The Executive Director of the Office of Research Management leads the University of Melbourne’s end-to-end research administration function across research grants, contracts, finance, infrastructure, governance, and ethics and integrity.
As Executive Director of the Office of Research Management, Tim Stephens supports a large and complex research enterprise, driving performance, compliance, and service excellence across the full research lifecycle. He plays a key role in major University strategic initiatives such as the Research Management System and enterprise Finance and HR systems. His broader portfolio includes the review of the research costing and pricing model and partnering with health services and research institutes to strengthen Clinical Trials funding and delivery.
Tim brings extensive senior leadership experience across strategic finance, technology, research and general management, with a deep understanding of the university sector and its operating model developed over three decades. Prior to joining the University of Melbourne, he spent 30 years at Monash University in a range of senior leadership roles, most recently as Faculty General Manager of the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. In that role, he operated at a scale comparable to a Chief Operating Officer, with oversight of a faculty approaching $1 billion in annual operations, including finance, strategy, partnerships, student and research activity.
Known for his strategic mindset and ability to lead large-scale transformation, Tim has delivered significant organisational change, built high-performing teams, and driven sustainable growth across complex environments. He is recognised for combining strong financial and operational discipline with a collaborative leadership style, enabling universities to enhance research performance, strengthen partnerships, and deliver impact at scale.