About the role:

The Head of Student Outcomes will lead and manage a high-performance team to deliver an institution-wide strategy to improve outcomes for underrepresented groups with a focus on closing achievement gaps, the transition and success of students from underrepresented backgrounds and the continued development of student leadership programs. The role will focus on developing faculty-specific interventions, implementing strategies to improve their outcomes, and evaluating the effectiveness of various interventions.

The Head of Service and/or senior managers have operational responsibility for a range of educational and vocational services to students, as follows:

• Administrative leader within the Directorate of Students and Education. or
• Project/programme/department leader within the academic faculty; or
• Lead specific initiatives at department level

They contribute and lead activities that positively impact the student experience. This includes ensuring:

• Work closely with the Assistant Director, and across organizational boundaries, to identify and act on business opportunities to improve the efficiency and consistency of service (or project) delivery.
• Effective use of resources and organization of work resources within the department (or project)
• Proactively engage with service users and stakeholders to facilitate mutually effective working relationships
• Their department (or project) integrates a culture of service, transparency, and continuous improvement

This is full-time maternity cover (35 hours per week), and you will be offered a contract until 29 January 2027.

About you:

Basic standards

• Relevant work experience and/or education: A wide range of different work and educational experiences can support you to be successful in this role. Relevant work experience may include working at other universities, or any large, complex organisations. Relevant educational experiences may include higher education in a relevant discipline, professional qualifications or other training.
• Ability to engage in collaborative working across King’s career services, colleges, academic and student communities.
• Experience working in a standardized environment where facilitation and communication skills are key to resolving complex cross-departmental issues.
• Strong strategic understanding and up-to-date knowledge of barriers related to closing the achievement gap and student success.
• Significant line management experience with the ability to lead a team through change.
• Significant experience leading institutional projects around student achievement/awarding gaps, mental health, wellbeing and outcomes in a higher education setting.
• Experience managing the delivery of complex projects for underrepresented groups on time and within budget, especially when delivered in collaboration with internal and external partners.
• Ability to work effectively and build strong relationships with people at all levels including academics, professional service staff and students.
• Demonstrate the ability to analyze and interpret complex data sets and use data to inform change.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate a clear vision of what needs to be achieved within an environment conducive to obtaining meaningful two-way feedback.
• Creative problem-solving skills with the ability and initiative to develop solutions to overcome challenges and ensure effective implementation and change.
• Strong organizational and time management skills, with a demonstrated ability to manage multiple deliverables simultaneously and consistently meet tight deadlines.
• Providing inspiring and purposeful leadership to all employees, while ensuring an inclusive culture that is always highly professional.

Desired standards

• Skilled at maintaining progress on multiple agendas and projects simultaneously.
• An understanding and working knowledge of governance in the higher education sector, and the regulatory and legal arrangements for running UK universities.
• Proven ability to lead structural and cultural change within the context of the student experience.