Doctoral Examination Team Lead

Te Whiwhinga mahi | The opportunity

We are seeking a Doctoral Examinations Team Lead to join our School of Graduate Studies (SGS), which is the central service division responsible for the management and enhancement of doctoral research programmes at the University of Auckland. You will lead a proactive and dedicated central team that manages the full doctoral examination process, part of the doctoral candidature function. You will have strong people management skills and experience and have the ability to lead them in a busy fast paced environment. 

Taking on the new role of Doctoral Examinations Team Lead, you will ensure that the division provides expert and timely advice, decision making and support for internal and external stakeholders throughout the doctoral examination process from thesis submission to programme completion.

Your time will be split between managing the small team of dedicated examination coordinators, identifying and implementing continuous improvement initiatives, and, as part of the wider doctoral candidature team, ensuring a seamless journey for our candidates, supervisors and examiners. The list below gives you a snapshot of your key responsibilities.

• Plan, organise, maintain and manage the operations for all stages of Doctoral Examinations across the University.
• Provide advice, analysis and recommendations on high-risk cases to senior decision makers and make delegated decisions as required.
• Provide leadership, mentoring and direction for staff.
• Ensure staff have the appropriate level of responsibility, training and resources to perform their jobs effectively and achieve agreed goals.
• Ensure high levels of service and support to doctoral candidates, supervisors, senior academics and external examiners around doctoral examinations.
• Collect and analyse data relevant to doctoral examination to inform decision making and ensure continuous improvement.

The salary range for this role is $80,900 - $94,900 per annum depending on experience and qualifications. This is a full-time, 37.5 hours per week role on a permanent basis. 

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

Mō tō mātou rōpū | About the team

The School of Graduate Studies is the central service division responsible for the management and enhancement of doctoral research programmes at the University of Auckland. SGS facilitates support and services for doctoral candidates and their supervisors across the institution. The division works across the lifecycle of the doctoral programmes, from enrolment to completion, and leads strategic initiatives for doctoral students, supervisors and programmes across and beyond the University.

He kōrero mōu | About you

We are seeking someone who is excited by the idea of leading a small but critical team that manages a critical centralised process for the University. You will need to quickly get up to speed with our policies and ways of working before initiating initiatives to improve the timeliness and examination experience for our doctoral candidates, supervisors and external examiners.

This is a role for someone who is comfortable with complex challenges and decision-making, within a highly regulated tertiary environment, and who has excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.

To be considered for this role, you should have:

• A degree in a relevant disciple or equivalent experience. Ideally, you will have a PhD and experience working in a large tertiary institution.
• Proven leadership experience managing multiple responsibilities within a large, complex organisation.
• Proven experience in decision-making aligned with policy and regulations.
• Experience in developing and implementing process improvements, including compliance and risk management.
• Demonstrated skills and experience in enhancing services through teamwork, responsiveness to stakeholders, and working collaboratively.
• Proven people and stakeholder management skills and experience.

Ngā āhuatanga kei a mātou | What we offer

The University of Auckland is New Zealand’s leading university and maintains significant computational, laboratory and analytic facilities. Auckland itself is frequently rated as one of the world’s most liveable cities. 

• The University is committed to providing an excellent working environment through:
• Flexible employment practices (including working from home, flexible hours)
• Up to 6.75% company superannuation scheme
• A competitive salary with five weeks’ annual leave

In addition, we also offer career development programmes, discounted car parking, a generous parental leave allowance, childcare and a number of other discounts on internal and external services. 

For more information please visit Staff Benefits.

Me pēhea te tuku tono | How to apply

Applications must be submitted online, by the closing date of 4/12/2024 to be considered. Please include your cover letter and your CV highlighting how you can meet the skills and experiences detailed above.

Please reach out to Siobhan Daly - [email protected] for more information. Please note we are happy to answer your questions but we do not accept applications by email.