Head of Centre and Institute Operations

THIS JOB HAS NOW CLOSED

The opportunity

You will provide project, administrative and operational support to UALs Institutes and Research Centres. UAL has an ambitious strategy to grow our Research and Knowledge Exchange activity, and this role will be key to supporting this success by developing a team who will provide professional services across current and emerging Centres & Institutes and wider related activities.  

This will involve oversight of the development of processes and systems to support Centres and Institutes in delivering to their plans, including mechanisms to manage and monitor activity; to organize, coordinate and deliver projects, activities and events; to manage and deliver their communications with internal and external stakeholders; and to provide other financial and administrative support on an ongoing basis.

The successful candidate will play a key role in the development of the central operations service, working closely with their team and with stakeholders across UALs Institutes, Centres and Colleges, to respond to current and emerging needs and support Centres and Institutes in achieving their objectives, in line with UALs Research and Knowledge Exchange strategies.  

This is a new role which will work with colleagues across the university, and is an exciting opportunity to bring together a group of existing skilled and experienced staff, to build a service which can support colleagues across the university in delivering to our strategy.

About you

Our staff come from a diverse range of professional backgrounds both within Higher Education and further afield. We value the experience they bring with them.

You will be an experienced manager who motivates and leads effectively, setting the direction of your team and service, to enable and promote collaboration and innovative problem solving across formal boundaries. You will have experience of building effective, service focussed teams, and will promote and enable an inclusive environment; and will apply these principles to the development of the service.

You will have experience of delivering successful strategic and operational management, and experience navigating and delivering change, within a complex organisational structure in Higher Education or a similar environment.

You will bring an in depth knowledge of the management and leadership of core operations and process management activities, including project management, general administration, communications, financial management and reporting, quality assurance, and risk management.

This role is based within the Research, Knowledge Exchange & Enterprise division, working across university, and will require strong communication, relationship building and networking skills.  

Informal enquiries about this opportunity are welcomed, please contact Mairead Kelly, Director of Academic Enterprise on m.i.kelly@arts.ac.uk to discuss.

 If you have any queries about this role or need any reasonable adjustments for your application, please contact Twinkle Brahmbhatt, Senior Resourcing Adviser on 020 7514 2965. 

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.

Our culture

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 be members of the Race Equality Charter (REC) and Business Disability Forum, are a Disability Confident Scheme Committed and Living Wage employer and maintain our status as a Stonewall Diversity Champion.

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.

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