Acknowledgement of Country
CSIRO acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land, sea and waters, of the area that we live and work on across Australia. We acknowledge their continuing connection to their culture and pay our respects to their Elders past and present. View our vision towards reconciliation.
Role highlights
- Drive research impact by connecting CSIRO with universities, institutes, mentors, and investors.
- Support research translation by equipping teams with skills and networks.
- Strengthen CSIRO’s ON Program through strategic engagement and leadership.
About CSIRO
As Australia's national science agency, CSIRO is solving the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology. Many of our iconic innovations were once considered impossible until someone, just like you, joined us and took on the challenge.
Visit CSIRO.au for more information.
The opportunity
The ON Innovation Program accelerates Australia’s most promising research breakthroughs from mind to market. Through flagship initiatives like ON Prime and ON Accelerate, the program supports over 100 research teams each year, building entrepreneurial capability, exploring commercialisation pathways, and equipping researchers with the skills, confidence, and networks to create real-world impact.
We have multiple opportunities for Innovation Ecosystem Managers to join the team, each focused on either leading the ON Mentor Program or driving Investor Engagement. In these roles, you will engage key stakeholders across universities, publicly funded research agencies, and medical research institutes, building strong, strategic relationships to drive participation in ON programs and foster long-term collaboration.
You will also contribute to broader ecosystem engagement through events, alumni connections, and communications, while supporting the systems, policies, and processes that enable CSIRO’s ON Program to achieve its strategic objectives. These roles require autonomy, strong stakeholder engagement skills, and a passion for research translation and innovation, helping strengthen CSIRO’s ON Program and maximise its impact.
Your high-level duties will include:
- Build and maintain strategic relationships with universities, PFROs, MRIs, industry, investors, and mentors.
- Drive participation in innovation programs and maintain a pipeline of quality applications.
- Identify, map, and manage partnership opportunities and stakeholder engagement records.
- Lead either the ON Mentor Program or ON Investor Program, managing end-to-end engagement.
- Develop and deliver engagement strategies, events, and alumni/mentor connections.
- Represent CSIRO externally and internally, communicating effectively and influencing outcomes.
For the entire list of duties please refer to the position description
Role particulars
Location and office arrangements:
Sydney (Gadigal), Brisbane (Meanjin) or Adelaide (Tarntanya) other locations may be considered.
Hybrid working available up to 4 days. Flexible work options available.
Salary: AU$114k – AU$123k per annum (pro rata for part-time), plus 15.4% superannuation
Tenure & work schedule:
Indefinite Full time
Reference: 100955
As the successful candidate, you will bring:
Essential criteria
- Relevant trade certificate/diploma/bachelor’s degree or equivalent relevant work experience in event and project management, communications, community management, research and innovation programs.
- Demonstrated ability to build and maintain productive relationships with diverse stakeholders across the research and innovation ecosystem, such as Technology Transfer Offices, startup innovation hubs, mentors, and investors, and converting those relationships into meaningful engagements.
- Demonstrated understanding and experience in the following areas:
- Stakeholder mapping
- Persuading others and building strong interpersonal networks
- Translating conceptual thinking into practical initiatives
- Experience working autonomously and remotely, including a demonstrated ability to plan ahead, anticipate requirements & self-prioritise multiple tasks
- Demonstrated interest in science and innovation, with the ability to engage with emerging trends, support the development of innovative ideas, and contribute to initiatives that enable research translation and technological advancement
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and can adapt to changing circumstances and to operate well with situations that lack clarity to achieve team objectives.
Desirable
- Tertiary qualifications in a relevant business, arts, science or engineering discipline will be highly regarded.
- Previous working experience in a development or partner relationship role in an accelerator or the innovation and research sectors.
- Demonstrated understanding of the Venture Capital landscape, deep tech commercialisation, and the role of external partners, industry and mentors play in supporting research translation. principles and integration of WCAG 2.1 AA requirements throughout the development process.
For full details about this role, and other criteria, please review the Position Description.
Not sure if you meet all the criteria?
While it is CSIRO policy that the successful candidate must meet all the essential criteria, there are many ways to demonstrate this. Don’t let the list discourage you. If you are unsure about applying, please reach out to the contact person in the Position Description.
Setting you up for success
We are committed to providing a recruitment process that is fair, equitable and accessible to everyone. We recognise that it may be helpful for us to adjust our process to make it equitable for your individual situation. Please contact [email protected] let us know how we can support you.
Life at CSIRO and flexible work arrangements
We work flexibly at CSIRO, offering a range of options for how, when and where you work. We can discuss flexible work arrangements with you during the recruitment process. CSIRO also offers a range of leave entitlements, benefits and career development opportunities. To find out more, visit Careers at CSIRO.
Inclusion and belonging
Solving Australia's greatest challenges takes a diversity of minds and lived experiences. We know diverse teams are more effective and deliver more innovative outcomes. As an equal employment opportunity organisation, we are committed to creating diverse and inclusive teams where people feel they belong. We recognise true diversity encompasses all ages, abilities, cultures, faiths, levels of education, genders, sexualities, diversity of thought and much more. We focus on hiring people who share our values of People First, Further Together, Making it Real and Trusted.
CSIRO holds Gold Status for the Australian Workplace Equality Index for LGBTQIA+ inclusion, and a Science in Australia Gender Equity Bronze Award.
Eligibility
Applications for this position are open to Australian Citizens, New Zealand Citizens and Australian Permanent Residents. Appointment to this role is subject to provision of a national police check and may be subject to other security/medical/character requirements.
Child safety
CSIRO is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people involved in our activities and programs. View our Child Safe Policy.
How to apply
Please apply online and submit a cover letter (maximum 2 pages) and CV that demonstrate your motivation and ability to meet the essential requirements of this role.
Applications close
31 August 2025, 11:00pm AEST
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