University of Sydney - Director, Performance and Assurance

- Senior leadership appointment within the University Infrastructure / Property division
- Own the governance, commercial and data backbone of a complex property and infrastructure portfolio
- Drive innovation and improvement

The University of Sydney is seeking an accomplished operations and assurance leader to join the University Infrastructure portfolio as Director, Performance and Assurance. This is a rare chance to own the operating system that enables one of Australia's largest and most complex property and infrastructure portfolios to deliver safely, compliantly and with commercial discipline.

About the Role

Reporting to the Chief University Infrastructure Officer, the Director, Performance and Assurance leads the operating platform of University Infrastructure. The role provides a single point of accountability for the frameworks, controls and systems that underpin infrastructure delivery and asset management across the University and is a trusted adviser to the CUIO on risk, policy settings and performance.

Leading five specialist functions and their teams, the Director is accountable for:

- Program Management Office: portfolio governance, gate assurance and phase reviews, project controls, reporting standards and continuous improvement.
- Compliance and Assurance: maintaining the legislative compliance framework, delivering risk-based assurance across projects, contractors and critical WHS and environmental risks, and coordinating audits, compliance reviews and corrective action.
- Commercial and Contract Management: strategic sourcing and dynamic panel management, contract drafting and negotiation, variations,



supplier performance management, and commercial assurance, probity and ethical sourcing.
- Business Intelligence: running the University Infrastructure Data Service as the backbone of executive reporting, enabling self-service insight through Power BI and M365, and leading the AI program applying generative AI and automation across the property and infrastructure portfolio.
- Space Data Management: managing enterprise-wide spatial data as a governed digital asset, supporting teaching, research and workplace decision-making, and underpinning emerging capability including digital twin and predictive analytics.

The role owns all property/infrastructure-related policies, standards and frameworks, leading the full policy lifecycle from development and consultation through governance, implementation and continuous improvement. It translates University settings into practical requirements, controls and procedures that are deliverable in practice, aligned to risk appetite, and cost-aware and operationally feasible.

Operating with a high degree of autonomy, the Director must balance risk, compliance, cost, deliverability and operational feasibility across complex, high-value and high-risk infrastructure environments. The focus is operational integrity,



assurance and system maturity rather than pipeline prioritisation or program strategy.

The role acts as the primary interface for operational integration with Central Operations Services and works closely with the University Infrastructure executive team, Finance, Procurement, HR, Legal, Risk and ICT, alongside external consultants, contractors, auditors and regulators.

About You

You will bring tertiary qualifications in project management, commercial management, procurement, quantity surveying or an MBA, or an equivalent combination of training and experience, together with senior experience in infrastructure, operations, governance, risk or commercial fields within large and complex organisations.

Applicants must have

- a strong track record leading complex operational environments and multidisciplinary teams
- proven experience leading policy development and governance frameworks, including end-to-end lifecycle ownership
- a deep understanding of assurance, compliance and control environments in complex organisations
- sound commercial acumen spanning contract governance, procurement and supplier management
- experience establishing or overseeing enterprise reporting, data and systems environments
- strong executive communication and advisory capability

A strong working understanding of infrastructure, construction, capital works or similarly complex operational environments will be highly regarded.

How to Apply To apply, please submit a cover letter and CV by Friday 28th August to [email protected] or call Clive Brown (0424 177 331) or Fiona Ralph (0412 350 843) for a confidential discussion.

📌 Director, Performance & Assurance | University of Sydney
🏢 Capstone Recruitment
📍 Sydney