Senior Manager, Research Engagement and Impact

Te Whiwhinga mahi | The opportunity

We are seeking an experienced and strategic leader to join Te Puna Tiketike | Research and Innovation Office as our Senior Manager, Research Engagement and Impact.  Reporting to the Associate Director, Research Development and Impact, this newly established leadership role will provide strategic oversight of the University's research engagement, knowledge mobilisation, partnership development, and impact portfolio.

As the University's principal source of expertise in research engagement and partnership development, you will lead a high-performing team responsible for supporting researchers, Signature Research Areas (SRAs), University Research Centres (URCs), and strategic initiatives to build trusted partnerships and translate research into meaningful societal, cultural, environmental, and economic outcomes.

Key responsibilities include:

• Providing strategic leadership for the University's research engagement, knowledge mobilisation, and impact agenda.

• Providing institutional thought leadership in research engagement, implementation science, knowledge mobilisation and impact practice.

• Leading the development and implementation of institutional frameworks, methodologies, and tools for partnership development, co-design, theory of change, and impact pathway planning.

• Leading development of institutional standards, methodologies and tools for engagement planning, partnership development and impact pathway design.

• Leading and developing a team of Research Engagement Managers and the Research Impact Manager to deliver a cohesive and effective engagement and impact function.

• Building and strengthening relationships with researchers, faculties, service divisions, government agencies, industry, iwi, community organisations, and other key stakeholders.

• Providing expert advice on research engagement, implementation-informed planning, knowledge mobilisation, and impact strategy for major research initiatives.

• Driving institution-wide capability development in engagement, partnership development, and impact practice.

This is a permanent full-time (37.5 hours per week) position based at the City Campus. Salary Band I and salary range from $114,400 – $140,000.

For more information on the role, please view the Position Description.

He kōrero mōu | About you

You will be a highly collaborative and strategic leader who thrives in a complex academic and research-intensive environment.  You will bring the credibility, influence, and relationship-building skills required to work effectively across faculties, service divisions, researchers, and external partners.  Most importantly, you will have the leadership capability to establish, shape, and grow a new institutional function, creating alignment, clarity, and impact across the University's research engagement ecosystem.

Skills and experience that are required:

• Extensive senior-level experience (typically 8–10+ years) in research engagement, impact strategy, research development, or a related strategic leadership role within a research-intensive environment.

• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence senior academic and professional leaders in complex institutional settings.

• Strong strategic planning capability, with experience translating institutional priorities into coordinated operational models and delivery plans.

• Demonstrated success leading teams through change and establishing new functions, frameworks, or ways of working within complex organisations.

• Strong people leadership skills, with the ability to build, develop, and inspire high-performing, collaborative teams.

• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships and influence a broad range of academic, professional, and external stakeholders.

• Expertise in research engagement, knowledge mobilisation, partnership brokering, implementation science, and impact pathway development.

• Demonstrated experience designing and implementing organisation-wide engagement or impact frameworks and leading cross-functional initiatives.

• Strong understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles and their application within research and engagement settings.

• A postgraduate qualification (Master's or PhD preferred) or equivalent relevant professional experience.