023

How to answer why do you think you would succeed in project management? ›

How to answer "Why do you want to be a project manager?"
  1. Leadership.
  2. Communication and collaboration.
  3. Interest in business.
  4. Team camaraderie.
  5. Team member professional development.
  6. Flexibility across industries.
  7. Transferable skills.
  8. Value you can add to the company.
Mar 10, 2023

What is the difference between director and head of operations? ›

The biggest difference between the 'head of' and director roles is the scale of the position. A 'head of' is like a director-level role but at a smaller scale. Therefore, they are able to direct their team and have more face time with each employee. Directors are managing large-scale operations.

Is project manager higher than operations manager? ›

A general operations manager has a wider scope of responsibility than the project manager — and the general operations manager role is permanent while the project manager role is temporary. Operations management is an ongoing function in an organization that performs activities that produce products or services.

What makes a project manager ineffective? ›

Lack of preparation: A poor project manager may fail to fully prepare for meetings, resulting in talks that are fruitless. Unorganized approach: A poor project manager may approach project management in an unorganized manner, which can result in meetings that lack structure and direction.

What is one of the most important skills a project manager can have? ›

Project management skill #1: Communication

When you have so many people to manage, communication is key. For work to flow, you need to make sure that everyone is on the same page, working towards the same business and company goals, and all kept in the loop about any changes or issues.

How to ace a project manager interview? ›

Project management interview tips
  1. Emphasize your knowledge and experience.
  2. Demonstrate good communication skills .
  3. Prepare talking points about the different tools used in project management.
  4. Outline your organization techniques.
  5. Highlight your focus on customer satisfaction.
Jun 9, 2023

How do I sell myself as a project manager? ›

You're a self-employed Project Manager. How can you market yourself to stand out from the competition?
  1. Define your niche.
  2. Create a portfolio.
  3. Build a network.
  4. Develop a personal brand.
  5. Update your skills.
  6. Set your rates. Be the first to add your personal experience.
  7. Here's what else to consider.
Mar 1, 2024

What is the STAR method when interviewing? ›

The STAR method is a structured manner of responding to a behavioral-based interview question by discussing the specific situation, task, action, and result of the situation you are describing.

What makes you the best candidate for this project? ›

Not only do I possess technical proficiency in (mention relevant skills), but I also excel in (mention soft skills or other strengths). My ability to (provide example of a unique skill or experience) sets me apart from other candidates and allows me to approach challenges from a fresh perspective. All the best!

How to answer tell me about yourself? ›

The best way to answer "Tell me about yourself" is with a brief highlight-summary of your experience, your education, the value you bring to an employer, and the reason you're looking forward to learning more about this next job and the opportunity to work with them.

How do I know if I would be good at project management? ›

To do this, project managers must have strong communication skills as well as the ability to influence and persuade, project experts say. They must be able to instill confidence in the minds of stakeholders and sponsors to keep going forward, even if there are changes in the project's scope.

What is the difference between a head manager and a director? ›

Managers are more concerned with the former; their role is to manage their teams in such a way that their day-to-day activities support the company's goals. By contrast, directors actually help set those goals and develop the strategies that will be implemented to achieve them.

What is head of project management? ›

A Director of Project Management provides strategic direction for projects within a business or large organization. May oversee the work of project managers or manage organization-wide projects. Oversees and coordinates the resources needed for projects with a defined scope, start and completion point.

What is the highest position for a project manager? ›

7 levels for a project manager
  • Project manager.
  • Assistant project manager.
  • Senior project manager.
  • Director of program management.
  • Project coordinator.
  • Project scheduler.
  • Team leader.
Jul 3, 2024

Is director or project manager higher? ›

However, in generic terms, a project director is typically a title given to a senior - high-level project manager managing a large-complex or mega project. So this title is common on capital projects. The role would be like a PM but much higher level.

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