Innovation Hub and Operations Specialist

Te Whiwhinga mahi | The opportunity 

This is a varied, hands-on 12-month fixed-term opportunity to play an important role in the day-to-day operation of the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE), while contributing to a key area of development over the coming year. 

As Innovation Hub & Operations Specialist, you’ll help ensure CIE’s innovation hubs, operational systems and activities run effectively and provide a great experience for the diverse communities who use our spaces. You’ll work across the Centre, supporting the operational environment that enables our programmes, curricular teaching, workshops, events, stakeholder activities and wider innovation community to thrive. 

During this parental leave cover, a particular focus will be the continued development of CIE’s data and reporting capability. CIE has established data systems and dashboards, and you’ll help us improve and evolve these, strengthening the quality and usefulness of our data and ensuring our approaches develop alongside wider University systems and practices. 

The role is broad and practical, spanning innovation hub operations, systems and processes, programme and event logistics, data and reporting, and continuous improvement. You’ll need to be comfortable moving between detailed work and practical problem-solving in a busy environment, building strong relationships and finding better ways to get things done. 

Key responsibilities include: 

• Support the effective day-to-day operation and utilisation of CIE’s innovation hubs, including Unleash Space.  

• Coordinate operational systems, resources and logistics that enable CIE programmes, curricular teaching, workshops, events and stakeholder activities to run effectively.  

• Identify and implement improvements to operational processes, systems and ways of working.  

• Support the ongoing improvement of CIE’s existing data systems, dashboards and reporting approaches.  

• Maintain and improve the quality, consistency and accessibility of data across CIE activities.  

• Produce and enhance reporting and dashboards that support planning, decision-making and understanding of CIE’s reach and performance.  

• Work with CIE colleagues and relevant University teams to ensure data and reporting approaches are practical, sustainable and appropriately aligned with wider University practices.  

• Build effective working relationships across CIE and with University service teams, suppliers and other stakeholders.  

• Contribute to a collaborative, responsive and entrepreneurial operating culture across CIE.  

This is a full-time (37.5 hours per week), 12-month fixed-term role. 

For more detailed information, please refer to the Position Description. 

Mō tō mātou rōpū | About the team 

The Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) is Waipapa Taumata Rau’s platform for developing the innovators, entrepreneurs and changemakers of the future. We work across the University to help students, researchers and staff build innovation and entrepreneurial capability, turn ideas into action, develop ventures, and create social, cultural, environmental and economic impact for Aotearoa and the world. 

CIE is entering an exciting new chapter. With an ambitious new strategy, we are significantly increasing the reach and impact of innovation and entrepreneurship across the University, helping realise Waipapa Taumata Rau’s ambition to be a global powerhouse of innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship, and strengthening the University’s contribution to a more innovative and prosperous Aotearoa. 

We are building a team of people who are curious, collaborative, ambitious for impact and committed to turning ambition into action. If you want to help shape how a world-class research-led university develops innovative and entrepreneurial people, we would love to hear from you. 

He kōrero mōu | About you 

You’re a practical, organised and proactive person who enjoys making things work well. You’re comfortable working in a busy and varied environment, can move easily between hands-on operational responsibilities and more detailed systems and data work, and enjoy finding better ways of doing things. 

You’ll bring strong operational and coordination skills, alongside confidence working with data, dashboards and reporting. You’ll be comfortable improving how information is captured and organised, analysing data and translating it into clear and useful insights that support decision-making. 

You’ll also be confident working with a wide range of people. CIE’s innovation hubs host everything from programmes and curricular teaching to workshops, events and senior stakeholder activities, so you’ll be responsive, professional and comfortable adapting to different needs and situations. 

You’ll bring: 

• Experience in operations, project coordination, programme support or a similar role within a busy and complex environment.  

• Strong organisational and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and follow work through to completion.  

• Experience working with data and reporting, including analysing information, identifying patterns and translating data into clear and useful insights.  

• Strong digital capability, including advanced Excel skills and experience developing and improving data visualisation, dashboards and reporting tools.  

• Experience improving systems, processes or ways of working, with an eye for both efficiency and user experience.  

• Strong interpersonal and relationship-management skills, with confidence working with people at different levels across an organisation.  

• A collaborative, service-oriented approach and willingness to contribute wherever needed in a varied, hands-on role.  

• Strong attention to detail and a commitment to maintaining accurate, reliable information and systems.  

• The ability to work independently, use sound judgement and respond constructively when priorities or circumstances change.  

• A relevant tertiary qualification or equivalent professional experience.  

Experience within a tertiary education, innovation or similarly complex organisational environment would be advantageous. 

The nature of CIE’s programmes and events means the role requires flexibility to work outside normal business hours, including regular evening work and occasional weekend work.