Head of Student Services

Guildhall School is a vibrant, international community of musicians, actors and production artists in the heart of the City of London. Ranked as number one in Arts, Drama & Music by the Complete University Guide 2025, and in the top four in the world for Music and Performing Arts by the QS World University Rankings 2025, we deliver world-class professional training in partnership with distinguished artists, companies and ensembles. A global leader in creative and professional practice, we promote innovation, experiment and research, and are also one of the UK's leading providers of lifelong learning in the performing arts, offering inspiring training for children, young people, adult learners, and creative and business professionals.

We are seeking an exceptional higher education professional to join Guildhall School of Music & Drama as Head of Student Services. This is a key senior leadership role within the Student & Academic Services Directorate, responsible for the strategic leadership, effective management and continuous improvement of the School's student services provision. You will shape responsive, inclusive and professionally robust support that enables students to thrive creatively, personally and academically throughout their Guildhall journey.

Reporting to the Director of Student & Academic Services and Registrar, the Head of Student Services will provide leadership and operational oversight of a broad portfolio of student-facing services spanning student welfare, disability support, counselling and mental health, student accommodation and hardship advice, safeguarding in a higher education context, sexual violence prevention and response, and related student support activity. You will lead the development of an ambitious, evidence-informed and student-centred service that enables students to flourish, while engaging with sector developments, identifying leading practice and representing the School in shaping the future of student support in higher education.

About you

You will be an accomplished student services leader with a substantial record of success in student support, wellbeing, disability, safeguarding, student advice and welfare within a higher education professional services environment. You will have an established ability to combine strategic leadership with sound operational judgement in a specialist higher education context.

You will bring excellent knowledge of the UK higher education student services landscape, including student wellbeing, mental health, disability support, safeguarding, inclusion, equality duties, confidentiality, data protection and relevant regulatory expectations. You will have a credible and collaborative leadership style, with demonstrable success in improving student outcomes and experience through effective student services.

You will have experience of leading specialist teams, managing high-risk and complex cases, and delivering service transformation. You will also be confident advising senior colleagues on policy and service responses that align with sector change, emerging regulatory requirements, and the continuing improvement of student experience and outcomes.

This is a rare opportunity to make a lasting contribution to student services at a world-leading UK conservatoire, shaping support that reflects the creativity, intensity and ambition of specialist performing arts education. You will be an empathetic, credible and resilient leader, able to build trust, navigate complexity and work collaboratively with students, academic departments, external partners and specialist services to create the conditions in which students can flourish at Guildhall and progress into bright, sustainable futures in the creative industries.

What we offer

This is an excellent opportunity to play a visible senior role in supporting student wellbeing, inclusion, safeguarding, service quality and regulatory assurance within a distinctive specialist institution. You will work closely with senior colleagues, academic leaders, students, committees and external partners, contributing to effective decision-making, institutional planning, service enhancement and the continued development of a supportive student experience.

You will join a committed and collaborative Student & Academic Services leadership team and lead a team of skilled specialist colleagues who make a direct and meaningful contribution to student support and success. This role would suit a highly capable student services professional who enjoys working across strategy, people leadership, casework, safeguarding, policy, evidence, partnership working and service improvement.

Guildhall School welcomes applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences. We are particularly keen to encourage interest from people with disabilities, LGBTQIA+, Black, Asian, and other global majority backgrounds who are currently under-represented at Guildhall School. In recognising the positive value of diversity, we want to better reflect and understand the communities we exist to serve. We are members of the Disability Confident Scheme and guarantee to interview all disabled candidates who would like to be considered under this scheme and who meet the minimum essential criteria for the role. We support and provide adjustments for people with disabilities - if you have a disability and need help with the application process please contact us.

The Guildhall School is committed to Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk and expects all employees, workers, and volunteers to share this commitment.