Head of Student and Academic Services in Glasgow

As a key member of the College Professional Services Leadership Team, the role-holder will lead the delivery of a highly efficient and effective Student Operations service, enabling the successful delivery of the College’s strategic initiatives including the implementation of the Service Excellence programme, the Course and Programme Portfolio Review, Project Compass, and other adjacent activities across Undergraduate, Postgraduate Taught and Postgraduate Research areas of responsibility. Executing and embedding the changes associated with these will be a key performance measure in the role.

Reporting to the CoSE Director of Professional Services, the role holder will be a significant contributor towards the broader remit of informing, leading and successful delivery of the future shape of Professional Services in line with the College and University’s strategic direction. This is a strategic business partnering role, working primarily with the Dean of Learning & Teaching, Dean of Graduate Studies, and senior colleagues across the College and University to implement strategic initiatives within the domain of the College Student and Academic Services team.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Senior Professional Services lead in the implementation of key strategic initiatives in CoSE, including Service Excellence, the Course and Programme Portfolio Review, Project Compass, and other adjacent activities with a key focus on driving improvements in student experience and staff satisfaction.
• Working with senior colleagues across the College and University more broadly, represent and advocate for CoSE student/academic priorities, ensuring that these are effectively aligned to institutional strategy, to deliver key initiatives and projects that enhance the learning and teaching experience for both students and staff.
• Senior contributor to transformation-related projects that inform and deliver the future shape of Professional Services across Learning and Teaching and Postgraduate Research in terms of services, processes and organisational design.
• Working as an effective change agent, in partnership with the College leadership team, influence collaborative engagement and successful implementation of both College and transformation programme recommendations within the student experience and enhancement remit.
• Contribute to quality enhancement reviews and ongoing policy developments including the continued evolution of teaching, assessment and student support models ensuring compliance with the University’s governance framework.
• Working in partnership with Learning and Teaching and Postgraduate Research teams across the College and University, implement an integrated and effective student experience proposition on which the College can deliver the University’s financial targets whilst delivering a sustained improvement in the experience for students and staff.
• Proactively network and develop strong collaborative relationships across the University to share best practice and remove potential barriers to the delivery of enhanced performance.

Knowledge, Qualifications, Skills and Experience

Knowledge and Qualifications

• Essential:
• A1 Degree or equivalent qualification or substantial senior level experience in a leadership capacity.
• A2 Substantial knowledge and understanding of governance and business processes within a large complex organisation.
• A3 Knowledge and understanding of the HE sector and potential challenges.
• Desirable:
• B1 Substantial knowledge of Lean/Process Improvement and Change Management.
• B2 Broad knowledge of financial management, data integrity and insightful analytics to inform high-quality decision-making.

Skills

• Essential:
• C1 Excellent interpersonal skills, particularly influencing, negotiation and challenge with diplomacy.
• C2 Excellent strategic thinking and planning skills, with the ability to convert into operational plans.
• C3 Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to communicate at all levels.
• C4 Excellent customer service, stakeholder management and business partnering skills.
• C5 High degree of numeracy including data analysis and presentation skills.
• C6 Drive for results oriented, resilient and able to maintain momentum in the face of challenges and setbacks.
• C7 Excellent ability to empower and motivate others to deliver a high-performance culture.

Experience

• Essential:
• E1 Proven track record of providing a high-quality professional services in a complex organisation with extensive knowledge of HE sector.
• E2 Sustained proven track record in the delivery of significant benefits to the business through process improvement/change management programmes.
• E3 Proven track record of successfully leading change projects across a complex organisation.
• E4 Proven track record of business process improvement benefits delivery.
• E5 Proven track record in project management and strong organisational skills with the ability to drive multiple projects simultaneously.
• E6 Extensive experience in a business partnering role, working with senior staff to formulate, develop and successfully deliver key strategic objectives.
• E7 Proven track record of successfully leading high performing teams.
• E8 Significant experience of providing high-quality management information to inform decision-making including effective financial management.

Terms and Conditions

Salary will be Grade 9, £59,966 - £67,468 per annum. This post is full time (35 hours p/w) and fixed term for up to 12 months.

Please Note: The University would consider a secondment opportunity for this post. Applicants should seek clearance for release for secondment from their line manager before making a formal application.

Closing date: 31 August 2026

The University of Glasgow has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK. If you require a Skilled Worker visa to work in the UK, you will be required to meet the eligibility requirements of the visa route to be assigned a Certificate of Sponsorship. Please note that this post may be eligible to be sponsored under the Skilled Worker visa route if tradeable points can be used under the Skilled Worker visa rules.

As a valued member of our team, you can expect:

• A warm welcoming and engaging organisational culture, where your talents are developed and nurtured, and success is celebrated and shared.
• An excellent employment package with generous terms and conditions including 41 days of leave for full time staff, pension, benefits and discount packages.
• A flexible approach to working.
• A commitment to support your health and wellbeing, including a free 6-month UofG Sport membership for all new staff joining the University.

We believe that we can only reach our full potential through the talents of all. Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our values. Applications are particularly welcome from across our communities and in particular people from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community, and other protected characteristics who are under-represented within the University.

We endorse the principles of Athena Swan and hold bronze, silver and gold awards across the University. We are investing in our organisation, and we will invest in you too.