Director of Consultancy and Commercial Services

The Royal College of Art; Greater London; On-site; GBP 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading art and design university in Greater London is seeking an experienced Director of Consultancy and Commercial Services. This senior leadership role involves scaling the consultancy and commercial activities while leading a growing unit and developing robust business strategies. Ideal candidates will have a strong track record in consultancy services, excellent commercial acumen, and a solid understanding of the UK research and innovation landscape. This position offers a unique opportunity to impact a globally influential creative institution.

Qualifications

• Track record of growing consultancy or commercial services.
• Experience in higher education or related sectors.
• Strong financial acumen and understanding of UK research landscape.

Responsibilities

• Lead consultancy and commercial activities to scale RCA’s services.
• Identify and develop new business opportunities.
• Oversee lifecycle of consultancy projects from development to delivery.
• Report on performance, risk, and growth to executive board.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Commercial acumen

Stakeholder engagement

Financial management

Risk management

Job description

The Royal College of Art is the world’s leading university of art and design, renowned for its global impact across creativity, innovation and research. We believe strongly in the value of external engagement — for the benefit it brings to society, to our partners, and to the professional development of our staff.

We are now seeking an experienced, strategic and entrepreneurial Director of Consultancy and Commercial Services to lead and significantly scale the RCA’s consultancy, executive education and wider commercial activities. This is a senior leadership role within the Research & Innovation portfolio and will play a pivotal part in delivering the College’s income diversification strategy for the 2025–30 period.

The postholder will set the vision and strategy for the RCA Consultancy & Commercial Services Unit, identifying and developing substantial new business opportunities in the UK and internationally. Working closely with academic leaders, senior professional colleagues and InnovationRCA, you will unlock the College’s exceptional expertise to deliver high-quality, ethically grounded and commercially successful services for external partners.

You will provide visible, proactive leadership of a growing unit, ensuring an excellent end-to-end service for both clients and RCA staff. This includes overseeing the full lifecycle of consultancy and executive education projects — from opportunity development and contract negotiation through to delivery, financial management, risk mitigation and reporting — while ensuring compliance with governance, legal and regulatory requirements.

As Company Director of RCA Consultancy Limited, the RCA’s wholly owned subsidiary, you will develop and deliver a robust business plan that contributes materially to the College’s strategic and financial ambitions. You will report regularly to the PVC Research & Innovation, Chief Financial Officer and Executive Board, providing assurance on performance, risk and growth.

We are looking for a senior leader with a strong track record of growing consultancy or commercial services, ideally within higher education or a closely related sector. You will bring excellent commercial and financial acumen, deep experience of stakeholder engagement, and a sophisticated understanding of the UK research, innovation and knowledge‑exchange landscape. Equally important are your interpersonal skills, sound judgement and ability to work collaboratively across disciplines and cultures.

If you are motivated by the opportunity to shape a high‑impact commercial function within a globally influential creative institution — and to do so with integrity, inclusion and ambition — we would be delighted to hear from you.

Closing for applications: 11.59pm on 14th January 2026

Interviews are expected to take place on 29th January 2026