Associate Director, Postgraduate… at University of… · Auckland

Job Description

Auckland | Permanent | Full-time

Hybrid working environment (mix of on-site / work from home)

Marketing & Recruitment, Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland

$134,900 - $202,500 per annum (Band J), based on experience

• Lead New Zealand's largest postgraduate recruitment function
• Own the strategy, partnerships and performance that drives domestic postgraduate recruitment growth
• Balance ambitious work with flexibility - hybrid work, 37.5-hour week, and inclusive benefits that recognise life beyond work

Te Whiwhinga mahi | The opportunity

We're looking for a commercially minded leader to shape and deliver the University's domestic postgraduate student recruitment function supporting working professionals, postgraduate, and doctoral students. This is a dynamic senior leadership role that will build, develop and oversee high-performing teams responsible for lead management, prospective conversion, new customer acquisition and partnerships at scale.

Reporting to the Director of Marketing and Recruitment, you'll set the strategic direction and operational framework for domestic postgraduate recruitment and lead an integrated team spanning student recruitment, business development and partnership growth. You'll be accountable for performance across direct-to-student (B2C) and employer-led (B2B) channels, building a sustainable pipeline of professional and postgraduate learners while strengthening the University's strategic relationships with employers, industry and government.

An integral part of the Marketing and Recruitment senior leadership team, you’ll share accountability for outcomes that extend beyond your portfolio and contributing to the development of a newly established function designed for long-term impact.

Find out more about our future-focused Marketing, Recruitment, Communications and Engagement functions and vision.

Key areas of focus include:

• Defining and leading the domestic postgraduate recruitment strategy and operational framework across key market segments
• Driving measurable growth across the full recruitment funnel, from awareness through to enrolment
• Building and scaling strategic partnerships with employers, industry bodies and government organisations
• Leading B2C and B2B acquisition activity, including lead, conversion and pipeline management
• Establishing robust forecasting, reporting, lead scoring and performance frameworks
• Leading service improvement, conversion optimisation and recruitment innovation initiatives
• Identify and develop business requirements for new technology and AI-enabled tools to bolster optimisation
• Building a high-performing team culture focused on accountability, growth and continuous improvement
• Managing budgets, investment decisions and the commercial performance of the postgraduate portfolio
• Providing strategic advice, market insight and growth recommendations to senior stakeholders across the University.

This is a full-time, permanent opportunity. The full salary range for this role is $134,900 - $202,500 per annum (Band J).

We have a structured salary framework with three zones for those developing into the role (developing), fully effective (target) and contributing beyond what is expected of the role (upper). Salary decisions for individual appointments are made based on skills, experience, and internal equity. We welcome conversations about your expectations and what matters to you in your overall package. Any offer will be made within the advertised range and guided by fairness, consistency, and our commitment to pay equity.

For more detailed information about the role and requirements, please refer to the Position Description.

He kōrero mōu | About you

You could be leading customer acquisition, business development, sales, partnerships, growth or commercial performance within a large organisation.

Experience in education sectors is not necessary, as this role is about establishing growth and acquisition methodologies and funnel logic on a significant scale, so you may come from sectors like SaaS, telco, subscription organisations, financial services or marketplace businesses where revenue, pipeline, customer acquisition and relationship management sit at the centre of success.

You've likely led teams with performance targets, built strategic partnerships, improved pipeline quality and managed growth initiatives that require coordination across multiple stakeholders and functions.

We're particularly interested in people who bring:

• Significant experience leading management and acquisition, sales, partnership or commercial growth functions
• Demonstrated success delivering YoY business growth
• Experience leading high-performing teams and developing capability
• Strong commercial and financial acumen
• Experience using CRM, automation, analytics and reporting to improve outcomes
• Strong stakeholder engagement, influencing and negotiation skills
• A data-driven and customer-centred mindset
• Experience operating within complex organisations and navigating multiple stakeholder groups
• Resilience, judgement and a strong bias toward action and results.

Ngā āhuatanga kei a mātou | What we offer

Few organisations can offer the scale, complexity and opportunity available in this role.

This is a chance to shape one of the University's most important growth portfolios and influence how professional and postgraduate education are positioned, marketed and delivered across Aotearoa.

You'll have the opportunity to influence strategy, partnerships, customer experience, technology and growth while building a function designed for sustainable long-term impact.

For the right person, this is an opportunity to achieve in a few years what may take considerably longer within a more mature organisation. You'll help define the future state, build capability, develop talent and leave a lasting impact on an organisation whose purpose extends far beyond commercial outcomes.

Beyond the work itself, you'll be joining a vibrant and inclusive community. From staff networks and cultural communities to social clubs, volunteering opportunities, wellbeing initiatives and campus events, there are countless ways to connect, contribute and build meaningful relationships across the University.

We also offer:

• A commitment to work/life balance with a 37.5 hour working week, flexible hours and hybrid/remote working patterns
• A competitive remuneration package with up to 6.75% super, annual salary increase with performance-based multiplier
• Time to recharge and disconnect with 5 weeks' annual leave and additional leave buy/sell scheme,
• Support for parents and carers with subsidised on-site childcare (including Kōhanga Reo), gender-neutral parental leave up to 9 weeks’ full pay, on-site parenting and feeding spaces
• A commitment to the wellbeing of our people with confidential access to a range of EAP services, including mental health counselling, financial guidance, neurodiversity coaching and rongoā services, a world-class on-site fitness centre, access to student specialists across our supervised training clinics, discounted health insurance.
• The opportunity to grow with access to an extensive programme of professional, leadership and cultural development, including digital capability coaching, specialised leadership development programmes, and Te Ao and Te Reo Māori learning programmes for staff
• The opportunity to build your career with one of Aotearoa New Zealand's most diverse and complex organisations

Me pēhea te tuku tono | How to apply

Please submit an application online by the closing date of Sunday 27th September 2026. Please include your cover letter and your CV highlighting your interest in the role, your capabilities and relevant experience.

Please reach out to Faith Pallant, Recruitment Manager on f.pallant@auckland.ac.nz with any questions.

Reasonable accommodations - We are committed to building a more equitable and inclusive workforce and workplace, so we encourage applicants to reach out to discuss any reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process, including alternative ways to submit applications.

Whānau and support people - Should you be invited to an interview for this role, your whānau members and/or support people will be welcome to join you. The recruiter or hiring manager will provide more information about this as part of the interview arrangements.

Additional Information

Equity

The University is committed to meeting its obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi and achieving equity outcomes for staff and students in a safe, inclusive, and equitable environment. For further information on services for Māori, Pacific, women, LGBTQIATakatāpuiMVPFAFF+, people with disabilities, parenting support, flexible work and other personal circumstances go to www.equity.auckland.ac.nz