Executive Adviser to Vice Chancellor - UPNG

Job Description

Background
Australia’s education assistance in Papua New Guinea (PNG) is designed to address education access, including for women and girls, improve the quality of education, and improve young people’s employability. The Australian High Commission provides support to the basic, secondary, technical and higher education sectors using a range of mechanisms, including the Capacity Development Facility (CDF). CDF provides high-quality technical assistance to the education sector as prioritised by Australia and the Government of Papua New Guinea at national and provincial levels.
 
An Australian Government UPNG Support Plan and Support Plan Implementation Schedule will be developed to outline specific activities of support. Support included in the Plan will align with UPNG’s broader quality reforms arising from the quality assessment.
 
Assistance is required to support the Vice Chancellor of UPNG, and an Executive Adviser to the Vice Chancellor - Coordination of Support to UPNG, in implementing this assistance.
 
The Role
The purpose of the assignment is that the Vice Chancellor of the UPNG is provided with appropriate advisory support so that the UPNG has an enhanced ability to progress findings from the quality assessment. The advisory support will help with the coordination of planning and implementation of quality reforms and related activities. This includes all activities supported by the Australian Government.
 
Duties will include but not limited to:

1. The Advisor will achieve the following to a high standard, and at the direction and in support of the Vice Chancellor of UPNG:
2. Provide strategic advice to UPNG’s Vice Chancellor on coordinating and progressing implementation of UPNG’s action plan to address the recommendations of UPNG’s quality assessment, and any other issues relating to reforms needed to improve UPNG’s academic and institutional quality;
3. Support any committees, working groups, or other bodies which have a role in overseeing implementation of Australian assistance to UPNG;
4. Support alignment of Australian-supported activities with any other initiatives to improve quality being undertaken by the UPNG, and advise in the sequencing of activities;
5. Liaise with other stakeholders involved in the planning of UPNG’s quality reforms;
6. Create, in close collaboration with the Vice Chancellor of UPNG, the Government of Australia UPNG Support Plan for 2015-16;
7. Provide ongoing guidance to other advisory support, particularly the Program Coordinator UPNG, in the management of activities relating to the quality reform agenda, Joint Understanding and Pacific Leadership and Governance Precinct;
8. Recommend and advise on the terms of reference for other advisory and technical assistance, including for development of partnership arrangements with Australian tertiary institutions and development of a longer term UPNG infrastructure plan. This will include assistance to source expertise;
9. Attend meetings to discuss progress and concerns when requested; and  
10. Provide a final report detailing progress achieved.

 
The position is assessed in line with the Australian Remuneration Framework at level C4.
 
The full Terms of Reference can be viewed here.
 
 
 
Key Selection Criteria
To be successful in this role you will have:

1. Qualifications relevant to institutional planning at tertiary level in the education sector (post-graduate);
2. Qualifications relevant to development project planning and implementation;
3. Minimum of 15 years relevant work experience;
4. Considerable experience in planning high value, complex projects involving multiple stakeholders and a diverse range of activities.
5. Proven effectiveness in strategic planning and implementation of programmes involving the establishment of, or change management within, university systems;
6. Proven high-level facilitation skills.
7. Demonstrated understanding of university reform. Knowledge of the context of the PNG or other developing country university sector and Australian university sector is an advantage.
8. Demonstrated ability to work effectively with multiple stakeholders, including senior management and donor agencies, to deliver quality results on time; and
9. Demonstrated high level cross-cultural, interpersonal, written and oral communication skills, including the ability to communicate technical information to a wide variety of audiences.

 
 
If you meet the requirements above please apply below attaching your response to the Key Selection Criteria and your resume.
 
Only applications that provide a response to the Key Selection Criteria will be considered.
 

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