Job Title: Associate Director for Operations, Culture and Strategy

• Permanent Opportunity
• Salary: $180k -$220k base + 12% super
• Location: Sydney + Hybrid
• Unique academic, research, biotech, technology not-for-profit organisation

About the Role:

This organisation is seeking an experienced operations leader who is comfortable operating in a fast-moving, rapidly scaling, for-purpose environment as Associate Director for Operations, Culture, and Strategy.

The role will ensure that the organisation's strategy is translated into action, that the teams and culture thrive, and that operations run smoothly. You will lift organisational maturity across multiple areas, including financial management, reliable delivery of program and cross-program goals, effective leadership and decision making, strong staff engagement, and disciplined risk management.

The role requires exceptional judgement, senior operational experience in a high-growth environment (ideally biotech or technology), and the ability to design organisational systems that will scale with ambitious goals.

Key Responsibilities:

You will be responsible for organisation-wide activities across three interconnected domains:

• Facilitate the development of the organisational strategy, and drive its translation into operational priorities, structures, and governance frameworks.
• Drive change management and scaling of critical systems (e.g. our finance and people management systems) in an environment of uncertainty and growth.

• Define and drive the Centre’s overall cultural strategy, translating values into clear behaviours and ways of working, setting leadership standards and communication norms, and embedding culture in hiring and onboarding.

• Define organisation-wide resourcing needs for program delivery, assess budget impacts, and support team leads and other hiring managers in the organisation in defining and executing on hiring strategies.
• Oversee the Business Administration and Operations team (with direct line management of our BAO Lead), which supports core operational processes across finance, hiring and onboarding, and internal IT systems.

• Strategy Operationalisation
• Team and Culture
• Operations

Key Skills:

• 10+ years of experience in senior operational leadership roles, ideally in biotech, technology, or other high-growth industries.
• Demonstrated ability to translate strategy into operational systems and structures in complex, rapidly scaling organisations (~50+ staff).
• Deep expertise in building the cultural glue necessary to hold an organisation together during periods of rapid growth.
• Significant experience overseeing budgets, financial approvals, and institutional relationships.
• Proven track record of leading teams in operations, complex project/program management, and/or business administration.

If this looks like your next career step please apply and Lachlan will call you.