Darren Taylor
General Manager - Faculty of Science and Technology, Deakin University
Graduated in:
2005
Course completed:
Master of Business Administration
Currently working for:
Deakin University
How long have you been working for this organisation?
On and off for over 20 years
Position title and short job description:
General Manager, Faculty of Science and Technology
I am accountable for the effective management of administrative functions within the Faculty and for providing strategic support to academic staff and the Faculty’s teaching, learning, research and commercial activities. I am the most senior administrative position in the Faculty, being a key member of the Faculty’s Management Executive, working with the Dean, Heads of School and Associate Deans as well as key senior academics and administrators across the university to set directions for the future, to seek new opportunities for enhancing the standing of the Faculty, and to achieve both strategic and operational objectives. In addition, my position has an important external focus with responsibility for Faculty commercial and fee-paying activities, both domestic and international.
Working highlight so far:
- Successful planning and implementation of a major realignment of 70 FTE of administrative staff support. Involved realignment of a highly devolved and duplicated structure to a streamlined centralised administrative unit
- Provided the major contribution to an organisational review of the Faculty including the reorganisation of academic units (5 schools realigned to 3 schools and a research centre)
- Developed a formalised process for the evaluation of course performance that has led to the instigation of a biannual course evaluation and review process that is linked into the Faculty and University load projection process that is critical to the forthcoming years budget development
- Instituted the importance of data-based decision making in the development and direction of the Faculty including desktop and market analysis protocols as a key component of new course design and development
What are the things you enjoy most about your job?
Working with people. Leading them, managing them and challenging them to engage with the vision and direction of the organisation and to want to develop themselves.
An area in which you have needed assistance:
Managing staff who perform sub-optimally or are not aligned with and supportive of organisation vision and direction.
What do you intend to do in the future?
Refine and improve my leadership and management capabilities in my current role for the next 3-5 years.
#1 tip for current students studying your course:
Make the most of the group work assessments. They offer opportunities to
- network,
- to get broad perspectives from a diversity of students,
- to work in teams and
- understand the dynamics and work preferences of people in team based work.
