Head of Quality (Partnerships)

Arden University; Baginton; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

Arden University seeks a Head of Quality for Partnerships to manage and develop university partnerships, ensuring the quality and governance in collaboration with academic partners. This strategic role includes leading a team and overseeing compliance to provide a high-quality educational experience. Join an ambitious institution dedicated to accessible higher education.

Benefits

30 days holiday + bank holidays

Aviva pension plan with company contributions

Private Medical Insurance coverage

Access to Perkbox benefits

Free study of Arden courses

Employee 'Golden Ticket' for a free Arden education

Qualifications

• Proven experience in change and people management.
• Experience managing a significant team or project.
• Strong understanding of the UK higher education regulatory framework.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the development of university partnerships.
• Manage governance and quality assurance frameworks.
• Lead policy development for partnerships.

Skills

Change management

Operational planning

Analytical skills

Problem-solving skills

Team management

Stakeholder engagement

Financial management

Quality assurance processes

Regulatory framework knowledge

Innovation in quality management

Job description

Salary: £50,000 - £55,000 per annum

Employment type: Permanent

Hours per week: 37

Reporting into: Academic Registrar

Department: Quality and Registry

Click here to read the full job description and view our excellent benefits here

This role operates on a hybrid working arrangement that will require a minimum of 1day travel into our Coventry head office. This may fluctuate in line with business requirements. Our working model arrangements are a non-contractual benefit so please note that an Arden work location is added to our employment contracts.

About Arden University:

We are an aspirational and multi-award-winning university, delivering rapid growth with ambitious plans to disrupt the HE sector through our passion for innovation and digital education. Our vision is to become the first-choice university for career-focused lifelong learners worldwide, ensuring that everyone, everywhere can access higher education.

There has never been a more exciting time to join Arden University, as we expand into new disciplines, forge worldwide partnerships, and expand our locations.

About our Department:

The Head of Quality (Partnerships) sits within the Academic Registrar’s Office as a part of a wider Quality and Registry team. This is the University’s central administrative hub for our students and the management of the student record. This Team is responsible for a wide range of functions, from governance through to student administration, marking and assessment and has responsibility for processing all results and grades for the student’s and produce all certificates that are awarded at the graduation ceremony. The Partnership Team has strong links with the Academic Quality Team and the Centre for Academic Partnerships to focus on the due diligence processes, contractual arrangements, compliance and quality management of our academic and recruitment partners.

About the Opportunity:

As the Head of Quality for Partnerships, you'll have responsibility for managing andsupporting the development and approval of university partnerships. This involves working with ouracademic partners in establishing the collaborative delivery of ouruniversityacademic portfolio and arrangements established for the activity of student recruitment. More detailed responsibilities include:

• Management of the process of approval to include due diligence, partner approval, contractual arrangements, and academic provision for collaborative delivery.
• Developing strategies for new and existing partnerships, reviewing and evaluating these partnerships and in creating new partnership models.
• Management and oversight of the University’s quality management framework for Partnerships such that it assures appropriate setting and maintenance of standards. As well as thequality of the student and applicant experience when engaging with any partner of the University.
• Managing the University Partner Risk Register to incorporate outcomes from compliance audits and other quality mechanisms
• Management of governance with responsibility for Partnerships to include the University’s Partnership Committee and Agent Review.
• Management of a team of staff with line management responsibility.
• Lead on thedevelopment and implementation of policy and procedures for partnerships and to write and present reports, analysis and briefings to the University’s governance as required.
• Make independent decisions to ensure effective governance and maintenance of the quality standards of the University partnerships.

About You:

Essential Skills:

Proven people and/or change management skills

Operational planning, management, and business process skills

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to think laterally and meet goals

Experience of managing and developing a significant team or number of teams and/or a significant project or number of projects

Experience of working with and influencing senior management

Experience of liaising across internal and external stakeholders at a senior level

Clear understanding of the use and interpretation of regulations, policies, and procedures

Experience of managing and controlling budgets, resources, or funding, and an understanding of financial management procedures

Experience of developing innovative solutions and contributing to strategic planning

Highly developed knowledge of quality assurance processes in an educational context

Well-developed understanding of regulations and legislation and the implications of non-compliance on other staff

Good knowledge of the UK higher education regulatory framework and the changing policy landscape

Good knowledge of current debate, development, and innovation in quality management and partnerships in recruitment.

Why Arden:

At Arden, you will become a part of a passionate and dedicated team who are committed to removing unnecessary barriers to learning and making education more accessible. Our people work hard to ensure our students journeys are the best they can possibly be, as such we want to reward our people with fantastic benefits. Employees benefit from:

• 30 days holiday + bank holidays on-top, and even a Christmas closure!
• A generous Aviva pension plan, company contributions starting from 7%
• SimplyHealth plan option
• Private Medical Insurance coverage (applies to certain job roles)
• Access to Perkbox benefits
• Study any Arden course for free, with a discount for all family and friends
• Plus, otherexcellent benefits
• Our ‘Golden Ticket’ which allows you to gift anyone in your life a free Arden education
  

Our Values:

Stand out, Progressive, Accessible, Resourceful, Kindness,reflect who we are as an institution, a team and as individuals. If they also reflect you and you are excited by the chance to be the driving, creative force within a growing business, we want to hear from you.

There has never been a more exciting time to join Arden University, as we expand into new disciplines and locations.

Closing Date: Monday 21st July

We reserve the right to close this vacancy before the specified closing date should we receive sufficient applications or in order to respond to business needs. In order to avoid missing an opportunity to apply please submit your application as early as possible.

If you are a current Arden student or have an upcoming course with us, you are not eligible to apply for Student Experience roles due to a conflict of interest related to system access.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion:

Arden University is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. This means that if you have a disability, as defined by the Disability Equality Act 2010, you may be guaranteed an interview if you meet the essential criteria for the role.

If you wish to be considered under this scheme, you can indicate via the application form below. By doing so, you are also consenting for this information to be shared with the hiring team. For more details on what qualifies as a disability under the Disability Equality Act 2010, please refer tothe guidancehere.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. Therefore, we make sure that our recruitment and selection processes never discriminate based upon people's age, disability, gender, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or other personal circumstances, and actively welcome applications from all groups.

Sponsorship statement:

Please be aware that some roles may not meet the points requirement for a sponsored Skilled Worker visa under the points-based immigration system. However, we welcome applications from candidates who do not currently have the right to work in the UK but may be eligible for a visa through an alternative route.