Synchrotron seeking commercial director

The Australian Synchrotron Project has progressed to the stage where it requires a commercial director to develop commercial and policy frameworks.

KPMG consultant Robert Fisher, who is assisting the Victorian government's Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) division with the search for suitable candidates, said the position was wholly focused on the commercial side of the synchrotron project.

According to the STI, the position requires someone who can facilitate cooperation between industry, research and government stakeholders and generate options for government decisions in business planning, financing, access arrangements, operating structure and governance. "In the initial phase, the commercial director will probably talk to potential users of the synchrotron and ask what their needs are, and what they would like to get from it," Fisher said.

He said that a critical component of the job would be to engage all groups that had an interest in the project, including the government, business and industry, researchers, and the community.

Fisher said that due to the tight timeline for filling the position, the search for the right candidate had mostly been concentrated in Australia, although overseas candidates were welcome to apply. The successful candidate would need to start work in November, he said.

The National Synchrotron, to be built at Monash University, will be a hollow ring of about 60 metres diameter and initially housing nine beamlines, each capable of performing independent experiments simultaneously.

In June, Monash University appointed its Prof Rob Lewis as Australia's first Professor of X-ray and Synchrotron Physics to build a research base for the National Synchrotron Project.

Part of Lewis' role is to help to select appropriate beamlines for the new facility, and to build up the research base at Monash University to take advantage of the synchrotron facility.

According to a PricewaterhouseCoopers study commissioned by the Commonwealth Government in 2000, an Australian synchrotron is expected to generate 440 jobs and contribute $700 million to the local economy over 25 years.

In April, Macquarie Bank was named financial adviser to the project with a brief that included developing a financial model based on "whole life" costs, demand analysis, the identification of potential users, risk costings and options for private sector involvement.

Applications for the position close on September 12 and more details are available at www.iird.vic.gov.au.