Vacancy Type/Job category
Management & Professional
Department
Warwick Business School
Sub Department
Executive Office
Salary
Competitive
Location
University of Warwick, Coventry
Vacancy Overview
Permanent position, 1.0 FTE.
Warwick Business School (WBS), part of the University of Warwick, is a world-class business school at the heart of a world-class University, challenging assumptions and championing business as a force for good. We operate out of a world-class campus situated in the heart of England, as well as our London base at The Shard, the city's most iconic building located in the vibrant neighbourhood that is the London Bridge Quarter.
WBS is an elite, research-led, triple-accredited business school with a broad portfolio of highly ranked, world-class programmes. From the pioneering research we undertake, to the students we help to shape, we are for the Change Makers who will impact the world for the better. Our vision is to be Europe's leading University-based business school, developing transformational ideas and people that shape how we do business. We are seeking to appoint to a number of key professional services leadership roles, which will play a key part in furthering our strategic ambitions, and in our future success.
We are looking for someone who will devise, lead and evaluate the School's overarching stakeholder engagement strategy, incorporating and aligning a number of sub-strategies across a wide range of functional responsibilities. To ensure that the School optimises its external profile via a coherent, aligned offer that delivers maximum benefit to the School across the dimensions of reputation, profile, engagement and commercial return.
Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the role will be part of the Senior Management Group, and will lead on delivering the highest of standards and experiences for our students, staff and stakeholders and will work closely with colleagues from across the School and the wider University.
We are looking for an individual who shares our drive and ambition and will live our values of, curiosity, openness, restlessness, and excellence (CORE). This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced leader who has a sound understanding of the national and international HE context, has a proven track record of senior administrative and management experience in HE, business schools, and/or corporate sectors, has experience of working with and supporting a range of senior academic leaders and has a proven track record of leading and managing large teams with diverse areas of expertise. If you believe that you have the passion and commitment towards the achievement of the School's ambitious plans we look forward to hearing from you.
Interviews are expected to be held w/c 13th or 20th March.
To find out more or arrange an informal conversation about the role, please contact: Gareth Bennett, [email protected]
Job Description
JOB PURPOSE
We are looking for someone who will devise, lead and evaluate the School's overarching stakeholder engagement strategy, incorporating and aligning a number of sub-strategies across a wide range of functional responsibilities. To ensure that the School optimises its external profile via a coherent, aligned offer that delivers maximum benefit to the School across the dimensions of reputation, profile, engagement and commercial return.
As a member of the Senior Management Group, the postholder will lead on delivering a transformational experience for our external stakeholders, working closely with colleagues from across the School and the wider University.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Strategy
• Design, deliver and iterate an overarching strategy to transform the School's engagement with internal and external stakeholders, ensuring that institutional priorities are reflected, and that outcomes are benchmarked against national and international comparator schools.
• Co-ordinate and refine sub-strategies for the Sections of the School for which you are responsible, ensuring that they are aligned and consistent with each other, and with other functional strategies of the School, and deliver an exceptional experience for external stakeholders;
• Be a key part of the School's strategic decision-making regarding markets, programmes and service priorities, as well as new product development, as it looks to fulfil its 2030 ambitions and beyond.
• Responsibility for the enhancement of the School's overall reputation amongst external stakeholders, including the media;
• Build capabilities, identify synergies, and optimise resource allocation, ensuring that effective controls and incentives are in place to support good strategic and operational management of relevant Sections.
• Work with the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Finance Officer on the Five Year Planning process to ensure that the School is resourced appropriately to deliver on existing commitments and new academic and business initiatives.
• As a member of the School's Senior Management Group, contribute at the most senior level to the strategic management and development of the School. The role holder will Chair and participate in Committees and Working Groups as appropriate to the areas of responsibility, at both School and University level, to develop strategy and oversee the implementation of change.
• Monitor and evaluate progress against strategic priorities at Section, School and University levels, and ensure that the School is able to use and analyse data for good decision-making.
Leadership & Innovation
• Provide ambitious vision, direction and leadership to an empowered team of Section Heads, supporting the growth and development of individuals and teams and ensuring that the team are integrated within themselves, with the wider professional services, with the School's academic community and with the wider University, to ensure that business development and marketing considerations are integrated in the School's decision-making.
• Provide leadership, line management and coaching for Section Heads in the areas of Communications and Marketing, Recruitment & Admissions, Careers, Alumni, and Executive Education.
• Provide appropriate support to significant new initiatives in the School to ensure that professional support is available to underpin new business opportunities, as well as enhancing existing operations.
• Understanding and awareness of current and future trends in relevant areas of education and business, ensuring that the School's operations harness innovation in a resilient and integrated manner.
• Identify opportunities for the diversification of income streams in order to deliver sustainable growth.
Relationships
• Build effective relationships with the senior leadership of the University and central services, ensuring that the School's externally facing offer is complementary to the development of central services and that there is demonstrable added value provided by School functions.
• Oversee the development and cultivation of the ongoing relationships between the School and its students from first enquiry right through to alumni, and set a cultural expectation of customer focus that sets WBS apart from competitors, making best use of technology (digital marketing, CRM) alongside personal interventions.
• Develop proactive relationships with relevant stakeholders externally in both the business school and University context to ensure the monitoring of best-practice and innovation within the sector, incorporating into the School's activities as appropriate.
• Build and maintain effective partnerships and relationships with key external stakeholders, including corporate clients, international partners, professional bodies, alumni and peer institutions. Act as an ambassador for the School and the University.
• Undertake special projects as may be required by the Dean, Chief Operating Officer, or other members of the Executive Team from time to time.
Person Specification
The Person Specification focuses on the knowledge, skills, experience and qualifications required to undertake the role effectively. This is measured by (a) Application Form, (b) Test/Exercise, (c) Interview, (d) Presentation.
Essential Criteria 1
A good honours degree or equivalent experience (a).
Essential Criteria 2
Understanding of the national and international context for Higher Education (a,c,d).
Essential Criteria 3
Significant senior administrative and management experience working in the higher education, business schools, and/or corporate sectors, and poise to handle the pressure and demands of a fast-paced and changing environment (a,c).
Essential Criteria 4
Experience of working with and supporting a range of senior academic leaders (a,c).
Essential Criteria 5
Significant leadership at a senior level and experience of leading and managing large staff teams (>50) with diverse areas of expertise (a,c).
Essential Criteria 6
Ability and credibility to represent the Business School internally and externally, and to facilitate partnerships with all relevant stakeholders including employers and alumni (a,c,d).
Essential Criteria 7
The ability to communicate persuasively with staff at all levels both within the higher education sector and within partner organisations and with stakeholders (a,c,d).
Essential Criteria 8
Skills to collaborate with multiple stakeholders in a high energy, often ambiguous and complex environment (a,c).
Essential Criteria 9
An ability to identify business opportunities, stakeholder needs and sell solutions/ideas to senior stakeholders (a,c).
Essential Criteria 10
Excellent oral and written communication and effective influencing skills, including knowledge and skills to establish professional credibility with a broad range of academic faculty, management practitioners and their sponsors (a,c,d).
Essential Criteria 11
Ability to use own initiative and to work quickly and accurately under pressure exercising judgement and assessment of risk across multiple areas of responsibility (a,c).
Essential Criteria 12
Excellent project management skills including the ability to manage multiple concurrent projects (a,c).
Essential Criteria 13
Extensive budgetary management experience and financially literate (a,c).
Essential Criteria 14
Ability to identify and deliver opportunities for income growth, with a drive to meet targets and a positive and solution focused outlook (a,c).
Essential Criteria 15
Strong organisational and change management skills, and the ability to innovate and devise creative solutions to complex problems (a,c).
Desirable Criteria 1
MBA or equivalent postgraduate or post-experience management qualification (a).
Further Particulars
For further information about the University of Warwick, please read our University Further Particulars.
Warwick Business School (WBS) is a world-class business school at the heart of a world-class University, challenging assumptions and championing business as a force for good. From the pioneering research we undertake, to the students we help to shape, we are for the Change Makers who will impact the world for the better.
We were the first UK business school to be triple accredited by the major bodies (EQUIS, AMBA, AACSB) and our courses consistently rank highly (our Distance Learning MBA is first in the world, our Executive MBA is ranked first in the UK and sixth in the world, and our MSc Management is ranked first in the UK and ninth in the world).
However, we're more than our rankings and we're proud to be different. We're down to earth and approachable, and we want WBS to feel like home to our students, our staff and our alumni community. We look to provide a stimulating and fulfilling work environment for all. One where you will feel supported and encouraged to grow professionally; developing your knowledge, skills, confidence and career.
Our Vision
Our vision is to be Europe's leading University-based business school, developing transformational ideas and people that shape how we do business. This vision is supported by our three-fold mission:
1. To develop cutting-edge research that leads debate and deepens our understanding of the practice of business and management. 2. To provide a transformational learning experience, enabling our stakeholders to realise their full potential. 3. To work in partnership with policy and practice, both in terms of our research and teaching activities, to catalyse the impact of our work.
Everything we do is underpinned by our CORE values and driven by a commitment to a Change Maker mindset. We look for this shared commitment across our staff and student community.
• Change Makers see the bigger picture. Thinking beyond themselves and their environment, they're open to other viewpoints and consider the ripple effect of what they do on a personal, social, and commercial level. They're driven by having the biggest positive impact and a focus on the greater good. • Change Makers challenge the norm. Challenging the status quo and not just accepting things at face value is when real impact and change can be delivered. • Change Makers have the drive as well as the vision. It's one thing having a vision but having the drive and work ethic to realise a vision is another matter. Change Makers relentlessly pursue every possible solution in order to achieve their goals.
Our CORE Values
• Curiosity. We challenge, we embrace different perspectives, and we think creatively to build our future. • Openness. We're open to different perspectives, talking to stakeholders, listening to feedback, embracing change and pushing forward for the better. • Restlessness. We're not satisfied with standing still, and never stop looking for ways to improve. Constantly evaluating, we don't stop when we've achieved one thing; we use all of our initiative, drive and resourcefulness to achieve more. • Excellence At a world class university and a globally recognised business school, excellence is a given. There are no half measures at WBS.
The University of Warwick holds an Athena SWAN Silver award; a national initiative to promote gender equality for all staff and students. Further information about the work of the University in relation to Athena SWAN can be found at the following link: Athena Swan (warwick.ac.uk)
The University of Warwick is one of the six founder institutions of the EUTOPIA European University alliance, whose aim is to become by 2025 an open, multicultural, confederated operation of connected campuses.
Warwick is committed to building an organisation of mutual respect and dignity, promoting a welcoming, diverse and inclusive working and learning environment. We recognise that everyone is different in a variety of visible and non-visible ways, and that those differences are to be recognised, respected, and valued. Where possible, we go beyond legislation to provide a place where everyone can thrive, supporting all staff to achieve their full potential. We aspire to remove economic, social and cultural barriers that may otherwise prevent people from succeeding.
We therefore welcome and encourage applications from all communities regardless of culture, background, age, disability, sex/gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, religion/belief, or sexual or romantic orientation. To find out more about our social inclusion work at Warwick visit our webpages here.
Right to work in the UK
If you do not yet have the right to work in the UK and/or are seeking sponsorship for a Skilled Worker visa in the UK points-based immigration system please click on this link which contains further information about obtaining right to work in the UK and details about eligibility for sponsorship for a Skilled Worker Visa.
Recruitment of Ex-Offenders Policy
As an organisation using the (DBS) Disclosure and Barring Service to assess applicants' suitability for positions of trust, the University of Warwick complies with the DBS Code of Practice and undertakes not to discriminate unfairly against any subject of a Disclosure on the basis of a conviction or other information revealed. More information is available on the University's Vacancy pages and applicants may request a copy of the DBS Code of Practice.
Closing Date
27 Feb 2023