The University At Durham University we are proud of our people. A globally outstanding centre of educational excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, a unique and historic setting - Durham is a university like no other. We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things professionally and personally. Across the University we have a huge variety of roles and career opportunities, which together make us a large and successful community, which is a key hub of activity within our region and nationally. We would be thrilled if you would consider joining our thriving University. Further information about the University can be found here. Find out more about the benefits of working at the University and what it is like to live and work in the Durham area on our Why Join Us? - Durham University The Role and Department Durham University Business School, one of the longest established business schools in the UK, is a multi-disciplinary School characterised by academic excellence, internationally-rated research and superb student support services. The School's diversity and international standing is reflected in the student intake (with over 110 nationalities); accreditation by AACSB, AMBA, and EQUIS; and high positions in the UK and European Business School rankings. Further information on the School can be found at http://www.dur.ac.uk/business/. Working closely and in collaboration with the School's senior leadership team, the postholder will be responsible for leading and advising the School-wide accreditation activity, and actively contributing to the development and implementation of strategies to support the maintenance of the School's triple-accredited status. In particular, the postholder will provide high-level support for the delivery of the School's strategic objectives in Education, working closely with the Deputy Executive Dean (Education) and other senior members of the School. This includes being the PS lead for academic quality assurance, education policy development and new programme development, in response to the complex and wide-ranging needs of the Business School and its four academic departments. They will also be responsible for advising on a range of high-level governance matters. As one of the School's Operational Leads, the Senior Manager, Accreditations and Governance also leads the School's Accreditation and Stakeholder Relations team, which includes colleagues working in the areas of: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion; Sustainability; Alumni relations; Postgraduate recruitment relations; and Marketing relations. They are also a member of the School's Executive Team and will be expected to make an active contribution to policy development related to the School's Strategy and key University objectives, working alongside senior colleagues. Further information about the role and the responsibilities is at the bottom of this job description. Working at Durham A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University: you will also receive access to the following fantastic benefits: • 30 Days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year - a total of 42 days per year. • The University closes between Christmas and New Year • We offer a generous pension scheme, As a new member of staff you will be automatically enrolled into this University Superannuation Scheme (USS). • No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered. We have parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies. • There is a genuine commitment to developing our colleagues professionally and personally. There is a comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications and routes to develop your career in the University. All staff have dedicated annual time to concentrate on their personal development opportunities. • Lots of support for health and wellbeing including discounted membership for our state of the art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme. • On site nursery is available plus access to holiday camps for children aged 5-16. • Family friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, which are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers). • The opportunity to take part in staff volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community • Discounts are available via our benefits portal including; money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, the cinema and days out at various attractions. • A salary sacrifice scheme is also available to help you take advantage of tax savings on benefits. • If you are moving to Durham, you may be eligible for help with removal costs and we have a dedicated team who can help you with the practicalities such as house hunting and schools. If you need a visa, we cover most visa costs and offer an interest free loan scheme to pay for dependant visas. Discover more about our total rewards and benefits package here. Durham University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion Our collective aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and we believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work. As a University equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University's Strategy and a central part of everything we do. We also live by our values and our Staff Code of Conduct. At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive. It's important to us that all of our colleagues are aligned to both our values and commitment to EDI. We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force including people with disabilities, women and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. If you have taken time out of your career, and you feel it relevant, let us know about it in your application. If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role. What you need to demonstrate when you apply/Person Specification When you apply it is important that you let us know what skills/experience you have from a similar role and/or what skills/experience you have which would make you right for this role. Further information about the role and responsibilities is at the end of this job description. Where a criteria has an asterisk next to it, it may be given additional weighting when your application is considered. Your application should cover the following criteria: Essential Criteria Qualifications/Experience 1. Educated to degree level (or equivalent experience). 2. Professional practitioner with significant, relevant specialist knowledge and expertise in governance and/or accreditation, within the Higher Education sector with the ability to influence service delivery, events and activities within the organisation. 3. Experience of providing specialist advice and guidance to a range of stakeholders and colleagues, specifically in relation to the areas of academic quality assurance and governance. 4. Evidence of successfully managing and developing multiple teams across large, complex, service areas. 5. Significant, relevant, experience and success in stakeholder engagement and multi-stakeholder management, internally and externally, at senior level. 6. Experience of participating in internal or external networks to share and discuss good practice, develop strong and productive working relationships and positively influence the University's reputation. 7. Relevant experience of developing and implementing policies and procedures and supporting service improvements. Skills/Abilities/Knowledge 8. Ability to successfully operate at a strategic level and demonstrable ability to develop, plan and implement strategic and operational plans, including financial and resource planning. 9. Deep knowledge and experience of working in an international environment and the ability to liaise successfully with international bodies, such as AACSB and EQUIS and individual international panel members 10. Excellent interpersonal skills, including communicating, influencing and negotiating as well as the ability to network effectively. 11. Ability to manage complex projects with competing priorities and exceeding stakeholder expectations, demonstrating excellent planning and organisational skills. 12. Strong digital competence across a range of digital devices and apps including demonstrable ability to provide oversight of systems development, management of information and structures which inform evaluation, high-level decision making and monitoring overall compliance to facilitate continuous improvement. 13. Demonstrable ability to manage unforeseen challenges and solve complex problems by identifying and implementing appropriate solutions. 14. Extensive knowledge and experience of ensuring compliance with regulatory and organisational policy and guidelines. Desirable criteria 15. Experience of leading accreditation within a Business School environment which should include EQUIS and / or AACSB 16. Expertise in governance in an academic context How to apply To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification above. It will be at the discretion of the recruiting panel as to whether they will also consider any desirable criteria, but we would urge candidates to provide evidence for all criteria. Please don't forget to check if there is any weighted criteria (see above). While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview. Submitting your application We prefer to receive applications online. We will update you about your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to make sure you have not missed any of our updates. Interviews will be held on or around Monday 17th March 2025. What you need to submit • A CV: and • A supporting statement which outlines how you meet all of the criteria within the Person Specification. • Option to ask for case studies to demonstrate how they meet the essential criteria Contact details For a chat about the role or any further information please contact business.facultyofficedurham.ac.uk. Typical Role Requirements Service Delivery/Development • In collaboration with the senior leadership team, design the Business School's strategy for accreditations and play the major role in implementing the strategy across the School. • In collaboration with others, design and implement policies, procedures and systems to ensure the School meet governance and accreditation requirements and that these requirements are monitored and maintained. • Act as primary contact with accreditation bodies. In collaboration with others, prepare accreditation documentation of submission and provide oversight of the organisation of accreditation events and visits. • Show a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and the University's values. • Develop and apply an in-depth understanding of university policy and external developments when carrying out you role. • Ensure that policy and regulatory standards are met by activities and processes that are carried out in services you are responsible for. • Use your professional knowledge and experience as a quality assurance and governance practitioner to resolve problems, shape processes and activities, develop systems and provide subject matter expertise and advice. • Use your managerial and leadership expertise to identify priorities and shape service delivery to achieve the required outcomes. • Look for ways to continually improve services and take a lead role in the development and implementation of assigned policies, processes and standards to strengthen accreditation submissions. • Initiate and manage business process reviews to improve the service in your area. • Ensure data (commercially sensitive and/or personal) is appropriately stored and managed. • Manage quality and regulatory audits of systems and procedures including external accreditation exercises. • Support the welfare, wellbeing and employment of your staff by providing professional guidance. Planning and Organisation • Support the Executive Dean, Heads of Department and Professional Services leads in planning to ensure the School's plans support the accreditation aspirations. • Contribute to the development of operational plans relevant to your area. • Oversee the analysis of data about the service levels provided by your area make recommendations for improvement in reports to senior managers and committees. • Allocate and monitor designated budgets, expenditure and resources. Team Development • Manage and develop the people, performance and resources of your team to ensure that a customer focussed service is provided. • Help shape the skills and expertise needed to deliver a professional service by recruiting, inducting and training team members and structuring the team in way that will best meet operational and strategic priorities. • Ensure that your team can deliver the required services by devolving and delegating responsibilities to appropriate team members. • Carry out regular performance reviews to provide feedback on objectives and expectations and identify any development needs. • Handle most HR issues and support the welfare and wellbeing of your team referring more complex issues to specialist services or more senior managers. Communication/Liaison • Use your professional knowledge to identify and recommend priorities for long-term business plans. • Provide professional guidance and advice when managing sensitive matters, referrals and specialist services. • Design creative and innovative communications to promote and increase engagement with the work of your team. • Influence University policy, standards and governance by leading operational business meetings, working groups and sub-committees. • Create strong working relationships, including internal and external networks, using your networks to increase your knowledge and skills, swap information with peers and positively influence the University's reputation. • Identify opportunities to develop and increase participation in special interest groups. • Any other reasonable duties. Useful links If you would like further information you may find the following will help https://www.durham.ac.uk/business/ Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement Privacy Notices - Durham University which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data. When appointing to this role the University must ensure that it meets any applicable immigration requirements, including salary thresholds which are applicable to some visas.