Director of Education and Student Experience in London

University College London (UCL) is one of the world's leading universities, ranked 9th globally (QS World University Rankings 2026). Founded in 1826, it was established to widen access to education and to connect academic excellence with real-world impact. UCL now hosts more than 50,000 students and 18,000 staff and has produced over 30 Nobel laureates.

The Faculty of Life Sciences brings together cutting-edge research and teaching across the biological and biomedical sciences, pharmacy, and neuroscience. Its work addresses major global challenges, including disease, climate change, sustainability, technological change, and inequality. The Faculty comprises four academic Divisions: the School of Pharmacy, Biosciences, the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, and the Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit.

The Director of Education and Student Experience (DESE) holds overall responsibility for education strategy and operations across the Faculty, working in partnership with the Vice-Dean (Education), Dean, and Director of Operations. The DESE ensures Faculty actions on education delivery and student experience align with UCL policy, provides operational advice to senior leadership, and exercises general administrative and pastoral oversight of all students; undergraduate, postgraduate taught, and postgraduate research.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading Faculty education committees, quality assurance and enhancement processes, and matters affecting students at both UG and PG level.
• Supporting and leading education staff in developing best practice, ensuring policy compliance, and improving education and student experience outcomes.
• Leading the development and implementation of Faculty Learning and Teaching Strategies.
• Overseeing the development, approval, review, and withdrawal of programmes and modules.
• Leading decisions on registration, progression, extenuating circumstances, suspensions, withdrawals, terminations, admissions, appeals, and student discipline.
• Chairing and participating in UCL and faculty committees.
• Leading major quality assurance cycles and student number planning and admissions targets.

The successful candidate will have evidence of higher education to a degree level or equivalent, as well as relevant and substantial experience of student support within an education setting, including a wide range of pastoral support activities. Significant experience of leadership within Higher Education, including management of staff and resources, is essential.

For further information about this role, please contact Ben Webb, Director of Operations on ben.webb@ucl.ac.uk.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: As London's Global University, we know that diversity and inclusion are fundamental drivers of creativity, innovation, and excellence. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong, thrive, and reach our full potential. We particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL's workforce.