Location: London
Interviews Scheduled: Friday 23rd May 2025
Located on a fantastic campus in southwest London, the University of Roehampton has a strong reputation for the quality of its teaching and research and for enhancing the lives and employment prospects of what is one of the most diverse student populations in the UK. For over 180 years the University, in some form, has been a pioneer in transformative education and has been providing education to women longer than any other university in the country. In the last five years, the University has implemented a transformation strategy focused on student experience and outcomes, student number growth, diversification of programmes, and partnership development; all designed to secure the University’s investment plans for future growth in pursuit of it achieving its academic objectives. We are now ranked top 10 in England for both undergraduate and postgraduate student satisfaction.
In the last five years, Professional Services have undergone significant transformation with service and performance substantially enhanced across all areas. We have had a strong focus on student experience-led investments, cost controls and systems improvements. A new student record system is about to ‘go live’ and our Student Support and Success directorate has been reshaped, helping deliver TEF gold level metrics across the board through pro-active and data-led student support.
Reporting to the Vice-Chancellor, the new Chief Operating Officer (COO) will work with and support the senior executive team of Roehampton. They will provide strategic operational direction, effectively harnessing resources and performance data, to create and deliver the best operational conditions to ensure the university’s sustainability, through student success and effective operations. In addition to providing robust operational stewardship and supporting student success (with a particular focus on career preparation), a key focus will be the ongoing development of future-focused systems and practices – harnessing technology and process automation in the support of efficient customer service excellence. An aspect of the role will also be the development of a sustainable Estates strategy, including student accommodation.
The Chief Operating Officer will have management responsibility for a central team of professionals including Academic Services, Registry, Student Support and Success, Estates and Information Services, Planning and Strategic Projects, HR and Health and Safety, and the University Secretariat, and will coordinate a broader Professional Services leadership team across the University.
Alongside the above, the Chief Operating Officer also has an important liaison role with the Providing Bodies, Whitelands College, Froebel College, Digby Stuart College and Southlands College.
The successful candidate will be a clear strategic thinker, an excellent leader and manager, with a track record of operational excellence improvements and with a deep commitment to students that drives all that they do. An individual with extensive successful management experience of equivalent services in medium to large complex service-oriented organisations. You will also have proven experience of developing and delivering successful operational strategies and have delivered significant operational change and transformational projects in similarly complex organisations. Balancing strategic and operational imperatives, you will also have an ability to work at both macro and micro levels to be effective. Understanding the issues faced by higher education would be advantageous but more important will be your experience of delivering excellent operational management and governance in complex high-quality customer-facing environments. You will also possess excellent interpersonal skills and be able to work collegiately with all internal and external partners.
This is primarily a campus-based role requiring frequent face-to-face interaction with campus-based teams.
Applications should be made via email to and must include on separate documents:
1. a letter of application setting out your interest in the role and details of how you match the person specification
2. a comprehensive curriculum vitae (CV)
3. details of three referees and notice period (referees will not be contacted without your permission)
4. a completed Personal Details Form (available above)
The closing date for application is Midnight on Sunday 11th May 2025.
Formal interviews will take place on Friday 23rd May 2025.
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