Associate Director of Communications (Colleges)

The opportunity

Join University of the Arts London (UAL) at an exciting point in our journey as we continue to strengthen our position as a global leader in creative education. As Associate Director of Communications (Colleges), you will play a critical role in shaping how our six Colleges connect with staff, students and external audiences.

Leading the College communications teams within an integrated University Communications function, you will harness the distinctive strengths of each College to deliver a clear, compelling and coordinated narrative that supports institutional priorities and culture change. You will work closely with College Provosts, Executive Boards and senior colleagues across UAL to translate strategic priorities into impactful communications that build engagement, trust and pride across our community.

This is a leadership role working with the Communications Director to combine strategic vision with operational delivery. You will drive integrated campaigns, strengthen communications infrastructure and ensure that College activity reinforces the wider UAL brand and communications strategy. Your work will help demonstrate the value of creative education, amplify our research and strengthen our role within London’s communities and the global creative sector.

Your profile

You will bring significant senior level experience of advising executive leaders on communications strategy, reputation management and complex issues. You will have a strong track record of delivering insight led communication campaigns that achieve measurable impact across diverse audiences.

A confident and credible leader, you will be experienced in building and motivating high performing teams within matrix environments and in driving collaboration across organisational boundaries. You will combine strategic thinking with strong delivery focus, able to manage multiple priorities while maintaining clarity of vision.

You will be an excellent communicator who is comfortable offering constructive challenge and navigating sensitive issues with professionalism and judgement. Your approach will be creative, evidence based and inclusive, with a strong commitment to improving engagement and the student experience through effective communication.

If this sounds like you and you are looking for your next challenge, we would love for you to apply.

We are UAL

University of the Arts London (UAL) generates and inspires the creativity the world needs for a better future. Since 1842, our colleges have been defining creative education. With curiosity, imagination and intent we make work which creates lasting change for people and our planet. London is core to who we are, a place where we meet and share ideas with people from different backgrounds and cultures.

Our creative network influences learning, culture, industry and society on a global scale. Our academics and practitioners deliver creative education and inspire new ways of thinking through research and innovation. We work with students at every level from pre-degree and short courses to postgraduate and online learning, enabling them to build the careers they want. Together, we are a community of makers, thinkers, pioneers and storytellers redesigning the future.

As a University, we are ranked second in the world for Art and Design. We are formed of 6 Colleges with unique histories and identities: Camberwell College of Arts, Central Saint Martins, Chelsea College of Arts, London College of Communication, London College of Fashion and Wimbledon College of Arts. UAL also has 4 Institutes, 5 Research Centres, 1 Pre-Degree School and 2 subsidiary companies delivering specialist activities.

We are a global University, welcoming over 22,000 students and 6,000 staff from 130 countries. We aim to be a university where people can be themselves and feel supported to reach their full potential. That’s why we are proud to hold a Bronze Award from the Race Equality Charter (REC), are members of the Business Disability Forum and Employers for Carers, and maintain our status as a Disability Confident Scheme and Living Wage employer.

Application process

We operate a fair and open anonymous selection process. Thus, you will need to create an account and submit an application through our job board. As part of this, you will need to provide a supporting statement/answer some competency questions to demonstrate your suitability. Our recruitment process involves: Application, Shortlisting, Interview and Assessment, Offer, Onboarding.

We understand the benefits of using AI in work. But, if you are thinking of using it to submit an application, we ask you to think about what value it adds. AI tools tend to lack the personal touch and authenticity we value in candidates. We encourage you to showcase your unique knowledge and skills using your own voice.

If we receive a high volume of applications, the closing day date might close early. We aim to communicate any changes to the closing date with at least 24 hours’ notice. If you have any general questions or have accessibility needs, please refer to our Contact us page.

Start your application

Candidates are advised to submit applications early.