Senior Commercial Advisory

Leading Australian University | Strategic Finance & Commercial Advisory

An exciting opportunity has become available to join the Commercial Advisory function of a leading Australian university, working on complex, high profile initiatives that influence strategic decision making across the institution.

This team operates more like an internal consulting practice than a traditional finance team. You’ll work across emerging university priorities, helping senior leaders assess opportunities, challenge assumptions and make well informed commercial and strategic decisions.

This is not a traditional financial modelling or business partnering position. It will suit someone who enjoys solving ambiguous problems, working with senior stakeholders and turning complex information into clear, persuasive recommendations.

The Opportunity

You’ll work across a varied portfolio of university wide initiatives. Priorities can shift quickly, meaning you could move from assessing a new strategic initiative to facilitating workshops, developing a commercial case or advising senior leadership on whether an investment should proceed.

You’ll be responsible for:

* Breaking down complex and poorly defined commercial and strategic problems

* Providing commercial analysis and strategic decision support

* Challenging assumptions and testing the viability of proposed initiatives

* Developing simple to intermediate financial models to support decision making

* Turning quantitative and qualitative analysis into clear recommendations

* Preparing presentations, papers and advice for senior stakeholders

* Facilitating workshops and gathering requirements across diverse stakeholder groups

* Leading projects from initial problem definition through to recommendation and delivery

* Scoping and managing external consultants and specialist modelling resources

* Presenting and defending recommendations to senior stakeholders

The environment is highly consultative, with exposure to Finance Directors, senior executives, Senate level stakeholders and leaders across the broader university.

What We’re Looking For

Relevant experience could come from consulting, banking, government, finance, economics, analytics, engineering, sustainability, higher education or commercial strategy.

More importantly, you’ll bring:

* Strong commercial judgement and quantitative reasoning

* Experience structuring complex or ambiguous problems

* Confidence working with financial models, without needing to be a specialist modeller

* Strong written and verbal communication skills

* The ability to influence and constructively challenge senior stakeholders

* Excellent listening skills and the ability to adapt your thinking as new information emerges

* Strong stakeholder management skills within complex, consensus driven environments

* Confidence operating without established processes or predictable BAU cycles

* The ability to lead projects and coordinate internal and external resources

* Intellectual curiosity, emotional intelligence and a collaborative, low ego approach

An accounting qualification is not required. The university is particularly interested in people who bring a distinctive capability or area of expertise that can add another dimension to the broader team.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

This is an opportunity to build a long term career within a complex and highly respected institution, while gaining exposure to strategic issues well beyond traditional finance.

You’ll join a multidisciplinary team where you can develop your commercial advisory and problem solving capability, work directly with senior decision makers and contribute to initiatives with university wide impact.

The role also offers genuine flexibility, with two days per week currently spent in the office and three days working remotely. The team supports sustainable working hours and flexibility around personal and family commitments.

If you enjoy ambiguity, challenging conventional thinking and using commercial insight to influence significant decisions, this is an opportunity to make a meaningful impact within one of Australia’s leading university environments.