Executive Director, Advancement Services

• Strategic leadership role driving innovation and operational excellence across philanthropy and alumni engagement
• Work with VP, Advancement
• Full-time position with a competitive remuneration package, including 17% superannuation.

The University of Sydney is seeking to appoint an Executive Director, Advancement Services to lead the operational engine underpinning one of the most ambitious philanthropic and alumni engagement programs in Australia.

The University is in the midst of its landmark For Good campaign, with a goal of raising $2 billion by 2032 and engaging more than 300,000 alumni globally. Advancement Services plays a critical role in enabling this ambition, providing the data, systems, governance and operational capability that allow fundraising and alumni engagement to perform at scale, with speed, integrity and impact.

Reporting to the Vice-President, Advancement, the Executive Director will provide strategic and operational leadership across prospect development, data and analytics, business intelligence, gift administration and advancement systems. This role leads the infrastructure and inner workings of the Advancement portfolio, driving efficiency, performance uplift and continuous improvement while navigating a highly complex and regulated institutional environment.

You will operate as a senior operational leader, comparable to a COO within a portfolio, building durable foundations in data governance, digital capability, process discipline and team performance. A central challenge and opportunity of the role is to move Advancement Services to a proactive, confident and strategically influential function that enables faster decision-making, clearer prioritisation and stronger outcomes across the portfolio.

You will be an experienced leader with a strong record of leading complex operations, building high-performing teams and delivering change in large, matrixed organisations. You will bring high levels of data literacy, commercial judgement and systems thinking, alongside the credibility and influence required to work effectively with ICT, Finance, legal and governance functions. While you do not need prior experience in advancement or higher education, you must be comfortable operating in environments characterised by scale, complexity, regulation and competing priorities.

Term and Remuneration 

This is a continuing appointment with a competitive remuneration package, including 17 percent superannuation. It represents a rare opportunity to play a key leadership role in shaping the operational capability of a globally recognised institution and contributing directly to outcomes that advance education, research and social impact for the public good.

How to Apply

Odgers is assisting the University of Sydney with this appointment. Applications (including a CV and cover letter outlining how your skills, capabilities and experience meet the requirements for the role) can be submitted via Opportunities | Odgers

For further information and a confidential conversation please contact Dr Alistair Clark on [email protected] or Diana Kovalova on +61 421 643 624 or [email protected].  

The closing date for applications is Sunday 11th October 2026.

Position Description

Click to view the Position Description for this role.

Work Rights

Visa sponsorship is not available for this appointment.

Pre-employment checks

Your employment is conditional upon the successful completion of all pre-employment or background checks required for the role in terms satisfactory to the University.  Also, to meet the University’s obligations under the National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Eliminate Gender-Based Violence you will be asked to declare if you have been investigated for, or found to engaged in, sexual harm or gender-based violence in the course of previous employment or in a legal process. 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. 

© The University of Sydney

The University reserves the right not to proceed with any appointment.

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