Position Description – Coordinator, Administration
Position Details
Position Title:
Coordinator, Administration
Position Number:
New
Portfolio:
College of Design and Social Context
School/Group:
School of Architecture and Design
Campus Location:
Based at the city campus, but may be required to work and/or be based at other campuses
of the University.
Classification:
HEW 6
Salary Schedule: http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=ewhtlt73t01
Employment Type:
Fixed Term: Specific Task / Project
Note: See Reasons for fixed term appointments guideline for explanation of fixed term categories
Time Fraction:
1.0
RMIT University
RMIT is a global university of technology, design and enterprise. Our mission is to help shape the world through
research, innovation, teaching and engagement, and to create transformative experiences for our students, getting
them ready for life and work.
One of Australia’s original educational institutions founded in 1887, RMIT University now has 82,000 students
including 12,000 at postgraduate level.
The University enjoys an international reputation for excellence in professional and practical education, applied and
innovative research, and engagement with the needs of industry and the cities in which we are located.
With three campuses in Melbourne (Central Business District, Brunswick and Bundoora), two in Vietnam (Hanoi and
Ho Chi Minh City) and a centre in Barcelona, Spain, RMIT is a truly global university. RMIT also offers programs
through partners in Singapore, Hong Kong, mainland China, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Belgium, Germany, Austria and
The Netherlands, and enjoys research and industry partnerships on every continent.
RMIT prides itself on the strong industry links it has forged over its 129-year history. Collaboration with industry is
integral to the University’s leadership in applied research and education, and to the development of highly skilled,
globally focused graduates.
We are a 5-Star university under the QS Stars international evaluation system, and are 21st in the world among
universities less than 50 years old (2015 QS Top 50 Under 50 index).
RMIT features among the world’s top 200 institutions in 13 of the 30 subject areas in the 2015 QS subject rankings.
We are among the world’s top 100 universities in Art and Design; Architecture and the Built Environment; Engineering
(Civil and Structural; Electrical and Electronic; and Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing); Computer Science;
and Business and Management Studies.
The University’s research was ranked among the best in the world in the 2015 Excellence in Research for Australia
evaluation. RMIT was rated “well above world standard” in 13 fields and “above world standard” in a further nine
fields.
www.rmit.edu.au
Page 1 of 4
College of Design and Social Context
The College of Design and Social Context encompasses RMIT University’s renowned art, communication, built
environment, design, education and social science disciplines and is comprised of seven schools. The college has
24,500 students and 980 staff.
For more information about the college including the schools, research centres and staff resources, visit the college
homepage at www.rmit.edu.au/dsc
School of Architecture + Design
The School of Architecture + Design, RMIT, is a multi-disciplinary design school.
We understand design practice as an agent of cultural change within an increasingly complex and cosmopolitan
world. We emphasise the activity of designing as research and understand research as an integrated component of
scholarship. Our design mission is founded on tri-polar, curated and vertically integrated scholarship. The strategic
direction for our School is underpinned by three guiding scholarship principles: scholarship-of-change; curated and
vertically integrated design scholarship; and tri-polar scholarship.
Scholarship-of-Change
We aim to address compelling, contemporary issues such as climate change, globalisation and rapid urbanisation in
ways that facilitate cultural change through design. Our scholars (students, lecturers and researchers) are risk-takers
in the sense that they endeavour to bring about change both in design practice and by practicing design. These
changes are pursued through refinement, criticism and experimentation and within an ethical framework of social
justice and human rights. The Scholarship-of-change principle provides criteria for the appointment of staff and
Adjunct Professors and in the appointment of practitioners to sessional teaching positions.
Curated and Vertically Integrated Design Scholarship
We encourage staff to be actively involved in designing, as designers themselves or through critical engagement
with designing. Our research is based on the activity of designing. The courses offered by our school are largely
delivered in studio mode. These studios are curated according to our tri-polar model. In them staff, students and (in
many cases) practitioners explore design research projects. In this way our students operate as empowered studio
collaborators in the pursuit of emergent design knowledge and skills.
Tri-Polar Scholarship
Our ambition is to sustain three contested areas of scholarship endeavour across the school. We believe that holding
multiple, articulated positions leads to a productive scholarship environment. We understand these three poles as
points of intensity within a dynamic constellational structure rather than as fixed points.
These three poles provide a focus for curating our design studios, research and the careers of our alumni. Staff and
students make clear and deliberate choices in selecting studios and positioning their work in relation to these three
scholarship poles. These can be positions of alignment or opposition or transmogrification. The three poles provide
a critical framework through which we actively curate the careers of our alumni and other exemplar practitioners. The
three poles are not exclusive. The poles interact and overlap and are always in question. Over time they are
challenged and change.
Currently the three poles include the Urban Environments, Advanced Architecture and Expanded Field. Urban
Environments has as its focus a concern for precedent, type, and the pragmatics of infrastructure and the urban
scale, including civic consciousness and hence civic narratives. Advanced Architecture deals with the pursuit of rulebased and generative processes in design to facilitate new formal/organisational outcomes and ways of thinking
about new speculative design possibilities (this area encompasses new digital technologies and fabrication methods).
Expanded Field deals with issues of ethics and sustainability, regimes of care, art and public space, social needs
and the ephemeral. The tri-polar model provides criteria for the appointment of new staff and Adjunct Professors and
in the appointment of practitioners to sessional teaching positions.
The School has approximately 160 postgraduate students enrolled in Master and PhD by research in either project
or thesis mode. Candidates work either one-on-one with supervisors or in small groups. Highlights of the academic
year are the Practice Research Symposia (PRS) where every postgraduate student presents their work in progress
to a panel of invited national and international critics, and informally discusses aspects of their research with
colleagues and visitors; they are also the venue for the public examination of concluding candidates. The PRS has
an international reputation as the leading research conference of its type in the world.
www.rmit.edu.au/architecturedesign/research/prs
Page 2 of 4
The School is also known internationally for the work of the Spatial Information Architecture Laboratory and Sound
Studios (SIAL) which is an international leader in multi-disciplinary digital design research. The School’s research
endeavours are supported through RMIT University’s research Institutes as well as the School of Architecture and
Design Research Centres [www.rmit.edu.au/research].
www.rmit.edu.au/architecturedesign
Position Summary
The Administration Coordinator is responsible for monitoring, reviewing, and developing administrative systems and
processes to support the smooth running of the School of Architecture and Design. The position coordinates
recruitment, appointment, induction of new staff, due to end and incremental progression and other related Human
Resources (HR) activities for the School. Through effective liaison with University HR, the position ensures timely
delivery of services across the School and compliance with policy and procedures. The Administration Coordinator
also assists the Senior Manager, Planning and Resources with change initiatives and provides project support for
the strategic projects.
The Administration Coordinator will be responsible for the development of processes and tools to support the
School’s engagement of casual staff, including induction, collection of qualifications and CV’s according to AQF
requirements along with the coordination of casual contracts and pay claims across HE and VE sectors.
The role has a strong customer service orientation, and is expected to work closely with the Senior School Manager,
Deputy Deans and other academic and administrative staff in the School, members of the RMIT community and also
with external parties where relevant.
Reporting Line
Reports to: Senior Manager, Planning and Resources
Direct reports: nil
Organisational Accountabilities
RMIT University is committed to the health, safety and wellbeing of its staff. RMIT and its staff must comply with a
range of statutory requirements, including equal opportunity, occupational health and safety, privacy and trade
practice. RMIT also expects staff to comply with its policy and procedures, which relate to statutory requirements and
our ways of working.
Appointees are accountable for completing training on these matters and ensuring their knowledge, and the
knowledge of their staff, is up to date.
Key Accountabilities

Co-ordinate projects related to the engagement of casual staff across the School of Global, Urban & Social
Studies. This includes scoping project plans, developing implementation timetables and identifying key
stakeholders who need to be involved, and working with different groups of staff to deliver against the project
objectives.

Support the Senior School Manager and Operations Coordinator in the delivery of a number of specific projects
in relation to the engagement of casual staff.

Collection of all casual and sessional staff information and lodging this information on the University’s HR
systems.

Coordinating and processing the requests for casual and sessional contracts and ensuring they are set up
appropriately for payment on the School’s and University’s systems.

Preparing statistical and financial reports on casual and sessional staff employment.

Liaising with the hiring managers for casual and sessional staff and explaining the employment process to
managers and to casual and sessional staff.
Page 3 of 4

Developing and maintaining databases, manuals, materials for hiring managers and casual staff in line with
University policies, procedures and regulations.

In conjunction with the School’s Facilities Coordinator, coordinate accommodation and equipment requirements
for casual and sessional staff.

Ensuring all relevant University policies and procedures are followed in respect to casual and sessional staffing.

Undertaking other duties as directed by the Senior School Manager and Operations Coordinator, within the scope
of this classification.
Key Selection Criteria
1. Highly developed administration skills including the ability to plan, prioritise, monitor, and evaluate workload to
meet the needs and demands of a busy office in a complex environment.
2. Strong communication skills (written and verbal) with the ability to convey complex information clearly and a flair
for the presentation of materials.
3. Strong conceptual, analytical and problem solving skills and the ability to develop and implement practical and
workable solutions whilst working to tight deadlines
4. Demonstrated experience in Human Resources administration with knowledge of relevant legislation, systems
and policies.
5. A proactive outlook with the ability to think openly and develop effective solutions to problems.
6. Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills including a capacity to build and maintain effective and
productive relationships with a wide range of groups within, and external to the School.
7. Experience in developing and implementing small projects
8. Excellent IT skills in MS office, excel and database software
Qualifications
Mandatory: A degree or diploma relevant to the accountabilities of this position, and / or equivalent relevant
administrative experience.
Endorsed:
Signature:
Name:
Title:
Date:
Approved:
Signature:
Name:
Title:
Date:
Page 4 of 4