• Full-time, fixed term until 31st December 2029

• Located on Camperdown Campus on Gadigal Country

• Base salary from $107,312 plus 17% superannuation

About the team

The Sustainability Team sits within the Office of the Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost and leads the University’s environmental sustainability agenda; translating our institutional Climate and Nature Transition Plan 2026–2032 into practical action, measurable outcomes and lasting change. The Climate and Nature Transition Plan (CNTP) is the University’s roadmap for addressing the defining challenges of climate change and nature loss, along with the interconnected challenges that underpin and shape them. It establishes a clear pathway to 2032, with measurable targets, defined actions, accountable owners and transparent reporting.

The Sustainability Team plays a central role in enabling delivery of this agenda across the University. Working across operations, research, education, and engagement, the team brings together strategic leadership, specialist sustainability expertise, project and program delivery, data, reporting and compliance, sustainability governance, behaviour change and stakeholder engagement to turn ambition into action, and to embed sustainability into decision-making and everyday practice. The team works collaboratively with academics, professional staff, students, University leadership and external partners to drive meaningful and lasting change.

As visible champions for sustainability across the University, the team strives to build the institutional capabilities, behaviours, partnerships and systems needed to embed and scale climate and nature action and deliver meaningful outcomes.

About the opportunity

The Sustainability Officer (Nature) provides project coordination, operational support and technical expertise to assist the delivery of the University’s Climate and Nature Transition Plan, with a primary focus on the Nature portfolio.  Reporting to the Sustainability Lead (Adaptation, Resilience and Nature), the role supports the planning, coordination and implementation of biodiversity, nature-positive and sustainable land management initiatives across the University’s campuses and landholdings, and contributes technical expertise to guide institutional decision making.

Your key responsibilities will be to:

• provide operational support in the delivery of the University’s Climate and Nature Transition Plan, with a focus on biodiversity conservation, ecological restoration and sustainable land management

• support the successful implementation of nature-positive initiatives across the University's campuses, farms and landholding

• support the University’s adoption of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), including assessments of nature-related impacts, dependencies, risks and opportunities

• assist in the coordination and analysis of biodiversity and nature-related data to monitor environmental performance and inform decision-making

• develop and maintain collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including researchers, land managers and community partners

• support the planning and facilitation of nature-related projects, stakeholder engagement and opportunities to connect biodiversity initiatives with research and education

• provide specialist nature, ecology and biodiversity advice and technical expertise, to inform practical conservation, restoration and land management outcome.

About you

• tertiary qualifications in a relevant field, such as ecology, agriculture, biodiversity, conservation environmental science or natural resource management, or an equivalent combination of training and experience
• demonstrated experience building collaborative relationships with diverse stakeholders including landholders, farmers, land managers, Aboriginal community organisations, researchers, government, and industry partners
• demonstrated experience undertaking ecological and biodiversity assessment, environmental monitoring and natural resource management, including applying technical knowledge to practical conservation and restoration initiatives
• experience supporting the coordination and delivery of environmental or nature-related projects, including working with multidisciplinary teams and managing competing priorities
• specialist technical skills in ecological assessment, biodiversity conservation and restoration, natural resource management and/or related environmental practice, including the application of ecological data and principles, assessment methodologies and evidence-based approaches to the management and enhancement of natural ecosystems.

Sponsorship / work rights for Australia

Please note: You must have unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this employment to apply. Visa sponsorship is not available for this appointment.

Pre-employment checks and declarations 

Your employment is conditional upon the successful completion of all pre-employment or background checks required for the role in terms satisfactory to the University.  Also, to meet the University’s obligations under the National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Eliminate Gender-Based Violence you will be asked to declare if you have been investigated for, or found to engaged in, sexual harm or gender-based violence in the course of previous employment or in a legal process. Similarly, your ongoing employment is conditional upon the satisfactory maintenance of all relevant clearances and background check requirements. If you do not meet these conditions, the University may take any necessary step, including the termination of your employment.

EEO statement 

At the University of Sydney, our shared values are trust, accountability and excellence and we strive to be a place where everyone can thrive. We are committed to creating a University community that thrives through diversity and reflects the wider community that we serve. We deliver on this through our commitment to diversity and inclusion, evidenced by our people and culture programs, as well as key strategies to increase participation and support the careers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, women, people living with a disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and those who identify as LGBTIQ+. We welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds.

We are proud to be recognised as an Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI) Gold employer. Find out more about our work on diversity and inclusion. 

How to apply

Applications can be submitted via the Apply button at the top of the page. Please ensure, as part of your application, you have addressed in a brief statement how your skills, qualifications and experience meet the requirements of the details in the 'about you' section above.  We understand that everyone applies differently. If you’d prefer to have an informal conversation before applying, we welcome you to get in touch so we can talk through the role and process. In addition, if you require reasonable adjustment or any documents in alternate formats, please contact Sade Mintah via sade.mintah@sydney.edu.au 

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The University reserves the right not to proceed with any appointment.

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