Bursar in Cambridge

Emmanuel College prides itself on its friendly, open and welcoming ethos. In running our finance, investments and operational functions, our next Bursar will build upon and enhance our core values of community and inclusivity. The Bursar is at the very heart of what we do.

Emmanuel was founded in 1584 and is one of the colleges of Cambridge University. We are self-governing and independent from the university in administration and governance, although we contribute substantially to the work carried out in the university. Emmanuel has 90 Fellows, who are actively involved in teaching and research both for the College and for the university, and some 750 students (approximately 500 undergraduates and 250 graduates). For most of our students, including all undergraduates, the College provides a home, tuition, library and computing facilities, welfare support, and resources for extra-curricular activities. We admit undergraduates to read almost all subjects, from a wide range of backgrounds, with over 70% of home students coming from the maintained sector. We work hard to maintain the academic excellence of our students – the College has consistently achieved strong university examination results – and at the same time we are keen to develop our supportive and friendly culture.

The College is well resourced and runs well. Our style is collegial and cooperative. We are looking for a Bursar to enhance what we currently do and develop further much that is already good. The Bursar is the senior administrative post within the College, and the College’s financial lead. On a day-to-day basis the Bursar works closely with the Master, the Senior Tutor, the Development Director, the Secretary to the Governing Body, the Director of Operations, the Director of Estates and staff. Through regular meetings, College Officers share information and reinforce collaborative working. As a College Officer and Fellow, the Bursar is responsible for the management of all staff and non-staff resources. This includes strategic oversight of the College’s investments, finances, estate and commercial activity while ensuring the smooth operation of all non-academic support functions of the College.

To deliver this, the Bursar leads the bulk of the College’s staff through direct management of the Director of Operations, the Director of Estates and 5 Heads of Department (Committees and Accommodation Manager, Head of Human Resources, College Accountant, IT Manager and Head Porter). By Statute the Fellows make up the College’s Governing Body, which meets four times a year, with the Bursar as an ex officio member. We also have an elected College Council, which meets several times each term, of which the Bursar is again an ex officio member. College business is also conducted through a series of committees, each with defined areas of responsibility (e.g. financial, buildings and services, or catering matters) and with members appointed from amongst the Governing Body. The Bursar is an ex officio member of those committees that have a finance, administrative or operational responsibility.

Emmanuel is a registered charity, with the members of the College Council as its trustees, and is subject to supervision by the Charity Commission. In addition, we have various statutory duties with respect to Cambridge University. The colleges work together extensively and help to shape decisions taken by the university and there are several inter-collegiate and university bodies on which the Bursar represents Emmanuel. Once matriculated, students become members of the College for life and the College’s members play an important role in supporting Emmanuel, financially and in other ways. The College’s Investment, Finance and Remuneration Committees have selected alumni as members to provide expert, external advice. The Bursar, in collaboration with the Master and the Development Director, will often work with alumni on the details of how gifts may be made in line with the donors’ requirements.

The new Bursar will be arriving at a key and exciting moment as the College is currently in the silent phase of its next fundraising campaign. This campaign, called Towards 450: the Campaign for Emmanuel, seeks to raise funds for several projects and facilities. These include underpinning our student support and career exploration/preparation activities, increasing the number of funded PhDs, building a human creativity hub and improving other facilities including those for wellbeing and fitness. At the same time, the College is embarking on a wide-ranging programme to reduce its environmental impact.

The Role

The Bursar, as the senior administrative officer of the College, is accountable to the Council and the Governing Body. The postholder must be able to balance these two dimensions of the role, and be an active, visible and engaged member of the College. The Bursar has responsibility for all matters affecting the College investments, finances, and management of the College estate, properties and staff. The Bursar is also expected to be in regular liaison with our student body.

A critical element of the Bursar’s role is to maintain a transparent, productive and collegiate working relationship with the Governing Body. As a member of the Governing Body, the Bursar advises it, helping it to understand the College’s finances and the implications of its decisions. The Bursar is expected to supply the Governing Body and its committees with the financial, legal and charity knowledge and information necessary to inform strategy.

The following roles performed by the Bursar are particularly significant:

• Taking the lead in formulating policy and strategic planning for the management of the College’s endowment (property and securities), and reporting on the performance of the endowment to the Investments Committee, Council and Governing Body.
• Setting and monitoring in-year budgets, ensuring the ongoing sustainability of the College’s finances and, through the College Accountant, the preparation of budgets and annual accounts, and the arrangement of audits; and advising the Council and Governing Body on financial issues and risk management. The successful candidate will arrive as we are transitioning to a new Financial Management System.
• Oversee the delivery of administrative support to the Fellowship.
• Through our Head of Human Resources, the appointment and subsequent management of all non-academic staff (including contracts, salaries, pensions, work permits, appraisals and performance management etc.).
• The monitoring of existing and proposed legislation affecting the College, including health and safety, freedom of information, data protection, and other legal and compliance issues.
• Through our Director of Estates, ensure timely maintenance of today’s estate, and the development of a five-year plan for capital works that integrates initiatives to make the College estate more sustainable.
• Strategic leadership and oversight of major building projects. The first 5 years of the postholder’s tenure will see multiple projects delivered alongside planned refurbishment activity. These projects include an exciting renovation of a range of Victorian Coach Houses and 7 Park Terrace, an improved reflection/multi-faith centre, and an extension to our Boat House.
• Through our IT Manager ensure that our digital ecosystem meets the needs of our academic community and our staff while being both protected and resilient.
• Through our Director of Operations, ensure the smooth and efficient running of the College’s domestic operations – these range from catering and housekeeping to gardens, boathouse and sports grounds, communications and the delivery of conferences.
• Through our Accommodation and Committee Manager and our Head Porter, ensure that the Porters’ Lodge – our team responsible for the safety and security of the site, who also provide warm and friendly support to the College community and visitors – and administrative processes run smoothly.
• Liaison with our student body in general and its societies and committees in particular.
• Liaison with University officers in general and with bursars of other Colleges in particular (including service on the Bursars’ Committee); and the membership of a number of College committees.
• Collaboration with the development office on fundraising and seeking future financial support for the College’s ambitions.

The stipend of the post will be determined after consultation with the Bursar-elect. In setting the stipend, the College will consider whether the appointment is held in conjunction with a university office or any other role. Depending on circumstances, it is expected that the remuneration of the Bursar would be comparable to that of a senior professor in the university (for 25/26 it was £107,000).

The appointment will initially be for a fixed term of 4 academic years, including a probationary period of five months. The appointment will terminate at the end of the fixed term unless otherwise agreed in writing. Thereafter, subject to satisfactory performance, any extension or reappointment will be at the College’s absolute discretion. The College will normally seek to provide at least six months’ notice of its intention regarding renewal (although this is not contractual), and the office holder is expected to give six months’ notice of any intention to resign once they have passed the probationary period.

Selection Process

Short listed candidates will be invited to visit the College to meet College Officers, Fellows, Heads of Department and staff before the formal interview. Candidates are invited to supply the names of up to three people from whom letters of recommendation may be sought. It is hoped the Bursar-elect would start during Lent term 2027.

Further information

A Person Specification follows. Further information about the College can be found on its website. Information about the structure of the university is available at. Informal enquiries about the role may be directed via to the Master, Doug Chalmers.

Applications

Applications must be submitted online by 23:59 on Sunday 16 August 2026. Applications should include: a covering letter explaining your suitability for the post; and a curriculum vitae.

Person specification

Emmanuel College requires an individual with proven financial, administrative and leadership skills, and sympathy with the College’s mission, to foster academic excellence to be its next Bursar. The person will have been successful in their chosen career, with the approach and standing to develop the confidence and trust of our community. Emmanuel is vibrant, progressive and diverse. We are looking for a Bursar who will assist the College develop further as an inclusive, outward-looking, welcoming and collegiate community.

Experience

Candidates must be able to demonstrate the following:

• Experience of leading and empowering multi-disciplinary teams.
• Ability to build and maintain relationships at all levels, with excellent diplomatic and consensus building skills.
• Strong financial acumen and financial literacy with a sound understanding of financial accounts, budgets and forecasts.
• Clear and sustained experience of strategic financial and operational leadership in a complex setting.
• Working knowledge of relevant legislation, including employment law, data protection legislation, pension legislation and charity law.
• Proactive, able to identify opportunities and pre-empt problems.
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills; able to draft papers, write succinctly and persuasively and make presentations within the College, the university and beyond.
• Commitment to the College’s values of academic excellence, collegiality, sociability and inclusivity.

It is highly desirable that candidates should also have:

• A good appreciation of the UK Higher Education sector and the opportunities and challenges facing it, an affinity with academia, and a good understanding of a collegiate system.
• An appreciation of relevant legal and regulatory regimes such as charity governance and the Office of Students.

Personal attributes and capabilities

The successful candidate will identify strongly with the academic purpose and nature of Emmanuel College and its vision, values, and goals. In addition, the chosen candidate will demonstrate:

• The credibility to command the respect of the college Fellowship and the broader university community while working in a collaborative and inclusive manner.
• An interest in the breadth of Emmanuel College’s academic activities.
• A genuine commitment to equality, diversity, and treating others with dignity and respect.
• A collaborative approach to strategic decision-making.
• An inclusive style, to encourage and enable open discussion in meetings, achieving consensual outcomes and reaching clear decisions.
• Diplomacy and empathy, with an ability to inspire trust and confidence in others.
• Integrity and fairness, and the ability to actively listen, respond, communicate and act.
• The ability to represent Emmanuel College to a diverse range of audiences as an ambassador and advocate.