Director of Academic Quality

Director of Academic Quality

Salary: Competitive

Department: Office of the Provost

Location: Salford

Reporting Line: Associate Provost

Proposed Start Date: Immediate

Employment Type:  Permanent

Contract type: Full time

Working Days and Hours: Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm

THE COMPANY

UK Management College (UKMC) aims to unlock infinite possibilities by nurturing every individual's potential, creating an inclusive environment where dreams become realities. We strive for excellence in education by fostering an inspiring and inclusive environment through partnerships with universities, maximising the potential of our community to make meaningful contributions in their fields. Working with a diverse range of high-ranked UK HE partners to provide relevant and life-enhancing learning experiences, our students come from highly diverse backgrounds, and from demographic groups which are traditionally underrepresented in UK higher education, meaning that UKMC is a class-leading organisation for social mobility.

Our mission

Over a nine-year journey, UKMC has been on a transformative journey with a mission of ‘transforming lives’ through widening participation and economic success through the inter-related matrix of learning, knowledge and skills. Underpinning this is our vision to create inclusive growth, connecting more learners to the opportunities available in the UK cities where UKMC is in operation (currently Greater Manchester, Derby, Newcastle and Sunderland). To meet our aspirations, by providing transferable skills, strong student support, information, guidance and advice, and learning routes, UKMC ensures that no individual is left behind, whatever their social background, or excluded from the opportunities that can help to ensure a rewarding career.

At the core of our vision is a passionate and committed social mission to promote aspiration and social mobility within all the communities we serve. At UKMC students have unique benefits from collaborations with UK universities, employers, and industry leaders, and curriculum content which embeds real-world applications and experiences, to give our students the skills they need to enhance their employability.

With more than 10, 000 registered students, we are a large and growing Higher Education Institution, delivering Foundation BSc Courses from Canterbury Christ Church University, Arts University Bournemouth, Health Sciences University, and University of Wolverhampton with multiple intakes throughout the academic calendar. We welcome students from diverse backgrounds, fostering an inclusive academic community whose learning experience takes place in sustainable, technology-enhanced learning environments, using digital tools to provide a modern and accessible student experience. We deliver personalised learning journeys, supporting students from application to graduation, encouraging civic engagement and social responsibility at every step of their learning journey.

To meet our aspiration to be an education provider of choice, we now seek an exceptional individual to act as . This individual will be a key member of our management team, overseeing development and implementation of sector-leading practices and policies within our programmes, leading our quality control team in ensuring a superb experience for our students, and ensuring that quality is consolidated and enhanced throughout future and ongoing expansion.

THE ROLE & RESPONSIBILITIES

Reporting directly to the Associate Provost, you will be at the heart of the team ensuring the safeguarding of academic quality for the institution, underpinning the aspirations of our Strategic Vision strategy.

As Director of Academic Quality, you will be accountable for and lead the refinement and ongoing enhancement of UKMC’s academic quality assurance frameworks: working alongside our Compliance team, you’ll ensure academic provision meets the required standards of employers and regulatory bodies (including where appropriate PSRB accreditation), and delivery of a contemporary and excellent student experience which delivers the student outcomes needed to ensure employability.

In leading the Academic Quality team, the post holder will have overall responsibility for academic governance, the maintenance and review of academic regulations and the academic policy framework, the annual lifecycle for academic quality assurance, the management of curriculum information, programme validation processes, the management of partner relationships and the management of student work.

This crucial and influential role within UKMC demands an experienced leader, one with a proven track-record of influence and with significant expertise in higher education quality assurance and enhancement. The successful candidate will demonstrate comprehensive knowledge, understanding of quality assurance and compliance requirements in the context of the UK HE regulatory environment, and will additionally be able to clearly demonstrate high-level analytical skills, and the ability to use data to support evidence-based decision‑making. It’s essential that you’re also able to demonstrate proven and outstanding communication skills, and a track-record of effective interpersonal skills which will enable you to inform, challenge, and influence senior colleagues.

You’ll be a superb collaborator, meticulously organised and task‑focused, with a strong commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. Candidates for this role with prior experience in the support of high-level academic programmes (including industry-facing content) will have a significant advantage, as will applicants who can demonstrate success in providing excellent experiences and outcomes for students from non-traditional educational backgrounds. Though not explicitly required, it is likely that the successful candidate will have postgraduate qualifications, and memberships of relevant professional bodies will be viewed positively.

REQUIREMENTS

You will be able to evidence:

• Ability to contribute to strategic vision, thinking, and management
• Impactful and emotionally intelligent leadership skills
• Strategic and operational decision-making
• Ensuring and sustaining stakeholder engagement
• Leading and implementing change, risk, and performance management
• Distinctive contributions to policy development and implementation
• Strong digital skills and capabilities
• Proven technology integration skills
• Effective and practical workload management
•  

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

Right to Work:  The successful candidate must have the right to work in the UK.

• UKMC does not provide visa sponsorship.

Travel: 

Travel between campuses and other travel for professional purposes will be required.

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

UK Management College is committed to creating an inclusive working environment where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.

At UKMC we understand that a diverse organisation is a strong one, and accordingly we encourage and support applications from all sections of the community, irrespective of background, belief, or identity. We will always sympathetically consider requests for financial support to cover costs of participating in the selection process, including childcare or additional costs associated with restricted mobility etc.

The role requirements should be applied fairly and objectively throughout the recruitment and selection process.