About Security & Defence PLuS
Security & Defence PLuS (S&D+) is the flagship program of PLuS Alliance, a global partnership which combines the strengths of three leading research universities on three continents – Arizona State University (ASU), King’s College London (KCL), and the University of New South Wales (UNSW) – to solve global challenges. Security & Defence PLuS, which launched in 2022, deepens this existing partnership, advancing research, education, and policy to support statecraft in the spirit of the 2021 AUKUS trilateral agreement between the governments of Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The mission of S&D+ is to deliver transformative, strategically impactful partnership, education, and applied research outcomes that support the shared security and defence priorities of the governments of Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, their armed forces, defence industries, as well as other allies and partners.
About the Position
Based in the ASU Office of University Affairs, the Deputy Director has a primary duty of supporting the S&D+ Executive Director (based at UNSW) and will be required to manage and work across multiple project teams based in Sydney/Canberra, London, and Phoenix. This requires some flexibility in working hours given the nature of the different time zones, as well as the ability to conduct both domestic and international travel in support of S&D+ operations.
Under the strategic direction of the S&D+ Executive Director, the Deputy Director is responsible for the day-to-day management of the S&D+ program and for representing the Executive Director to both internal and external audiences, as required.
Key Details
- Location: Tempe Campus
- Job Family: Administrative Operations
- Time Type: Full time
- Max Pay – Depends on experience: $125,000.00 USD Annual
- Salary Range: $105,000-$125,000 per year; DOE
- Application Deadline: June 11, 2025
Essential Duties:
- Provide high-level support and advice to the S&D+ Executive Director and the S&D+ Senior Leadership Team (one senior lead per partner university), and three S&D+ working and delivery group chairs;
- Collaborate and communicate closely with a network of 60+ faculty and staff members across the three partner universities to drive and track progress across S&D+’s three core work streams of education, research, and partnerships;
- Directly manage and oversee the work of the S&D+ Communications and Engagement Manager (based at KCL) and S&D+ Project Coordinator (based at ASU);
- Ensure S&D+ compliance with PLuS Alliance governance requirements, including:
- Coordinating presentations and reports for quarterly governance meetings with senior university leadership;
- Drafting, managing, and supporting reconciliation processes for S&D+’s $1M+ annual budget;
- Maintaining an up-to-date S&D+ risk register;
- Oversee planning and execution of S&D+ meetings, events, and workshops, including a large-scale annual conference;
- Oversee planning and execution of public-facing resources, including our AUKUS Briefing Book and collected essay series;
- Proactively pursue and manage relationships with a wide array of external stakeholders, including government and defence industry personnel, to understand their priorities, educate them on S&D+ capabilities and offerings, and explore business development opportunities;
- Other duties as assigned.
This role requires strong project and program management, project tracking, coordination, budget management, and interpersonal skills, as well as a mix of big picture thinking and detail-oriented execution.