Departmental Manager

UCL Innovation & Enterprise is a team within the office of the Vice Provost (Research, Innovation and Global Engagement). The team of around 90 people has a role supporting and embedding a culture of innovation and enterprise across the University, working closely with Faculties, Professional Services and VP offices. Specialist units support extra-curricular entrepreneurship, social enterprise, business and innovation partnerships, institutional policies, and knowledge exchange funding. We are co-located and work closely with subsidiary companies UCLB supporting research commercialisation, and UCLC supporting consultancy.

We’re offering a 12-month secondment opportunity to play a key role in shaping the future of our department during an exciting period of transformation. The Innovation & Enterprise (I&E) team is moving to Maple House, where we’ll be introducing new ways of working and bringing together fresh ideas and teams under one roof.

With changes in government and a rapidly evolving landscape, we’re rethinking how we make decisions, set priorities, and allocate resources. Your work will help us navigate uncertainty with confidence, ensuring our teams feel supported and empowered. This is your chance to be at the heart of change, helping us build a stronger culture, empower our managers, and create a collaborative environment that thrives on innovation.

Responsibilities:

• Design and deliver engaging away days, team meetings and all staff sessions that bring people together, set the culture (including EDI initiatives) and spark creativity.
• Work alongside our HR Business Partner to upskill line managers, giving them confidence and clarity in their roles.
• Help implement standardised ways of working, ensuring consistency and excellence across the department.
• Lead on UCL-wide initiatives like EDI Champions, Green Champions, and Wellbeing Champions.
• Use all-staff meetings to share knowledge and foster a culture of openness and collaboration.

The post holder is a member of the unit’s leadership team.

About you:

Things you’ll need in order to do this job include:

• Proven track record in administration and management within a complex, multi-stakeholder environment.
• Experience of managing a unit administrative support environment dealing with internal comms, HR, facilities, event/meeting coordination and budgeting.
• Experience of providing task management and leadership in matrix structures without a formal line management role.
• Trained facilitator.
• Experience of stakeholder management and change management.

Please read our Job Description, paying particular attention to the Essential and Desirable criteria, and ensure these are covered in your application.

What we offer:

As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits:

• 41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave, 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days).
• Additional 5 days’ annual leave purchase scheme.
• Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE).
• Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan.
• Relocation scheme for certain posts.
• On-site gym.
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay.
• Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service.
• Discounted medical insurance.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.