Too good to leave, too bad to stay.The good thingsExcellent work environment (stunning campus), great students, genuinely inspiring (though outgoing) VC, researchers at the top of their fields, high super and ample opportunities to move laterally or vertically given the size and scope of the University.
The challengesCore institutional systems - from IT to Security to Finance - suffer under the strain of poor resourcing and management. This can result in even basic tasks, such as acquiring computer equipment or requesting after-hours access or paying vendors on time, being difficult to achieve and taking weeks or months, sapping any sense of momentum.
There is also a high degree of burnout from working in a 'culture of genius' with academic colleagues, some of whom have a fixed mindset and are inflexible to change or new ideas.
Those in middle management are often promoted to their roles based on good technical performance, although few have natural leadership skills and there is minimal internal training available to cultivate these abilities.