Innovation Ecosystem Manager

Acknowledgement of Country

CSIRO acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land, sea and waters, of the area that we live and work on across Australia. We acknowledge their continuing connection to their culture and pay our respects to their Elders past and present. View our vision towards reconciliation

The Opportunity

• Are you a people person passionate about science & research?
• Build purposeful partnerships for innovation programs!
• This is a vibrant & diverse role in a great team

If you are an experienced business development professional, who enjoys connecting with a diverse range of stakeholders, and eager to contribute to meaningful matters this could be a role for you!

As the Ecosystem Manager, you will report into the Innovation & Engagement Services Team which is responsible for leading innovation programs and services which accelerates research to impact!

In this varied role you will be part of the development and implementation and/or administration of policies, systems and procedures that assist CSIRO and the sectors within to achieve their objectives and meet Government and regulatory responsibilities. Your ability to connect with others is fundamental to the success of this role, which will require building relationships with universities, publicly funded research agencies (PFRAs), global partners, industry, and innovation program mentors and alumni.

Your duties will include:

• Discovering and mapping partnership opportunities in the identified innovation catchment area. Contribute to proposal and bid development for partner opportunities.
• Skillfully executing stakeholder engagement to build a network of advocates at all levels of the hierarchy in the target institutions including universities and PFRAs.
• Persuading the set of stakeholders necessary to ensure a pipeline of quality innovation program applications (and equivalent participation decisions by industry).
• Developing relationships with innovation program mentors and alumni to create an engaged and vibrant ecosystem for the innovation programs.
• Helping build and deliver an innovation ecosystem engagement program, e.g., events, connections to alumni teams and mentors.
• Keeping a high quality and current record of all partner and stakeholder engagements via CRM.

Location: CSIRO Sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane preferred (hybrid working environment).

Salary: AU $105,806 - $114,500 plus up to 15.4% superannuation

Tenure: Specified term until 30 November 2025

Reference: 92097

To be considered you will need:

• 3+ years in a business or partner development role with evidence of success achieving against development-based performance metrics.
• Demonstrated track record of successfully creating, developing and managing new relationships in a large B2B environment and converting those relationships into purchase/action decisions.
• Demonstrated understanding and experience in the following areas: stakeholder mapping, internal and external stakeholder and key account management, large scale corporate change programs, persuading others and building strong interpersonal networks, and translating conceptual thinking into practical initiatives.
• Experience working autonomously and remotely, including a demonstrated ability to plan ahead, anticipate requirements & self-prioritise multiple tasks
• Demonstrated interest in Science and Innovation.
• Ability to adapt to changing circumstances and to operate well with situations that lack clarity to achieve team objectives.

For full details about this role please review the Position Description

Eligibility

Applications for this position are open to Australian/New Zealand Citizens, Australian Permanent Residents or you must either hold, or be able to obtain, a valid working visa for the duration of the specified term. Appointment to this role is subject to provision of a national police check and may be subject to other security/medical/character requirements.

Flexible Working Arrangements

We work flexibly at CSIRO, offering a range of options for how, when and where you work.

Diversity and Inclusion

We are working hard to recruit people representing the diversity across our society, and ensure that all our people feel supported to do their best work and feel empowered to let their ideas flourish.

About CSIRO

At CSIRO Australia's national science agency, we solve the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology. We put the safety and wellbeing of our people above all else and earn trust everywhere because we only deal in facts. We collaborate widely and generously and deliver solutions with real impact.

CSIRO is committed to values-based leadership to inspire performance and unlock the potential of our people.

Join us and start creating tomorrow today!

How to Apply

Please apply on-line and provide a cover letter and CV that best demonstrate your motivation and ability to meet the requirements of this role.

Applications Close

26 March 2026, 11:00pm AEDT