RMIT University
Building industry partnerships at RMIT Engineering
Senior Manager, Business Development & Partnerships
- When
- 2024–Current
- Organisation
- RMIT University
- Setting
- School of Engineering
- Focus
- Business development and partnerships
The mandate
Build a stronger path between capability and demand
Bring commercialisation and industry experience into a large engineering school, creating practical ways for companies, academics and students to work together at scale.
Selected outcomes
Evidence of progress
- 21%
- Revenue growth from 2024 to 2025
- $200m
- Annual School of Engineering revenue achieved
- 150+
- Industry leads developed through the Avalon Airshow
- 5
- ASX10 companies engaged in the Degree Apprenticeship model
How the work was approached
From intent to operating capability
Create a clear path in
Partnership ownership runs from lead generation and value definition through negotiation, delivery and relationship management. A visible pathway reduces fragmentation and gives both sides confidence about what happens next.
Design new operating models
The Degree Apprenticeship Program and Engineering Innovation Hub were designed around shared value: useful industry capability, practical student pathways and sustainable university economics.
Make the capability repeatable
Partner surveys, classification frameworks and lifecycle management systems turn individual experience into an operating capability that can improve over time.
Work delivered
What changed in practice
- Launched RMIT's flagship Earn and Learn Degree Apprenticeship Program in mechanical engineering.
- Conceptualised and market-tested the Engineering Innovation Hub with major industry partners.
- Established partner-satisfaction measures to identify gaps and guide value creation.
- Co-designed an Industry Engagement Framework for classification and lifecycle management.
Perspective
Strong partnerships are designed, not announced. They need a clear exchange of value, practical ownership and an operating rhythm that survives beyond the people who first brought the parties together.