Head of Professional Services
WORLD CHANGERS TOGETHER
Job purpose
As an integral member of both the School’s Leadership Team and the College Administrative Management Group, the postholder will play a lead role in the successful implementation and delivery of the College and School's strategy, policies, and objectives to fully achieve key University/College/School goals and deliver improvements evidenced by internal and external measures.
The post is accountable to the Deputy Director of Professional Services, with day-to-day responsibility to the Head of School to support development and delivery of School strategies and business needs. In addition to the general leadership contributions above, the post is responsible for the provision of all professional services in support of learning and teaching, research, and operations. This includes line management responsibility, direct and indirect, for all professional/administrative staff within the School. This will involve setting and monitoring appropriate operating models and services standards, across a wide range of activities, including ensuring appropriate integration with wider College and University services.
Main duties & responsibilities
- Working as part of the School Executive Group in partnership with Head of School, the postholder will make major contributions to the development and delivery of School strategy in line with the School, College and University's strategic objectives, evidenced by external measures including KPI's and targets such as student satisfaction, research performance, public engagement, impact and return on investment.
- Manage and develop the professional/administrative support functions and structures in the School to ensure effective delivery of the School's priorities and KPI target delivery.
- Coordinate the planning and operational delivery of the school’s research, teaching and administrative budgets in partnership with College Finance to facilitate smooth delivery of the School’s financial strategy and ensure sustainability for growth.
- Engage the School Leadership Team, and act with their delegated authority as agreed, to improve School business and league table performance. Such efforts will include organising and analysing relevant external information from relevant authorities and benchmarking sources
- Lead horizon scanning for the School to future-proof performance sustainability within an increasingly competitive HE environment.
- Participate in regular reviews of external competitor benchmarking, developing plans to improve School league table performance.
- Work with senior academic colleagues to develop and manage external partnerships and networks to enhance the School’s reputation at local, national, and international levels.
- Work collaboratively across College Administrative Management Group and, where relevant, broader University departments, to plan and deliver coherent and efficient ways of working across Professional Services. Perform a leading role in effecting change, driving measurable improvement in key performance areas and resource planning to deliver the key strategic objectives of the School/College and University
- Ensure effective compliance on behalf of the School with the University's governance framework, sourcing appropriate support from specialist/professional colleagues across the institution as required.
- In partnership with senior academic colleagues develop a robust framework to support compliance with relevant accreditation, including Athena SWAN, regulatory requirements and quality assurance processes.
- Responsible for the implementation of the teaching contribution model to support efficient and effective resourcing of teaching activity, working in partnership with senior academic colleagues to optimise resources and their impact to deliver improvement in KPI and league table performance. Responsible for supporting the success of the Byres Community Hub.
- As the School professional services lead, play a leading role as a member of the School Leadership team as well as the College professional services leadership team.
- Undertake other duties as are assigned by the College Director of Professional Services and Head of School.
- To contribute to the enhancement of the University’s international profile in line with the University’s Strategic Plan
Knowledge and qualifications
Essential
- Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework level 9, 10 or 11 (Ordinary/Honours Degree, Post Graduate Qualification) or equivalent, including being professionally qualified in a relevant discipline, with a broad range of professional experience in a similar management level role / Or in the absence of specific relevant qualifications, a significant track record in a similar or number of relevant specialist roles.
- Knowledge of governance and business processes in a large complex organisation.
- Broad knowledge of Lean/process improvement and change management.
- Knowledge and understanding of the HE sector, especially in relation to research and teaching and potential challenges.
- Broad knowledge of financial management within a budgetary control framework.
- Knowledge/understanding of research processes and funding.
Desirable
- A PhD and/or equivalent scientific experience in relevant scientific area is highly desirable.
- Good knowledge of University funding and governance arrangements.
Skills
Essential
- Excellent communications and presentational skills, including the ability to contribute to written reports for a variety of audiences.
- Excellent interpersonal skills, particularly influencing, negotiation and diplomacy.
- Highly effective leadership skills as a business partner.
- Resilient and able to maintain momentum in the face of challenges and setbacks.
- Understanding of financial planning and business analytics.
- Excellent customer service, stakeholder management and skills.
- Ability to develop, deliver and articulate a clear vision.
- Ability to develop operational plans to support strategic initiatives.
- Excellent ability to empower and motivate others to deliver a high-performance culture in a participative manner.
Experience
Essential
- Extensive and recent administrative leadership role in a large complex organisation, demonstrating excellent staff management skills.
- Experience of working in an HE environment at a senior level.
- Extensive experience in a business partner role working with senior staff to formulate ,develop and implement strategies and major projects.
- Proven track record using Lean/other methodology in the delivery of significant benefits to the business through process improvement programmes.
World-Changing Campus
We have delivered one of the most significant expansions of a UK university city campus for over a century.
Over the last decade, the University of Glasgow has invested in its estate to expand its world-class campus and facilities.
An area covering 14 acres of land next to our magnificent Gilmorehill campus has been redeveloped to build a mix of modern research, teaching and public spaces.
Our new buildings will mean the University remains a centre for world-changing research, as well as a vibrant community hub and centre for public engagement.
The development will transform our teaching, learning and research spaces. It will allow us to bring together the best minds of today and tomorrow within world-class interdisciplinary research spaces that offer flexibility and stimulate collaboration, and modern study spaces that will combine study and social learning space with technology enabled teaching.
- The Mazumdar-Shaw Advanced Research Centre (ARC) is changing the way research is conducted at Glasgow. The ARC is the creative and collaborative heart of research at the University of Glasgow, bridging the boundaries between research, cross-subject collaboration and true societal impact . The ARC brings more than 500 world-leading researchers from a range of disciplines together in a building specifically designed to break down organisational structure and facilitate collaboration and interdisciplinary work.
- The James McCune Smith Learning Hub is an inspirational and diverse learning space. The flagship building was the first to be completed as part of our campus development, and provides a creative environment, combining flexible study and social learning space with multi-styled and technology-enabled teaching. It can accommodate more than 2,500 students, and includes a lecture theatre with capacity for 500 students. State-of-the-art teaching facilities, with flexible study spaces and interactive teaching for students, help to create a more immersive learning experience.
Find out more
Living in Glasgow
A UNESCO City of Music, a vibrant arts and culture scene, a food-lover’s delight, and a shopper’s paradise. Just some of the highlights of the ‘friendliest city in the world’. As well as that accolade by the Rough Guides poll, Glasgow has also been named a must visit destination by publications including the New York Times, The Guardian, and Wanderlust.
Music
The city hosts an average of 130 music events a week catering for every taste; from rock to rap, and classical to country. Glasgow also has a world class club scene playing host to some of the world’s top DJs.
Shopping
Outside of London’s West End, Glasgow is frequently voted the best place for shopping in the UK. A must-visit destination for any shop-a-holic, it houses high street chains, international designers, and independent retailers. The West End, home to the University of Glasgow, is bustling with vintage fashion, vinyl stores, and second-hand bookshops.
Arts and Culture
Glasgow’s arts scene has gone from strength to strength, and is the base for five internationally renowned performing arts companies including the National Theatre of Scotland and Scottish Ballet. The city has several world-class museums, which are free to the public, and the city’s architecture is a work of art in itself.
Food and drink
You can be in Glasgow and taste the world with its many diverse restaurants, cafes, and bars. And if you’ve yet to sample the delights of haggis and whisky, Glasgow is the place to be.
The City and Beyond
Glasgow has all the opportunities and excitement of a big city but its compact size means you can quickly travel from one vibrant district to the next. You could be relaxing in one of its many parks, before shopping in the quirky West End, and then dancing until the wee small hours in the Merchant City.
And when you fancy getting out of the city you can reach the stunning Loch Lomond in just 30 minutes, climb one of our many breath-taking Munros, play golf at one of Scotland’s many world-class courses, visit one of our ancient castles, or go further North and search for Nessie! Scotland has also just been named the world’s most beautiful country by Rough Guides.
Relocating to Glasgow
Choosing to relocate to Glasgow is a big decision. There are numerous things to be considered, such as the costs of moving, the cost of living, and where exactly to relocate to. We have created two guides to aide you in the decision making process.
Find out more on relocating to Glasgow at the below link:
WORLD CHANGERS TOGETHER
WORLD CHANGING GLASGOW 2025
Our outstanding disciplinary breadth and expertise has enabled us to make world-changing advances in fields as diverse as medicine, physics, linguistics, public policy and global development.
The key to our success is our talented staff and students pushing back at the boundaries of knowledge and understanding together.
Our World Changers Together strategy recognises the fundamental importance of a culture of open cooperation: not just as colleagues and mentors or students and teachers, but as a community of discovery that reaches beyond its walls and draws inspiration and strength from its connections and partnerships worldwide: excellence that's part of something bigger. The strategy is articulated across three themes:
COMMUNITY
- People centred, globally engaged
CONNECTIVITY
- Collaboratively minded, digitally enhanced
CHALLENGES
- Solution focused, impact oriented
Find out more
How to apply
Full details of the role and how to apply can be found by visiting our website:
The closing date for applications is 23:45 on Sunday 16th March 2025
Terms & Conditions
Salary will be Grade 8, £49,250 - £56,921 per annum.
This post is full time and open ended. Relocation assistance will be provided where appropriate.
Informal enquiries should be directed via email to Alison Wallace alison.wallace@glasgow.ac.uk
It is the University of Glasgow’s mission to foster an inclusive climate, which ensures equality in our working, learning, research and teaching environment. We strongly endorse the principles of Athena SWAN, including a supportive and flexible working environment, with commitment from all levels of the organisation in promoting gender equity.
Our values
The future holds innumerable challenges for our sector, our society, and our world. We will have to adapt and change what we do and what we offer if we are to navigate these successfully. Our strategy and approach may evolve as the landscape changes, but our values will remain constant: a fixed point of certainty in uncertain times.
We have identified our values in consultation and partnership with our staff and student community. Living and upholding these values will ensure that we remain true to the spirit of our community and ourselves:
Ambition and Excellence
- We strive for excellence through our work
- We defend academic freedom globally
- We recognise and celebrate shared success
- We have an unrelenting focus on development
Curiosity and Discovery
- We innovate and solve problems together
- We lead by influence and example
- We engage with lifelong learning and personal development
- We learn from our mistakes
Integrity and Truth
- We uphold honesty, integrity and fairness
- We share our work widely and generously
- We do the right thing, not the easy thing - or we don’t do it
- We take responsibility
An Inclusive Community
- We are one Glasgow team, and we care for and respect one another
- We advocate for diversity and believe in variety as a vital part of a healthy university
- We champion education as an engine for social progress
- We practise and advance sustainability