International Scholarships Partnership Manager

Te Whiwhinga mahi | The opportunity

We are seeking an International Scholarships Partnership Manager (known internally as International Sponsored Students Specialist) to build and manage relationships with government agencies and ministerial bodies.

In this role, you will find and develop new opportunities, negotiate and operationalise agreements, and act as the main point of contact for external partners as an account manager. Your work will strengthen our global connections and help secure life-changing education for students via scholarships at Waipapa Taumata Rau | The University of Auckland.

Our International Office leads the University’s global activities, including recruiting international students, building our global reputation, and developing student mobility activities to enhance international awareness and cultural understanding.

You will be the primary operational contact for both government and corporate sponsors who fund our key scholarship programmes. This role involves using reports and presentations to communicate how programmes are performing, as well as identifying ways to grow, particularly local market economic drivers. You will also maintain a scholarship recipient database, track the progress of student cohorts, manage recognition events and guide student recruitment and in-country staff on scholarship procedures.

An exciting part of the role involves overseas travel and international relationships, so please note that this role requires some overseas travel, as well as some evening and weekend work when needed for events or meetings that align with overseas timings.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Manage current international agreements with sponsors which relate to the placement of students at the University via scholarships and engage and identify partnership expansion opportunities.
• Identify and engage with potential new scholarship partners, and the decision makers within the relevant organisations.
• Demonstrate a high level of interpersonal skills through relationship management, advocacy and negotiation with external key stakeholders.
• Maintain strong collegial relationships between International Office, faculty and other service divisions to ensure plans and strategies are aligned and reported on.
• Prepare regular reports and presentations on sponsored and scholarship students for both internal and external stakeholders, this can include ARD and University Leadership, external government agencies and corporate sponsors.  
• Arrange and host internal and external client engagement and briefings/debriefings.
• Partner with the International Future Students Team to maximise and monitor the conversion of International Sponsored Student applications to enrolment, this involves supporting with event management and coordination.

This is a permanent, full-time position (37.5 hours per week). The salary range for this role is $88,000 to $100,000, negotiable depending on skills and experience.

A full description of your duties and the role are provided in the position description linked HERE.

He kōrero mōu | About you

We are seeking an established professional to manage international agreements with sponsors regarding student placements at the University. To thrive in this role, you must be able to take full ownership of your portfolio, establishing yourself as a reliable account manager while using your business development expertise to identify and grow new revenue streams. Success in this position requires a dual focus: you will manage external relationships with government representatives while working internally with faculty leaders and large service divisions to ensure alignment.

This role is suited for an engaging people person who can balance relationship management and business development with high-level coordination. You will need to track your activity closely, report on progress, and ensure administration is completed accurately and on time alongside various stakeholders.

We are looking for someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment with competing priorities, someone who can prioritise effectively and use their relationships to identify new, mutually beneficial opportunities to make real impact.

E rapua ana mātou | We are seeking

• Bachelor’s degree, relevant tertiary qualification, or equivalent professional experience.
• Demonstrable experience in international student recruitment (International Office or Scholarships Team) at a tertiary level.
• Proven account management experience, including expertise in managing a varied portfolio of relationships and a track record of engaging effectively with senior internal stakeholders, operational experts, and external government and corporate leaders.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate with influence, identifying opportunities to grow partnerships and working collaboratively to secure scholarships and maintain long-term, mutually beneficial corporate and governmental relationships.
• Preferred experience in marketing, scholarships, or alumni development within a large, complex environment, with a focus on account management, relationship development, or business development.

Ngā āhuatanga kei a mātou | What we offer

Waipapa Taumata Rau | The University of Auckland is New Zealand’s leading university. We employ more than 6,000 academic and professional staff to support over 47,000 students, making us one of NZ’s largest employers.

We cultivate an environment that supports your growth and rewards excellence with a range of  staff benefits, including:

• Competitive salary and five weeks of annual leave.
• Superannuation/KiwiSaver matching up to 6.75%
• Flexible working arrangements, including working from home and adaptive hours.
• Leading and inclusive parental leave options.
• Career development programmes and discounted on-site amenities.

Me pēhea te tuku tono | How to apply

Please submit your application online by the closing date of Sunday 29, March 2026. Your application should include:

• A brief Cover Letter explaining why you're interested in this role and how your skills match the requirements.
• Your updated CV.

Please note that we do not accept email applications.

For a confidential discussion, you are welcome to contact Natasha Ager (Associate Director - Global Partnerships and Development) via natasha.ager@auckland.ac.nz