Deputy Executive Director, Institute for Future Environments

The Institute for Future Environments (IFE), headquartered in the Science and Engineering Centre at QUT’s Gardens Point campus, plays a key role in delivering against QUT’s Research and Innovation strategy, “to build QUT’s reputation as an excellent research institution undertaking research for the real world”. The Institute delivers

• transdisciplinary and collaborative research with scale and focus, drawing on the research capabilities of QUT’s six Faculties
• cross-organisational research infrastructure capabilities
• the required research functions to support the business of undertaking transdisciplinary research practice.

 

Institute Mission

To generate knowledge, technology and practices that makes our world more sustainable, secure and resilient.

 

Institute Vision

To be renowned as a catalyst for:

• addressing global challenges that build a strong Australia, with a competitive economy
• delivering innovation through transdisciplinary collaboration
• nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit of researchers
• inspiring a generation to recognise Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) as being at the heart of the country’s competiveness.

 

Institute Purpose

• Addressing grand societal challenges
• Harnessing the University’s disciplinary strengths
• Co-investing in strategic R&D initiatives
• Forming productive partnerships to develop and deploy real world solutions for industry, government, community and research organisations
• Providing state-of-the-art research infrastructure capabilities for:
  • research and research training
  • commercial and technical services.

 

This is a leadership position focused on the delivery of R&D for industry and government through Demonstration, Deployment, and Dissemination. The main purpose of the position is to develop impact pathways for
QUT’s research via collaboration and action learning with our stakeholders: a focus on research impact.

This position, in conjunction with the senior management team of IFE, is responsible for achieving the Institute’s strategic goals and operational performance targets relevant to QUT’s Research and Innovation strategy.

This position reports to the Executive Director, Institute for Future Environments for supervision, workload management and for Performance Planning and Review (PPR). The successful candidate will be a key member of the Institute’s senior management team, which includes the Executive Director, Research Infrastructure Director, Institute Manager, Knowledge to Innovation Director, and Executive Officer. It is envisaged that the successful candidate would continue their own research program as part of this role – up to a maximum of 40% of their time.

In carrying out the position’s responsibilities, the appointee works closely with IFE Theme and Enabling Platform Leaders to lead and promote research and innovation, and to attract external funding. The appointee will engage with the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Commercialisation), Director, Office of Research, Executive Deans, Assistant Deans of Research, and Heads of Schools in Faculties with the purpose of improving research performance at the University. The position will have an particularly important relationship with the Science and Engineering Faculty (SEF), predominantly through the Assistant Dean of Research in SEF.

The role provides leadership to the Knowledge to Innovation Director and the team of four staff. IFE’s seven Theme and Enabling Platform Leaders and research support teams (administration, project delivery, communication) will assist the role catalysing transdisciplinary research with external partners.

 

Key responsibilities include:

• Promote and foster an inclusive high performance research and innovation culture, liaising closely with Faculties and Divisions to achieve excellent outcomes for the Institute/University.
• In conjunction with the Executive Director, develop and implement research and impact strategic plans aligned to the wider plans of IFE.
• As Chair of IFE’s Research Leadership Working Group, provide leadership to IFE’s transdisciplinary research through collaboration with and support of the Theme and Enabling Platform Leaders.
• Provide transdisciplinary research leadership through strategic linkages with industry, governments and the community.
• Lead the Knowledge to Innovation brokering team to identify sources of funding and facilitate the preparation of proposals to develop funded impactful research partnerships with industry, governments and the community.
• Collaborate with the IFE management team and IFE Theme and Enabling Platform leaders to develop a strong research environment that nurtures transdisciplinary research practice and utilisation of cross-organisational research infrastructure.
• In consultation with relevant IFE and University senior managers, map research performance and research progress against Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), to facilitate continuous improvement of research outputs, outcomes and impacts.
• Ensure that the Institute’s research activities comply with integrity, ethics, biosafety, and health and safety policies. 

 

Contact:
Professor Bronwyn Harch
Executive Director, IFE
+61 408 737 901

HR Contact:
Emma Downey
Senior HR Advisor
+61 7 3138 4148 
 
Domestic and international applicants. Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islander people are encouraged to apply

 

When applying for this position we encourage you to upload:

• A current resume;
• A brief summary (1-2) pages outlining 1 or 2 of your best examples which demonstrate your specific outcomes for each of the Selection Criteria.
• A cover letter, which includes:
• A brief narrative (approximately half a page) describing your personal research, its alignment to IFE’s research agenda, and its real world significance and impact, including your agenda for future research. Why is this future direction exciting and important?
• A list of your research grants (including any consultancies) obtained in the last five years;
• A list of your publications in the last five years and the associated Scopus quartile ranking, and with a short statement on the significance of each; and
• A list of your collaborations (including disciplinary, transdisciplinary and international engagement).