Program Manager

Company Description

Innovation Victoria’s Vision is to support a thriving innovation ecosystem and the commercialisation of innovative ideas in Victoria. IV will achieve this Vision for public benefit by operating as efficiently as possible, consistent with prudent commercial practice; and maximising its contribution to the economy and wellbeing of the State.

Innovation Victoria’s Purpose is to be a unified 'front door' for innovation and commercialisation. We support and promote Victoria as the 'ideas capital', building the capability of Victoria's innovative people and companies and growing capital available to innovators in Victoria.

IV will encourage broader public benefits to be realized in Victoria including:

• De-risking or incentivising investment by other investors, complementing private market investment to increase the total capital available to Victorian innovators;
• Increasing high-value jobs and economic activity, improving productivity, growing exports and deepening Victoria’s economic diversity;
• Optimising the economic value of knowledge, intellectual property and research capabilities within Victoria, creating, retaining and growing local companies;
• Accelerating the commercialisation of solutions that generate positive economic, social and environmental impact, alongside a financial return; and
• Addressing access to agreed market failures such as capital limitations in Victoria’s venture capital market, including for innovation-intensive ‘deep-tech’, and for cohorts that experience disproportionate barriers to attracting capital.

Role Overview

Reporting to the Head of Startup Development, the Program Manager will play a critical role supporting the Victorian ecosystem’s development, taking day-to-day ownership of the delivery of IV ecosystem Programs such as CivVic Labs, NOVA, Basecamp and 30X30. The Program Manager supports Innovation Victoria’s strong program leadership, facilitation and relationship-building capability collaborating with the broader company functions to deliver on objectives and the coordination of all company program activity.

Role Responsibilities

• Program Design: Design IV Program structures, flow and key touch points to support the achievement of the Company’s strategic objectives. Collaborate across the business to deliver a smooth application and assessment process for participants and development of Program Guidelines.
• Program Delivery: Lead the planning and end-to-end delivery of the CivVic Labs challenges and as required, other Programs annually in partnership with the broader functions of the Company and external experts. Facilitate sessions and provide in-room leadership during workshop days. Ensure a strong, consistent and high-quality experience for all Program participants. While the role will have an initial focus on CivVic Labs there is opportunity to be involved across the full IV Program offerings
• Performance Evaluation and Reporting: Assess, evaluate, and report on the effectiveness of Program activities to ensure they meet IV's strategic objectives. Establish and maintain relationships to support timely and high-quality reporting and insights. Support tracking of, and running to, the respective Program Budget alongside the Head of Startup Development.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Leadership Support: Support the delivery of Program engagements, nurturing relationships and ecosystem partners. Contribute to events and other engagement activities involving key stakeholders such as co-investors, universities, researchers, government, and the startup ecosystem.
• Community and Program Alumni Engagement: Contribute to the development of an engaged, connected alumni network and maintain meaningful touchpoints with participants post-program to ensure IV objectives are delivered as per Programs strategy. Build relationships across the Victorian innovation ecosystem including with government, program managers, founders and other community members.
• Continuous Improvement and Corporate Contribution: Contribute to the continuous improvement of our Programs function by developing and refining systems and processes related to Program delivery, and supporting broader company initiatives as required.

What You Bring

Must have

• Proven experience delivering programs, initiatives or projects end to end, from design through to execution and operational delivery.
• Strong facilitation and workshop delivery skills, with the confidence to lead a room of senior founders, executives and ecosystem leaders.
• Experience designing learning journeys, curriculum or participant experiences that connect to strategic objectives, not just running logistics.
• Exceptional stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships across diverse groups including senior leaders, facilitators, participants and partners.
• Strong organisational and project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple priorities or projects simultaneously.
• Comfort operating in ambiguous, fast-moving environments where processes are still being built and priorities shift.
• A genuine passion for innovation, entrepreneurship and supporting the growth of Victoria's innovation ecosystem.

Nice to have

• Experience working directly with startups, founders, accelerators, incubators or venture-backed businesses, whether as an ex-founder, early employee, program manager or in another relevant role.
• Proven expertise in designing startup learning journeys and managing pre-accelerator, accelerator or incubator programs, or nurturing startup alumni networks and communities.
• Ability to coach and mentor founders of diverse backgrounds across the startup lifecycle.
• Demonstrated ability to manage budgets, contracts or procurement processes.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to monitor outcomes, interpret feedback and drive continuous improvement.
• Exposure to working within government, universities, research organisations or public sector environments.

Organisational Values

Behaviours we expect of everyone at Innovation Victoria.

• Passion: We are driven by a belief in Innovation Victoria’s mission to deliver lasting impact for Victorians. We bring curiosity, energy, and purpose to everything we do, finding meaning in both the journey and the outcome.
• Integrity:  We act with honesty, transparency, and accountability in every interaction. We do the right thing, even when it’s difficult, ensuring trust and ethical alignment in our decisions and actions.
• Community:  We foster a culture of collaboration and collective success. We champion connection, inclusion, and generosity, working in service of our ecosystem and each other.
• Respect:  We treat others with kindness, openness, and humility. We value diverse perspectives and seek to create safe, inclusive environments for all to thrive.
• Innovation:  We challenge the status quo and think boldly to create new value. We embrace experimentation, learn from setbacks and seek better ways to solve complex problems.

Organisational Virtues

One Team

Innovation Victoria Team Members prioritise the success of the organisation. All team members’ focus is on achieving the broader mission and priorities of IV in their day-to-day work

Solutions Focus

Team Members are encouraged to define the problem, explore options, and recommend practical solutions; and be empowered to implement decisively and learn from every outcome. All IV team members take full accountability to the organisation, one another and their peers, for results

Candid Dialogue

Team Members welcome healthy and open debate and address disagreements openly and respectfully. We challenge ideas, not people. If team members disagree, they are encouraged to speak up (and team members allow them to be heard)

United Front

All Team Members commit to transparency and alignment. Once decisions are made, we move forward together, trusting in positive intent. Undermining decisions or withholding feedback is inconsistent with our Virtues

Psychological Safety

All Team Members proactively work to create an environment where everyone feels safe to speak up. Team Members at all levels within IV are encouraged to actively listen to and amplify the voices of their team and their peers

Go for it!

At Innovation Victoria we know that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) are essential to our success. That’s why we’re committed to fair, inclusive, and bias-free hiring. If you come from an underrepresented background – whether that’s being gender diverse, neurodiverse, a person of color, part of the LGBTQIA+ community, or any other marginalized group – we equally encourage you to reach out.

To apply, send your CV and 2-3 sentences about why you are the right person for this role to ***email_hidden***