Research Associate jobs

• Join a team where your work influences the design of our future workforce.
• Drive the digital leap: Pool-first, AI integration, and inclusive assessment.
• Lead high-impact search assignments across Academic and Professional portfolios.

Western Sydney University is a modern, world-class institution located in the heart of Australia's fastest growing and most economically significant region. With nearly 50,000 students, approximately 3,500 staff, and a network of campuses across Greater Western Sydney, Vietnam, and Indonesia, we are proud to be ranked among the top two per cent of universities globally.

This is your opportunity to be part of something bigger. By joining Western Sydney University, you become a valued member of our community. As our region changes, so too does our university. Western is boldly different, energetic, global, diverse, dynamic, and youthful.

Our mission is to deliver student success, impactful research, and stronger communities. As part of our team, you will have a stake in shaping the future of education, broadening horizons, and changing lives. Making a difference starts at Western.

The Opportunity
As a Senior Talent Partner in the Office for People, you will lead end-to-end executive and senior search campaigns across Academic and Professional portfolios, specifically managing complex, high-impact, and hard-to-fill appointments.

You will move beyond transactional recruitment to act as a strategic consultant. By converting labour market intelligence into practical strategies, you will use LinkedIn Recruiter and Talent Insights to deliver market mapping and competitor analysis that informs workforce design. You will also look to the horizon, building strategic talent pipelines that support succession planning and internal mobility.

A key part of this role is lifting how we hire. You will lead intake and search planning sessions for critical roles, approving selection scorecards, and advising on inclusive position design. You will operate as a digital leader, integrating AI tools including Microsoft Copilot and SmartRecruiters, to improve screening, identify insights, and enhance the quality of hire.

While you won’t have direct line management, you will coach Talent Acquisition team members, fostering a culture of strategic partnership and high performance. You will also champion diversity in every search, designing bias-aware scorecards and panels.

What Success Looks Like In this role, you will:

• Deliver high-quality executive appointments through structured, market-informed search strategies.
• Lead confident, inclusive intake meetings that clarify role intent, assessment standards, and selection design.
• Embed smarter ways of working by operationalizing Microsoft Copilot, LinkedIn platforms, and SmartRecruiters.
• Provide data-driven advice on metrics such as cost-per-hire, diversity, and time-to-fill to influence senior leader decision-making.
• Champion compliance and inclusion, ensuring every search adheres to Enterprise Agreements and utilizes bias-aware assessment methods.

This is a full‑time, ongoing position with the option to be based at our Parramatta South and/or Hawkesbury campuses, with hybrid working arrangements available.

Please refer to the Position Description for further information.

About You
You are a trusted talent acquisition specialist with the confidence to influence Deans, Directors, and Senior Executives. You bring discipline to the search process, ensuring decisions are data-led and evidence-based.

You will bring:

• Tertiary qualifications in Human Resources, Business, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Demonstrated experience in strategic sourcing and managing senior stakeholder relationships.
• Digital proficiency including advanced skills in Microsoft Copilot, LinkedIn Talent Insights, LinkedIn Recruiter, and SmartRecruiters (ATS/CRM) or similar enterprise ATS.
• Influencing skills with proven ability to advise senior leaders using market data and clear recommendations.

Why Join Us?
At Western Sydney University, you will be part of an institution that is deeply connected to its community and globally recognised for excellence and impact.

We offer:

• The opportunity to work at the intersection of strategy, people, and impact.
• This is a role for someone who wants to lift how a large, complex organisation attracts talent.
• The chance to drive our Western 2030 priority of "Putting Our People First" and driving the shift from "Friction to Agility".

Remuneration Package:
HEW Level 8 $138,029 to $153,227 p.a. (comprising Salary of $116,636 to $129,479 p.a., plus Superannuation and Leave Loading).

Position Enquiries:
Please direct specific enquiries regarding the role to Kevin Yoon, Associate Director, Talent Acquisition via Kevin.Yoon@westernsydney.edu.au.

Recruitment Enquiries:
Enquiries or issues with your application may be directed to the Talent Acquisition Team via talentacquisitionteam@westernsydney.edu.au.

Closing Date:
11:59pm, Sunday 18th January 2026.

Working Rights in Australia - Eligibility
You must provide evidence of your full-time working rights in Australia at time of application.

Please note that only applications submitted via the University’s online recruitment system will be considered.