Program Director, Digital Sydney

• Full time, 3 year fixed term opportunity
• Hybrid working arrangement – enjoy the flexibility of a hybrid model, with 3 days per week on campus at our Darlington/Camperdown location and the remainder worked remotely
• Lead high-impact digital transformation programs that are reshaping how the University learns, teaches, researches and operates, delivering strategic outcomes and institution-wide value.
• Offering a competitive remuneration package including 17% superannuation

About the opportunity

This is a rare opportunity to help shape the future of one of Australia's leading universities. Digital Sydney is the University of Sydney’s ambitious institution-wide transformation program, delivering the foundations required to realise the Sydney 2032 Strategy and create a future-ready, AI-enabled university.

Guided by our vision, “Designed for people, powered by digital”, Digital Sydney is transforming how the University learns, teaches, researches and operates. Through the modernisation of core systems, data, processes and experiences, Digital Sydney aims to create a seamlessly connected, intelligent campus that empowers people, unlocks innovation and enables better decision-making across the university.

We are seeking an accomplished Program Director to provide strategic leadership across key Digital Sydney programs that underpin the University's transformation agenda.

Reporting to the Executive Director, Digital Sydney, you will lead a complex portfolio of concurrent initiatives, providing executive-level leadership, governance and delivery oversight while building strong partnerships across academic, professional and technology communities. Working alongside senior executives and key stakeholders, you will drive strategic outcomes, ensure disciplined execution and benefits realisation, and help position the University as a global leader in digitally enabled education, research and operations.

Built the Sydney way, trusted, secure, responsible and human-centred, Digital Sydney is delivering scalable enterprise capabilities that will have a lasting impact on the future of the University. This role offers the opportunity to influence institution-wide transformation, lead high-performing teams through significant change, and leave a legacy that will shape the University's future for years to come.

Your key responsibilities will be to:

• provide strategic leadership to key Digital Sydney programs, ensuring alignment with the University's strategic priorities, digital transformation agenda and long-term institutional objectives
• establish and champion enterprise governance frameworks that drive effective decision-making, delivery assurance, risk management, dependency management, benefits realisation and accountability across complex transformation initiatives
• partner with senior executives, faculty leaders and professional services stakeholders to shape strategic direction, influence organisational priorities and drive the successful adoption of transformational change
• lead and manage critical interdependencies across major University initiatives, ensuring coordinated delivery, alignment of outcomes and optimisation of institutional investment
• oversee a complex delivery ecosystem comprising internal teams, strategic partners, vendors and service providers, fostering a high-performance culture focused on collaboration, innovation and delivery excellence
• drive portfolio investment planning, business case development and strategic roadmap execution, ensuring resources are prioritised effectively to maximise value and achieve institutional objectives
• ensure the delivery of measurable organisational benefits through enhanced user experiences, operational efficiency, digital capability, data-driven decision-making and sustainable business outcomes
• provide executive-level leadership and guidance on emerging technologies, digital capabilities and transformation opportunities, helping shape the future direction of the University's digital landscape
• represent Digital Sydney at executive, governance and stakeholder forums, providing strategic advice, portfolio insights and trusted leadership to support informed decision-making and successful delivery outcomes
• act as a visible leader and ambassador for Digital Sydney, fostering strong stakeholder engagement, championing innovation and building organisational commitment to a digitally enabled future.

About you

• postgraduate qualification in a relevant discipline, or an equivalent combination of qualifications and extensive experience leading large-scale programs and digital transformation initiatives
• demonstrated success leading complex, enterprise-wide digital transformation programs within large and highly matrixed organisations, delivering measurable business outcomes, organisational change and sustained benefits realisation
• extensive experience managing significant portfolios, programs and investments, including oversight of substantial budgets, resources, delivery partners, competing priorities and complex interdependencies
• exceptional strategic thinking, analytical, planning and decision-making capabilities, with the ability to navigate ambiguity and drive outcomes in fast-paced and evolving environments
• highly developed communication, negotiation and stakeholder engagement skills, with a proven ability to influence executive leaders, build consensus and drive change across diverse stakeholder groups
• proven leadership of high-performing, multidisciplinary teams, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation and continuous improvement
• strong governance, risk management and commercial acumen, with experience establishing effective delivery frameworks and ensuring successful delivery of strategic objectives
• demonstrated ability to build and maintain trusted relationships with internal and external stakeholders, technology partners and vendors, leveraging digital capabilities to enable organisational transformation and value creation
• strong understanding of contemporary digital technologies, including enterprise platforms, data, AI, cybersecurity and digital workplace solutions, and their application in driving organisational performance and transformation.

Sponsorship / work rights for Australia

You must have unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this employment to be eligible to apply. Visa sponsorship is not available for this appointment.

Pre-employment checks and declarations 

Your employment is conditional upon the successful completion of all pre-employment or background checks required for the role in terms satisfactory to the University.  Also, to meet the University’s obligations under the National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Eliminate Gender-Based Violence you will be asked to declare if you have been investigated for, or found to engaged in, sexual harm or gender-based violence in the course of previous employment or in a legal process. Similarly, your ongoing employment is conditional upon the satisfactory maintenance of all relevant clearances and background check requirements. If you do not meet these conditions, the University may take any necessary step, including the termination of your employment.

EEO statement 

At the University of Sydney, our shared values are trust, accountability and excellence and we strive to be a place where everyone can thrive. We are committed to creating a University community that thrives through diversity and reflects the wider community that we serve. We deliver on this through our commitment to diversity and inclusion, evidenced by our people and culture programs, as well as key strategies to increase participation and support the careers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, women, people living with a disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and those who identify as LGBTQIA+. We welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds. 

We are proud to be recognised as an Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI) Platinum Employer. Find out more about our work on diversity and inclusion. 

How to apply

Applications must include a cover letter and resume and can be submitted via the Apply button at the top of the page.  

For employees of the University or contingent workers, please login into your Workday account and navigate to the Career icon on your Dashboard.  Click on USYD Find Jobs and apply.

For a confidential discussion about the role, or if you require reasonable adjustment or any documents in alternate formats, please contact Victoria Ford-Rogers Recruitment Operations by email to [email protected]

© The University of Sydney

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

Click to view the Position Description for this role.

Applications Close

Sunday 26 July 2026 11:59 PM