How to Apply to UNSW

11 min read Last updated April 20, 2026 4 open positions
Blake Crosley
Blake Crosley Researched using publicly available information, hiring data, and ATS analysis.

Key Takeaways

  • UNSW uses PageUp People as its applicant tracking system, accessed via external-careers.jobs.unsw.edu.au. Build a complete PageUp profile and reuse it across applications.
  • The Selection Criteria response is the single most important application document. Address every criterion in a separate document using the STAR method, with the criterion text as the sub-heading.
  • Australian academic CVs are comprehensive (often six or more pages for senior staff) and use Australian English. One-page resumes are the wrong format and signal that you do not understand the sector.
  • Academic salaries are fixed by the UNSW Enterprise Agreement on Levels A through E. Level B (Lecturer) starts around AUD 113,000 plus 17 percent superannuation; Level E (Professor) tops out above AUD 230,000 plus superannuation. The negotiable elements are the starting sub-point, relocation, and research start-up.
  • Casualisation is a structural feature of Australian higher education. Sessional teaching contracts are paid at marked piece rates without paid leave. Confirm the role classification (continuing, fixed-term, or sessional) and the funding source before accepting.
  • Visa sponsorship is available for academic and senior professional roles via Subclass 482 (TSS) and Subclass 186 (ENS), but the timeline can extend the start date by three to six months. Indicate your work-rights status clearly on the CV.
  • Sydney is one of the most expensive cities in the world for housing. Median rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the inner east near Kensington is approximately AUD 650 to 850 per week (April 2026), and a Lecturer (Level B) take-home pay realistically supports a one-bedroom rental and modest savings, not a freestanding home.
  • Interview panels score against the Selection Criteria using a fixed rubric. Understated, evidence-led answers outperform polished self-promotion in the Australian context.
  • Equity and diversity contributions are formally weighted in selection and promotion. Document your contributions explicitly rather than assuming they will be inferred.

About UNSW

The University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney) is one of Australia's largest research-intensive universities and a founding member of the Group of Eight (Go8), the coalition of leading Australian research universities. Founded in 1949 as the New South Wales University of Technology to address the post-war demand for engineers and applied scientists, the institution was renamed the University of New South Wales in 1958 and now operates from a 38-hectare main campus at Kensington in Sydney's eastern suburbs, approximately seven kilometres from the central business district. Additional teaching and research sites include the Paddington campus (UNSW Art & Design), the Australian Defence Force Academy (UNSW Canberra), and the City campus housing UNSW's clinical and business operations. UNSW employs roughly 7,000 academic and professional staff and serves approximately 67,000 students across nine faculties: Arts, Design and Architecture; Business; Engineering; Law and Justice; Medicine and Health; Science; UNSW Canberra at ADFA; and the postgraduate research arm. The university is internationally recognised for engineering, business, law, and medicine, and consistently ranks in the global top 50 across major international rankings (QS, Times Higher Education, ARWU). UNSW Business School operates the Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM), which delivers Australia's longest-running MBA program and is consistently ranked as one of the leading executive education providers in the Asia-Pacific. UNSW also hosts the ARC Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology (CQC2T), led by 2018 Australian of the Year Professor Michelle Simmons, whose work on silicon-based qubits has positioned UNSW as a global leader in quantum hardware research. Other notable research strengths include renewable energy (the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering invented the PERC solar cell, now used in approximately 90 percent of new solar panels worldwide), HIV epidemiology (the Kirby Institute), climate science, and biomedical engineering. UNSW operates under the Strategy 2025 plan, which emphasises social impact, equity and diversity, and academic excellence, and the institution is governed by the UNSW Council under the University of New South Wales Act 1989 (NSW). Employment relationships for academic and professional staff are governed by the UNSW (Academic Staff) Enterprise Agreement and UNSW (Professional Staff) Enterprise Agreement, negotiated with the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) and the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU).

Application Process

  1. 1
    Search and apply via the UNSW external careers site at external-careers

    Search and apply via the UNSW external careers site at external-careers.jobs.unsw.edu.au, which is powered by PageUp People (the same ATS used by most Australian Go8 universities). Internal staff apply through a separate internal-careers PageUp portal accessed via single sign-on.

  2. 2
    Create a PageUp candidate account using a personal email address (not your curre

    Create a PageUp candidate account using a personal email address (not your current employer's). The account persists across applications, so build a complete profile once and reuse it. PageUp does not parse resumes into structured fields the way Workday or SuccessFactors does, so the uploaded CV is what shortlisters read.

  3. 3
    Upload a tailored CV, a cover letter, and a separate document addressing the Sel

    Upload a tailored CV, a cover letter, and a separate document addressing the Selection Criteria listed in the Position Description. The Selection Criteria response is the single most important document for academic and professional roles in the Australian higher education sector, and applications without it are routinely screened out at the first stage.

  4. 4
    Complete the equity and diversity questionnaire (voluntary but encouraged), conf

    Complete the equity and diversity questionnaire (voluntary but encouraged), confirm work rights in Australia, and disclose any conflicts of interest. UNSW uses Working with Children Checks for roles involving minors and National Police Checks for senior or finance-related positions.

  5. 5
    Shortlisted candidates are contacted by the hiring manager or HR business partne

    Shortlisted candidates are contacted by the hiring manager or HR business partner, typically within two to four weeks of the closing date. Academic searches can take three to six months from advertisement to offer because they require a formal selection committee, external reference letters, and, for senior appointments, approval by the Provost or Deputy Vice-Chancellor.

  6. 6
    Interviews are conducted by a panel of three to five members that always include

    Interviews are conducted by a panel of three to five members that always includes a chair, a subject expert, and an equity representative. Academic interviews include a research presentation (typically 20 to 30 minutes) and a teaching demonstration. Professional staff interviews are competency-based against the Selection Criteria.

  7. 7
    Offers are made verbally first, followed by a written letter of offer that refer

    Offers are made verbally first, followed by a written letter of offer that references the relevant Enterprise Agreement, the Academic Level (A through E) or Professional Level (1 through 10), and the salary point within that band. Visa sponsorship via the Subclass 482 Temporary Skill Shortage or Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme is available for academic and senior professional roles where the position appears on the relevant skilled occupation list.

Resume Tips for UNSW

recommended

Write an Australian-style CV, not a US resume

Write an Australian-style CV, not a US resume. Australian academic and professional CVs run two to four pages for early-career applicants and six or more pages for senior academics, and they are expected to be comprehensive rather than condensed. Cutting your CV to one page signals that you do not understand the local convention.

recommended

Address every Selection Criterion in a separate document, not in your CV

Address every Selection Criterion in a separate document, not in your CV. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for each criterion, allocate roughly half a page per criterion, and use the exact wording from the Position Description as your sub-headings. Hiring panels score applications criterion by criterion, and missing criteria result in automatic exclusion.

recommended

For academic roles, structure your CV in this order: personal details, qualifica

For academic roles, structure your CV in this order: personal details, qualifications, current and previous appointments, research funding (with grant amounts in AUD and your role as CI/AI), publications (grouped by type and ranked by quartile or impact factor where relevant), invited talks, supervision record (HDR completions and current candidates), teaching record with course evaluations, professional service, and awards. Include an ORCID identifier and a Google Scholar h-index.

recommended

For professional and technical staff roles, lead with a short profile statement

For professional and technical staff roles, lead with a short profile statement aligned to the Selection Criteria, then list employment history reverse-chronologically with measurable outcomes (budgets managed in AUD, headcount, project values, percentage improvements). Include any HEW (Higher Education Worker) classification you have previously held, as it signals familiarity with the sector.

recommended

Use Australian English spelling (organisation, programme, behaviour, recognise)

Use Australian English spelling (organisation, programme, behaviour, recognise) and Australian date format (DD Month YYYY). American spelling is not a fatal flaw but it is noticed, and consistency matters. Spell out Australian state abbreviations on first use (New South Wales, not NSW) if your audience may be international.

recommended

Include your right-to-work status explicitly near your contact details

Include your right-to-work status explicitly near your contact details. Acceptable phrasings include 'Australian citizen', 'Australian permanent resident', or 'Subclass 482 visa holder, sponsorship transferable'. Vague statements such as 'work rights available on request' delay the application.

recommended

For research-intensive roles, attach or link to a research portfolio that includ

For research-intensive roles, attach or link to a research portfolio that includes a one-page research statement, a teaching philosophy, and links to your most recent three to five publications (preprints accepted). For Level B and above, include a track record statement (Relative to Opportunity narrative) explaining career interruptions, parental leave, or part-time appointments.

recommended

Keep the file format conservative: PDF, sans-serif font (Arial, Calibri), 11 or

Keep the file format conservative: PDF, sans-serif font (Arial, Calibri), 11 or 12 point body text, 2 cm margins. PageUp accepts Word documents but PDFs render more reliably across panel members' devices. Do not embed photos, headshots, or graphic logos. Do not use a two-column layout, as it confuses both PageUp's preview pane and the human eye when printed.

ATS System: PageUp People

Interview Culture

UNSW interviews are formal panel processes governed by the university's Recruitment and Selection Procedure and the relevant Enterprise Agreement.

A panel typically includes the hiring manager (or Head of School for academic roles), a subject-matter expert, an equity and diversity representative, and for senior roles a member from outside the immediate work area. Academic Level C and above, plus all Director-level professional appointments, require external panel members and may include a representative from another Go8 university. Panels work from a fixed set of behavioural questions mapped to the Selection Criteria, and panel members independently score each candidate on a one-to-five rubric before convening to agree a ranked shortlist. The atmosphere is professional but not aggressive: Australian interviewing culture values directness and concise self-assessment over the polished self-promotion that is common in US contexts. Overstating your contribution to team work is a credibility risk and panel members will probe with follow-up questions. For academic roles, expect a research seminar attended by the wider School (often live-streamed), a teaching demonstration to a panel of academic and student representatives, and one or more individual meetings with the Dean, Head of School, and senior researchers in your area. Reference checks are conducted before the offer and include at least one referee outside your direct line of supervision. Salary negotiation is constrained: academic salaries sit on Levels A through E with fixed sub-points published in the Enterprise Agreement, and the negotiable elements are the starting sub-point within the level, the relocation allowance, and any research start-up package. Professional staff roles use the HEW 1-10 scale with similar transparency. Casualisation is a structural reality of Australian higher education, and UNSW, like every Australian university, employs a substantial casual academic workforce on sessional teaching contracts that pay marked rates (generally piece-rates per lecture, tutorial, or marked assignment) without paid leave or guaranteed work between semesters. The NTEU has actively organised against casualisation, and UNSW concluded a wage-theft remediation programme in 2023 covering historical underpayments to casual academics. If you are applying for a continuing or fixed-term academic position rather than sessional work, ask the hiring manager directly about the role's classification, the funding source (operational budget, grant-funded, or industry-funded), and the renewal expectations. Diversity targets are real: UNSW reports against the Athena SWAN Bronze Award framework for gender equity in STEMM and against the Indigenous Employment Strategy for First Nations representation, and panels are required to evidence consideration of equity factors in their selection rationale.

What UNSW Looks For

  • Demonstrated alignment with the Selection Criteria, evidenced through specific examples rather than general claims. The Selection Criteria document is the contract between applicant and panel.
  • Research track record relative to opportunity for academic roles, with a clear narrative explaining the trajectory of your work, your role in collaborative outputs, and the impact of your research on the field, on policy, or on industry.
  • Teaching capability evidenced by student evaluation data, course design contributions, and a teaching philosophy aligned with UNSW's Scientia Education Experience framework. Convenor experience and HDR supervision are weighted heavily for Level C and above.
  • External funding history (ARC, NHMRC, MRFF, industry, or international equivalents) for research-active roles, with grant amounts, role on the grant team, and funded outcomes. UNSW prioritises Category 1 income for research metrics.
  • Professional staff candidates need to evidence experience in the higher education sector or a comparable complex public-sector environment, familiarity with the regulatory framework (TEQSA, ESOS Act for international student-facing roles, the Higher Education Standards Framework), and competence with the relevant systems (NS Financials, Workday HCM, PeopleSoft Campus Solutions).
  • Equity, diversity, and inclusion contributions, including any work to support First Nations students or staff, women in STEM, accessibility, or LGBTIQ+ inclusion. Panels are required to consider these contributions and they are explicitly weighted in academic promotion decisions.
  • International collaboration and global outlook, particularly with partner universities in the PLuS Alliance (Arizona State, King's College London) and within the Universitas 21 network. UNSW positions itself as Australia's most international university, and panels look for genuine cross-border research or teaching activity.
  • Cultural fit with UNSW's Strategy 2025 priorities: Academic Excellence, Social Impact, Knowledge Exchange, and Global Impact. Citing the strategy in your cover letter without translating it into specific contributions you would make is recognised as boilerplate and discounted accordingly.

Frequently Asked Questions

What ATS does UNSW Sydney use?
UNSW uses PageUp People as its applicant tracking system, the same ATS used by most Group of Eight universities including Sydney, Melbourne, Monash, Queensland, and Western Australia. The external candidate portal is at external-careers.jobs.unsw.edu.au, which redirects to /en/listing/. Internal staff apply through a separate internal-careers PageUp instance via single sign-on. PageUp does not aggressively parse resumes into structured fields the way Workday or Oracle Taleo does, which means the formatting and content of your uploaded PDF or Word document is exactly what panel members read.
What are the academic salary bands at UNSW in 2026?
Academic salaries are fixed by the UNSW (Academic Staff) Enterprise Agreement and published transparently. Approximate full-time annual base salaries (April 2026) before the 17 percent employer superannuation contribution: Level A (Associate Lecturer or Postdoctoral Fellow) AUD 86,000 to 117,000; Level B (Lecturer) AUD 123,000 to 146,000; Level C (Senior Lecturer) AUD 150,000 to 173,000; Level D (Associate Professor) AUD 181,000 to 199,000; Level E (Professor) AUD 233,000 plus, with no upper cap for senior or chaired professors. The 17 percent super is well above the statutory 12 percent minimum and is one of the most attractive elements of academic employment in Australia. Salary points within each level are advanced annually by service, and there is no individual negotiation of the band itself.
Is sessional teaching at UNSW a viable career path?
Sessional or casual academic work is structurally insecure and is not a viable long-term career path, although it remains the entry route for many early-career academics. Sessional contracts pay piece rates per lecture, tutorial, or marked assignment under the Enterprise Agreement (typical 2026 rates: approximately AUD 200 to 280 per delivered tutorial including preparation, with separate rates for lecturing and marking). Sessional staff do not receive paid leave between teaching periods, are not guaranteed re-engagement semester to semester, and have limited access to research time, office space, or HDR supervision opportunities. UNSW completed a sessional staff wage-theft remediation programme in 2023 covering historical underpayments. If you are offered sessional work, treat it as supplementary income or a temporary bridge, not as career employment, and ask explicitly about pathways to fixed-term or continuing appointment.
Does UNSW sponsor employer-sponsored work visas for international applicants?
Yes, UNSW regularly sponsors academic and senior professional staff for the Subclass 482 Temporary Skill Shortage visa and the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme permanent visa where the role appears on the relevant Australian skilled occupation list. University Lecturer (ANZSCO 242111) and most STEM research roles are on the Core Skills Occupation List. Sponsorship adds three to six months to the start date because UNSW must lodge a nomination, the candidate must lodge the visa application, and biometric and health checks are required. Junior professional roles below HEW 7 are rarely sponsored. International candidates should indicate their visa preference on the application and confirm sponsorship availability with the hiring manager before investing significant time in the selection process.
What is the realistic cost of living near the Kensington campus?
Sydney's eastern suburbs are among the most expensive housing markets in the country. As of April 2026, median weekly rents within a five-kilometre radius of UNSW Kensington are approximately AUD 650 to 850 for a one-bedroom apartment, AUD 900 to 1,300 for a two-bedroom apartment, and AUD 1,500 plus for a three-bedroom freestanding house. Suburbs commonly chosen by UNSW staff include Kensington, Kingsford, Randwick, Maroubra, Coogee, and Eastlakes, with cheaper options in the Inner West (Marrickville, Newtown) requiring a 35 to 50 minute commute by light rail or bus. A Lecturer (Level B) on roughly AUD 130,000 plus super takes home approximately AUD 7,500 per month and can realistically afford a one-bedroom apartment in the inner east plus modest savings, but home ownership in the area is effectively out of reach for early-career academic staff without partner income or external capital. UNSW does not provide subsidised staff housing.
Why do candidates decline UNSW offers?
The most common reasons offers are declined: Sydney housing costs exceed expectations and the salary does not stretch to comparable accommodation; the role is fixed-term (typically two or three years) rather than continuing, and the candidate has a continuing offer elsewhere; the start-up research package is smaller than offered by a competitor (Monash, Melbourne, or an overseas R1); visa processing extends the start date past a critical deadline (academic year start, grant window, partner's work transition); the candidate accepts a parallel UK or US offer that pays in stronger purchasing-power terms; or the teaching load is heavier than expected for a research-intensive role. UNSW does not match external offers as policy, but hiring managers can request a higher starting sub-point or enhanced research start-up if the case is strong.
How does UNSW evaluate candidates with career interruptions?
UNSW formally applies the Relative to Opportunity (RtO) framework, requiring panels to evaluate research output and impact relative to the time the applicant has had to produce it. Career interruptions for parental leave, carer responsibilities, illness, disability, or other significant personal circumstances must be considered, and panels that fail to apply RtO can have decisions overturned on review. Applicants should include a brief RtO statement (one paragraph to one page) at the start of their CV explaining any periods of part-time work, leave, or reduced research activity. Do not over-explain or apologise: a factual statement of the period and its impact is sufficient. UNSW also offers academic promotion under RtO, which shapes how Level B and C candidates frame their trajectory.
What is the role of the NTEU at UNSW?
The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) is the principal trade union for academic and professional staff in Australian universities and is the negotiating party for the UNSW Enterprise Agreement. NTEU membership is voluntary but well established at UNSW, and the union has been active on issues including casualisation, wage theft remediation, workload models, intellectual freedom, and superannuation. Joining the union is a personal decision, but new staff are routinely contacted by NTEU branch organisers. The union does not influence individual hiring decisions. The CPSU (Community and Public Sector Union) covers some professional staff classifications. Whether or not you join, familiarity with the Enterprise Agreement is essential because it governs your salary, leave, workload, and grievance rights.
How long does the UNSW academic recruitment process take?
An academic search at UNSW typically takes three to six months from advertisement closing to written offer, sometimes longer for senior or chaired appointments. Timeline drivers: the Position Description and Selection Criteria require School-level approval before advertising; the application close date is usually four to six weeks after the advertisement opens; shortlisting takes two to three weeks; interviews including research seminar and teaching demonstration typically occupy a full day per candidate; reference checks add one to two weeks; the panel report must be written and approved by the Dean and Provost; and contract issuance plus visa sponsorship if applicable adds another four to twelve weeks. Professional staff recruitment is faster, typically four to ten weeks from close to offer. Plan accordingly if you need to give notice or coordinate with a partner's relocation.
Can I negotiate the salary at UNSW?
The salary band itself is not negotiable: Level A through E for academic and HEW 1 through 10 for professional staff are fixed by the Enterprise Agreement and the role's classification is set when the position is advertised. What is negotiable is the starting sub-point within the band (each level has multiple steps), relocation allowance (typically AUD 5,000 to 15,000 within Australia, AUD 10,000 to 30,000 international), and for academic appointments the research start-up package (laboratory equipment, HDR scholarship funding, conference travel, sometimes a postdoctoral fellow). Senior appointments (Level D and above, Director-level professional) can negotiate market loadings within agreed limits. Make your case in writing during the offer stage with specific external benchmarks, and address it to the hiring manager rather than HR. Aggressive negotiation tactics common in the US private sector will damage your standing with the panel.

Open Positions

UNSW currently has 4 open positions.

Check Your Resume Before Applying → View 4 open positions at UNSW

Related Resources

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Sources

  1. UNSW Sydney - About Us —
  2. UNSW External Careers Portal (PageUp) —
  3. UNSW Enterprise Agreements and Industrial Relations —
  4. Group of Eight Australia - Member Universities —
  5. ARC Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology (CQC2T) —
  6. Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM) at UNSW Business School —
  7. Department of Home Affairs - Subclass 482 Temporary Skill Shortage Visa —
  8. National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) - UNSW Branch —