About

• Full time, fixed term for up to 5 years with a continuing professorial appointment Opportunity to contribute to world-class research with real-world impact in a highly collaborative environment Offering a competitive remuneration package including 17% superannuation About the opportunity The University of Sydney Business School is undergoing an exciting transformation, moving from nine disciplines to six schools to enable greater leadership opportunities, balanced resources, and more impactful interdisciplinary teaching and research. As Head of School, you will be a key member of the Faculty Leadership Group and lead the school’s leadership team. This pivotal role shapes and executes the overall faculty strategy at the school level, ensuring alignment with university policies and external standards. You will set, communicate, and achieve academic and operational objectives, including curriculum development, research and education strategies, resource allocation, talent management, and external engagement. You will also manage the school’s budget to ensure financial sustainability, while fostering a positive workplace culture and role modelling the University’s values. Your leadership will inspire academic excellence, enhance the student experience, maintain accreditation standards, and further strengthen the school’s reputation nationally and internationally. About the School of Finance (FIN) The School of Finance (FIN) is one of the University of Sydney Business School’s largest, and research-intensive schools, and a major contributor to the school’s national and global standing. Finance and Accounting are ranked #3 in Australia and #39 globally (QS 2025), with Finance ranked #3 in Australia and #34 globally (ShanghaiRanking 2025). Finance leads one of the largest finance PhD programs in Australia, offering a combination of scale, depth, and ambition within the higher education landscape. FIN PhD graduates are placed in leading universities and organisations globally. The school has a highly visible international research profile, with sustained publication in FT50 and other top-tier journals including Journal of Finance, Journal of Financial Economics, Review of Financial Studies, Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Review of Finance, and Management Science. Research spans corporate finance, asset pricing, financial institutions, and market design, and extend into fast-growing areas such as ESG and climate finance, financial regulation, fintech, labour and innovation finance, and household finance. FIN benefits from exceptional data access and deep methodological capability in large-scale data construction, causal inference, advanced econometrics, and machine learning, positioning the school strongly for future developments in AI-enabled finance research. Teaching excellence is delivered at scale across undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs, with strong integration between frontier research and curriculum design. Students consistently perform at the highest level, including repeated global success in the CFA Institute Research Challenge, where University of Sydney teams are frequent world champions. The school maintains a long-standing partnership with the CFA Institute, providing students with a competitive advantage in professional accreditation. FIN graduates are highly sought after internationally, progressing to leading institutions such as Cambridge, Oxford, LSE, and MIT. The School of Finance is outward-looking, collegial, and deeply connected to policy, regulation, and industry. Academics engage regularly with regulators, central banks, financial institutions, and media, ensuring research informs real-world debates on financial stability, governance, climate risk, and innovation. Impactful international research collaborations are embedded at the individual and program levels, and the transition to the new school structure presents a significant opportunity to further strengthen global positioning, and impact — including growth in interdisciplinary research and future engagement in Indigenous economic capability and governance. FIN offers an incoming Head of School a well-resourced, high-performing platform to lead at scale, shape global ambition, and deliver enduring academic and societal impact. About you (skills, capabilities and experience) We are seeking an experienced and visionary leader with: A wide network of established relationships with key academic, industry, and professional institutions, partners, and stakeholders. In-depth knowledge of strategic issues in the higher education sector. Proven skills and experience in financial and operational management. A strong understanding of academic leadership, from curriculum design to research excellence and student success. Demonstrated experience in people leadership and management within the higher education or knowledge sector. Your ability to inspire, influence, and lead will be critical in shaping the future of the school and contributing to the University’s reputation for excellence. Key benefits a University contribution of 17% of your base salary to your superannuation fund tax-efficient salary packaging options for cars, laptops, and additional contributions to your superannuation fund generous relocation allowance if moving from interstate or overseas access to fitness passport, as well as discounted rates on university sports and fitness centers gain the recognition of working in a leading University. Term and remuneration The successful candidate will be offered up to a 5 year fixed term position on a full-time basis, with a professorial appointment in an appropriate discipline in the school and will retain that position at the conclusion of their headship. The appointment is subject to completion of a satisfactory probation period for new appointees. Pre-employment checks Your employment is conditional upon the completion of all role required pre-employment or background checks in terms satisfactory to the University. Similarly, your ongoing employment is conditional upon the satisfactory maintenance of all relevant clearances and background check requirements. If you do not meet these conditions, the University may take any necessary step, including the termination of your employment. EEO statement At the University of Sydney, our shared values are trust, accountability and excellence and we strive to be a place where everyone can thrive. We are committed to creating a University community that thrives through diversity and reflects the wider community that we serve. We deliver on this through our commitment to diversity and inclusion, evidenced by our people and culture programs, as well as key strategies to increase participation and support the careers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, women, people living with a disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and those who identify as LGBTQIA+. We welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds. We are proud to be recognised as an Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI) Platinum Employer. Find out more about our work on diversity and inclusion. How to apply Applications (including a CV and cover letter outlining how your skills, capabilities and experience meet the requirements for the role) can be submitted via the Apply button at the top of the page. Please refer to the candidate information brochure and position description for further details. Click to view the Candidate Information Brochure for this role. You can also obtain a link to the brochure by contacting Alistair.Clark@odgers.com Click to view the Position Description for this role. For employees of the University or contingent workers, please login into your Workday account and navigate to the Career icon on your Dashboard. Click on USYD Find Jobs and apply. The university has engaged executive search firm Odgers to assist with this appointment who will support the Selection Committee to identify the widest possible field of qualified candidates and to assess candidates against the requirements for the role. For a confidential conversation concerning the Heads of the Schools of Accounting, Governance and Regulation; Business Analytics and Marketing; or Finance, please contact: Dr Alistair Clark on Alistair.Clark@odgers.com Mazin Almaimani on +61 3 8375 7408 or Mazin.Almaimani@odgers.com © The University of Sydney The University reserves the right not to proceed with any appointment. Applications Close Monday 02 March 2026 11:59 PM Our team is expanding, and we want to hire the most talented people we can. Continued success depends on it! So once you've had a chance to explore our current open positions, apply to the ones you feel suit you best and keep track of both your progress in the selection process, and new postings that might interest you! The University values are excellence, trust and accountability. The University of Sydney is committed to diversity and social inclusion. Applications from people of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; equity target groups including women, people with disabilities, people who identify as LGBTIQ; and people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent, are encouraged. The University reserves the right not to proceed with any appointment. The University of Sydney may conduct routine pre-employment checks before an appointment is made. Want to know more about working at the University of Sydney? https://www.sydney.edu.au/about-us.html