Chief Executive Officer in London

About SBM London

School of Business and Management London, SBM London, is a private higher education provider offering higher degree programmes in partnership with the University of Wolverhampton. We are committed to widening participation, creating opportunities, and promoting fair access to higher education for students from diverse backgrounds. Our mission is to provide high-quality education, strong academic support, and meaningful progression opportunities for students who may not otherwise have access to higher education. As we continue to grow, we are seeking an experienced and ambitious Chief Executive Officer to lead the organisation through its next stage of development.

The Role

The CEO will provide strategic, operational, and academic leadership across SBM London. The successful candidate will be responsible for driving growth, achieving student recruitment and performance targets, strengthening university partnerships, and ensuring compliance with regulatory and quality requirements. This is a senior leadership role for someone who understands the private higher education sector, can manage growth responsibly, and is committed to improving student outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Leading the strategic direction and growth of SBM London.
• Achieving student recruitment, retention, progression, and financial targets.
• Ensuring strong governance, compliance, and quality assurance across the organisation.
• Maintaining and developing the partnership with the University of Wolverhampton.
• Ensuring the college meets the expectations of the Office for Students, awarding bodies, and other regulatory authorities.
• Promoting widening participation, fair access, equality, diversity, and inclusion.
• Overseeing academic delivery, student support, operations, marketing, admissions, and finance.
• Building a strong, motivated, and accountable senior management team.
• Ensuring students’ needs are central to decision-making and service delivery.
• Managing risk, performance, budgets, and organisational growth.
• Representing SBM London professionally with external partners, regulators, stakeholders, and the wider higher education sector.

Person Specification

The ideal candidate will have:

• Significant senior leadership experience in higher education, preferably within the private higher education sector.
• Strong knowledge of the UK higher education system.
• Good understanding of the Office for Students regulatory framework.
• Experience of working with university partnerships or validation/franchise arrangements.
• A proven ability to achieve growth, recruitment, quality, and financial targets.
• Strong commercial, operational, and strategic management skills.
• A clear commitment to widening participation and fair access to higher education.
• Excellent understanding of student needs, student experience, and student support.
• Strong leadership, communication, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to manage change, growth, compliance, and performance in a fast-moving environment.
• A professional, ethical, and student-focused approach.

Essential Requirements

• Experience at senior management or executive level in higher education.
• Knowledge of private higher education provision in the UK.
• Understanding of OfS requirements and quality assurance expectations.
• Proven track record of meeting organisational targets.
• Ability to lead teams and manage institutional growth.
• Strong commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion, and widening participation.

Desirable Requirements

• Experience working with the University of Wolverhampton or similar university partnership models.
• Knowledge of student recruitment, admissions, retention, and progression.
• Experience in regulatory submissions, quality reviews, audits, or OfS-related processes.
• Postgraduate qualification or relevant professional qualification.

What We Offer

• A senior leadership opportunity in a growing private higher education provider.
• The opportunity to shape strategy, growth, and student success.
• A mission-driven environment focused on widening participation and fair access.
• Competitive salary and benefits.
• The chance to make a meaningful impact on students, communities, and the future of higher education.

How to Apply

Please send your CV and a covering letter outlining your suitability for the role to: SBM London welcomes applications from candidates who share our commitment to widening participation, fair access, and high-quality higher education.