The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Office of the Australian Consulate-General Shanghai is seeking applicants to fill the following locally engaged position:
- Corporate Services Manager (LE6)
The successful applicant will be offered an initial fixed term contract of 12 months with the possibility for extension and are subject to a probationary period.
The annual basic salary for this position is CNY ¥384,017.53 plus the employer’s social security contributions.
Your application, written in English, addressed in the title ‘Application for Corporate Services Manager + your name’ must include:
- A pitch of no more than 600 words outlining how your skills, experience and qualifications make you the best person for the job
- Curriculum vitae of no more than 2 pages including your nationality and country of residency. If you are an Australian citizen in China, please advise your Chinese visa category.
- Contact details for two work-related referees (at least one should be your current or recent supervisor)
Applications and inquiries should be emailed to [email protected]. Closing date for applications is 5pm, 10 July 2025. Please consider your application unsuccessful if you have not received any contact within four weeks from the closing date.
What should I include in my pitch?
- Your pitch is a chance to tell us why you are the right person for the job. We want to know why you want to work at the Australian Consulate General, why you are interested in the role, what you can offer us, and how your skills, knowledge, experience and qualifications are applicable to the role. In a nutshell – why should we hire you?
- Try not to duplicate information that can already be found in your resume, but do highlight any specific examples or achievements that will demonstrate your ability to perform the role.
About The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
The role of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is to advance the interests of Australia and Australians internationally. This involves strengthening Australia’s security, enhancing Australia’s prosperity, delivering an effective and high-quality overseas aid program and helping Australian travellers and Australians overseas.
The Department provides foreign, trade and development policy advice to the Australian Government. DFAT also works with other Australian government agencies to coordinate the pursuit of our global, regional and bilateral interests.
In Shanghai, this involves close coordination across DFAT, Austrade and Home Affairs (HA), with a combined establishment at Post of over 150 staff.
About the position
The Corporate Services Manager is a senior leadership position responsible for delivering high quality and efficient corporate services and advancing the Australian Government’s objectives in mainland China. Under limited direction, the position provides strategic and operational management across key corporate functions and advises on complex and sensitive matters in a dynamic environment. The position requires sound judgment, strong problem solving and interpersonal skills and represents the Consulate in high level with Partner Agencies and external stakeholders.
Key responsibilities of the position include but are not limited to:
- Lead, direct and manage the performance of a cross-functional team delivering human resources, property, protocol, procurement, security, work health and safety, logistics and transport management, events management and building management services.
- Provide strategic advice including cost benefit, risk and impact analysis to inform and influence Consulate policies, procedures and practices aligned with relevant local laws and policies.
- Develop strategic direction and operational priorities, oversee workflows and ensure delivery of high quality, efficient corporate services, including against the Head Arrangement between DFAT and Partner Agencies (Home Affairs and Austrade).
- Negotiate and manage complex procurements, contracts and budgets across property and security ensuring compliance with relevant legislations and policies and delivering transparency, accountability and value for money.
- Lead a team of local staff through coaching, performance management, and targeted training programs, while championing diversity, inclusion, and departmental values.
- Liaise, negotiate and advocate through strategic engagement and representation with internal and external stakeholders to advance the Australian Government’s objectives in Shanghai. This includes with the Foreign Affairs Office (FAO), Shanghai Foreign Affairs Service Bureau (SFASD), Immigration Bureau (EEAB), Health and Police (PSB) departments.
- Actively support Post’s crisis, emergency and business continuity plans, and assume a leadership and external liaison role in a crisis.
- Lead on Work Health and Safety (WHS) issues, risks and mitigations, including chairing post’s WHS committee.
- Coordinate and support for high-level Ministerial and senior official visits.
Required Qualifications/Experience/Knowledge/Skills
- Demonstrated leadership and people management experience, including in managing large, diverse teams and leading cross functional projects
- Highly developed strategic thinking, negotiation and organisational skills.
- Ability to prioritise workloads across a diverse management portfolio, to ensure delivery of corporate and enabling outcomes to high standards.
- Demonstrated high-level analytical, problem-solving skills and judgement.
- Proven ability to anticipate problems, undertake risk and impact assessments and analyse information, and provide consistently sound strategic advice and recommendations, including on complex and sensitive issues.
- Proven ability to plan, set priorities, supervise and motivate staff from diverse backgrounds and cultural contexts. Develop upskilling strategies to address capability gaps.
- Proven ability to lead people and projects, and to workshop, design and implement reforms and change management strategies.
- Proven high-level negotiation and interpersonal skills, excellent oral and written communication in English and Mandarin.
- Ability to forge close working relationships with external and internal stakeholders, and to leverage those networks to advance Consulate and Australian Government outcomes.