This role is with one of our clients, a leading higher education provider in Australia with a strong national footprint and an established reputation for excellence in teaching, research, and community impact.
The university is undertaking a significant digital transformation to modernise collaboration, strengthen information governance, and improve digital experiences for staff and students. Microsoft 365 sits at the centre of this transformation, with a strong focus on secure collaboration, automation, and responsible use of AI enabled technologies.
About the Information Technology Office
The Information Technology Office plays a critical role in enabling the university’s strategy through secure, scalable, and modern digital platforms. The team partners closely with academic and professional stakeholders to support Learning and Teaching, Research, and Administration.
As part of a broader Microsoft 365 and modern workplace program, the team is investing in governance, adoption, automation, and AI readiness to ensure the platform delivers long term value across the institution.
Position Purpose
The Modern Workplace Specialist is responsible for the design, governance, optimisation, and adoption of Microsoft 365 services across the university. The role partners with IT, Learning and Teaching, People and Culture, Cyber Security, and business units to deliver a secure, scalable, and user centred modern workplace.
This position plays a key role in ensuring the Microsoft 365 environment is Copilot ready, supports teaching and learning use cases, and aligns with institutional governance and compliance requirements. The role provides technical leadership across Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, and the Power Platform, while supporting broader tenancy migration activities.
Key Responsibilities
Environment Familiarisation and Onboarding
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Develop a deep understanding of the Microsoft 365 environment, including governance, security posture, and usage patterns.
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Review existing SharePoint, Teams, OneDrive, and Power Platform usage across faculties and business units.
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Assess Copilot readiness, including licensing, permissions, compliance settings, and information architecture.
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Engage with IT stakeholders and business representatives to identify pain points, current practices, and improvement opportunities.
Environment Sanitation and Risk Remediation
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Conduct an initial audit to identify and remediate critical issues such as misconfigurations, permission gaps, and unsupported applications.
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Review and rationalise whitelisted applications across Teams and SharePoint.
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Partner with Cyber Security to align application approvals with risk appetite and compliance requirements.
Microsoft Teams Governance and Operational Rollout
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Trial and assess governance platforms such as Orchestry for Teams and SharePoint.
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Develop a roadmap for Teams adoption covering collaboration, communication, and governance.
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Design and implement standardised Teams templates for projects, teaching units, committees, research groups, and operational teams, with Copilot considerations embedded.
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Define lifecycle management processes for team creation, ownership, archiving, and compliance.
Teaching and Learning Enablement
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Investigate integration of Microsoft Teams with the learning management system to support teaching delivery and collaboration.
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Identify opportunities to enhance student engagement through Teams based collaboration and digital classrooms.
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Partner with Learning and Teaching stakeholders to pilot Teams and Copilot use cases in selected academic units.
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Support responsible Copilot use in academic contexts, including accessibility and summarisation, while aligning with academic integrity requirements.
SharePoint and File Storage Migration
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Define SharePoint site structures and information architecture to replace shared drives.
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Develop and support phased migration plans for faculty and administrative shared drives into SharePoint Online.
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Ensure content is structured and labelled to support Copilot accuracy, records management, data security, and retention policies.
Microsoft 365 Tenancy Migration Support
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Provide subject matter expertise to support broader Microsoft 365 tenancy migration activities.
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Support the migration of SharePoint, Teams, and related services to ensure minimal disruption.
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Assist with staff directory integration to ensure accurate organisational and reporting line visibility.
Power Platform and Automation
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Contribute to the development of a Power Platform Centre of Excellence.
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Advise on SharePoint and Teams integration, governance guardrails, and automation use cases.
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Provide oversight of Copilot features embedded across Power Apps and Power Automate, ensuring consistent governance.
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Responsibility is shared and forms part of a broader remit.
Adoption, Training, and Continuous Improvement
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Develop knowledge base articles and training materials to improve adoption and reduce reliance on IT support.
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Deliver staff education on responsible Copilot use aligned with AI policy, sector guidance, and institutional risk appetite.
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Monitor and report on usage, adoption trends, and governance compliance.
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Champion accessibility, inclusion, and modern workplace best practices.
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Stay current with Microsoft roadmap updates and advise on implications for the university.
Selection Criteria
Qualifications and Experience
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Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology or a related discipline, or equivalent experience.
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Minimum 3 years’ experience implementing and supporting Microsoft 365 in medium to large scale environments.
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Microsoft 365 certifications such as MS 100 or MS 101 are highly desirable.
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Demonstrated experience delivering change management and user adoption initiatives.
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Proven track record in digital or workplace transformation projects.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
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Strong knowledge of Microsoft 365, including Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, Exchange Online, and Power Platform.
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Solid understanding of Microsoft 365 security and compliance, including identity management, conditional access, and information protection.
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Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills aligned to organisational outcomes.
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Experience using reporting and analytics tools such as Power BI and Microsoft 365 admin centres.
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Excellent problem solving and prioritisation skills.
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Strong communication skills, with the ability to present technical concepts to non technical audiences.
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Familiarity with ITIL practices and Agile delivery is advantageous.
Key Relationships
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CIO and IT Executive Team
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IT Leadership and Delivery Teams
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Faculties, Schools, and Research Groups
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Business functions including Finance, People and Culture, Student Services, and Facilities
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External delivery and technology partners