Job Description
Position Details
College of Social Sciences
Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK
Full time starting salary is normally in the range £46,735 to £55,755 with potential progression once in post to £62,728
Grade: 8
Full Time, Permanent
Closing date: 3rd July 2025
'Open House' Drop In Session: We will be holding an ‘open house’ drop in session at the University’s Exchange building, in Centenary Square, Birmingham, between 10am and 5pm on Friday 6th June 2025. If you’re interested in working at the University of Birmingham and perhaps have a few questions, this is an opportunity to meet colleagues in the Recruitment team. It will be a relaxed and informal event – you can drop in at any time.
We will be running an online pre-application information session to give candidates the opportunity to find out more about the role and the application process. Details for the session are:
Date: 27th June 2025
Time: 2pm
Location: Online
To register for this event, please email Michelle Sanchez, [email protected]
Our offer to you
People are at the heart of what we are and do.
The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.
We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide-range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career at the University.
We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work.
Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working. In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.
The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site. On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.
Find out more about the benefits of working for the University of Birmingham
Role Summary
The Head of Operations (Education Support) has delegated responsibility from the Deputy Director of Operations (Education) for ensuring the effective provision of operational and strategic support to the College of Social Sciences for educational support.
The core areas of activity for this post are as follows:
- Functional Coordination leadership of Professional Services team across the College Education function
- Oversight of processes and teams in both taught and postgraduate research areas
- Data Management, systems improvements and implementation
- Deputising for Deputy Director of Operations (Education) as necessary
- College leadership for Education Support delivery
Reporting into the College Deputy Director Operations (Education) and working closing with the College Director of Education, Heads of Operations are key members of the College Professional Services Strategic Leadership Team (PSSLT) and contribute to our ambitions to enhance the services we provide for teaching and world-leading research and an outstanding student experience. The role holder will lead on the planning, delivery and continuous improvement of operations or strategic projects/initiatives across the Education Support delivery for the College and, where appropriate, the University.
The Head of Operations (Education Support) will be required to think strategically with excellent communication and leadership skills, significant operational experience, and a commitment to continuous improvement of excellent service delivery through a collaborative and inclusive approach.
Main Duties
Leadership
- To take responsibility for the delivery of efficient and effective professional services in the College for education support.
- Lead and manage professional services staff in College Education Support team within their area of responsibility, through intermediary managers as appropriate, to ensure delivery of the College’s Strategy and by creating an empowering, solution focused environment for all colleagues, ensuring effective, positive working relationships at all levels
- Lead staff through periods of change, communicating a clear and positive vision and acting as a role model.
- Ongoing development and support for direct reports through coaching and training, both formal and informal.
- Developing teams that consistently embody and demonstrate the University values, and an ability to lead by example. Working with senior Professional Services colleagues across the College, lead on the continuous improvement of operational service delivery.
- Working with senior Professional Services colleagues across the College, lead on the continuous improvement of operational service delivery.
- Deputise as appropriate.
Strategic and Operational
- Work in partnership with College Business Partners and other Heads of Operation (as appropriate) to support the College in delivering the CoSS 2030 Strategy, in the context of the College Compact and the University Strategic Framework.
- Engagement with strategic initiatives, including with external partners, ensuring that the required professional services contribution is made.
- Work as part of the College Professional Services Strategic Leadership Team to provide a critical link between University Professional Central Services, College and School. Balance local needs with overarching University and College objectives and ensure that practices are aligned wherever possible, ensuring the delivery of an outstanding student and academic experience.
- Working closely with the College Head of Facilities, College Head of IT Support and wider facilities and IT colleagues, to ensure the College Education Support teams have appropriate facilities, in terms of buildings, equipment, IT and other relevant facilities and that these facilities are managed in an efficient and effective manner and support the College’s strategic ambitions.
- Monitor and maintain understanding of relevant emerging strategic, regulatory, and policy developments, and with best practice in the Higher Education and/or Business School sector and ensure knowledge is shared appropriately within the School and College.
Governance and Compliance
- Support the Director of Education and Deputy Director of Operations (Education) in ensuring that the College has robust governance and decision-making structures for education delivery and that these are fully aligned with those at University level.
- Lead role in understanding requirements for compliance with accreditation and regulatory bodies as relevant to each of the Schools & College, and responsibility for the operational aspects.
- Ensure that the College Education Professional Services team has excellent secretariat services to support the relevant committees in order to ensure that decisions made are communicated and followed up as appropriate.
- To take the lead on ensuring that the College complies with University Regulations, all other University policies, procedures and guidelines, relevant legislation relating to education support and delivery.
HR Management
- Ensure appropriate HR strategies and procedures are in place for Education Support teams, to include induction, succession planning, training and development, performance management and review and reward mechanisms, working with College HR staff as appropriate to ensure compliance with University policy and procedures and relevant legislation.
- Ensure that effective and efficient processes and support are in place in relation to HR matters in the Education Support teams, to include sickness and leave monitoring, recruitment process management and maintaining up-to-date and relevant staff records, working with College HR staff as appropriate to ensure compliance with University policy and procedures and relevant legislation.
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
- Actively promote equality, diversity and inclusion acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.
Citizenship
- Promote the Birmingham Professional agenda within the College and seek to support the Director of Operations and PSSLT in nurturing an empowering and supportive professional services environment with embedded partnership working with academic colleagues.
- Develop effective working relationships with the other Heads of Operations and senior professional services colleagues across the University.
- To take on projects as requested by the College Director of Operations for the benefit of the wider College and University.
- Perform other duties as requested, consistent with the duties commensurate with the grade.
- As a Birmingham Professional at the University of Birmingham, you are expected to support key university activities and projects, for example, graduations, confirmation and clearing, and other key events and to work flexibly across the University if required.
Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience
Essential:
- Educated to Degree level (or equivalent qualifications) plus relevant operational experience in complex organisations, including, but not exclusively, higher education.
- Proven capability as a leader or manager, with a flexible and inclusive management style, appropriate to the complexity and diversity of the University.
- High levels of organisational skill, with an agile and adaptive approach.
- Demonstrable success of building relationships across a complex organisation with evidence of exceptional negotiating and influencing skills.
- Evidence of excellent communications skills including the ability to interact with different audiences.
- High degree of self-motivation and ability to motivate and lead others.
- Evidence of digital skills and capabilities to succeed in an evolving digital environment including MS 365.
- Ability to manage conflict effectively and handle sensitive and confidential issues.
- Significant experience of leading and developing teams.
- Experience of writing and presenting reports in a clear and well-structured manner for senior management, and to produce and analyse source material, information, and data.
- Experience of monitoring and reporting on budgets and an understanding of financial management procedures.
- A readiness to challenge the status quo with evidence of developing and implementing service excellence, and identifying continuous improvement opportunities.
- A commitment to people development and the organisational values that underpin the culture of the University.
- Evidence of a commitment to excellent service delivery.
- Experience of championing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in own work area.
Desirable:
- Knowledge of the Higher Education environment, the national and international landscape, and its business requirements.
Informal enquiries to Yvonne Hackforth Williams, email:
[email protected]View our staff values and behaviours here
We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website . 
