With Chris Lafferty retiring from his role as Head of Research and Development with Forest & Wood Products Australia in June 2025, the organisation is advertising for a Head of Research, Development and Extension. Source: Timberbiz
This senior position, reporting directly to the CEO, will be responsible for providing strategic oversight and program management for the research and development program stream with a focus on wood products.
The successful candidate will be responsible for:
- End to end program management involving determining high value research projects required by members, developing project scopes, contracting, tracking and managing research outcomes and applying risk and governance controls.
- Working closely with the marketing team to provide content and insights that will activate and drive member engagement.
- Liaise with stakeholders across industry, network and present outcomes to promote the program and key projects.
- Act as part of the senior leadership team to provide strategic and people leadership to FWPA. This also includes collaborating with and supporting other program streams.
FWPA is looking for someone with experience within the forest products industry in program management and/or research and development. Tertiary qualifications in a related technical field such as research and development or similar are beneficial plus at least 10 years of relevant work experience.
The job requires strong program management, critical thinking and report writing capabilities, strong communication and relationship building capabilities.
The goal is to facilitate a significant overlap period between Dr Lafferty and his successor, providing ample opportunity for comprehensive onboarding, introductions to key relationships, and proactive knowledge sharing to ensure a seamless transition for the broader team.
Applications, including a cover letter and resume, should be sent to [email protected]
