Programme Director (Partnership Programmes)

Oxford Brookes University; City of Westminster; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Oxford Brookes University is appointing five Programme Directors to provide high-level academic leadership and quality oversight across our collaborative partnership campuses with Global Banking School (GBS). The roles will oversee widening participation programmes in Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham and London, combining Oxford Brookes governance with GBS regional campuses.

As on-site senior academics, you will partner with the Academic Director (GBS Partnership) to deliver strategic objectives,

Qualifications

• Lead partnership programmes and chair examination committees.
• Ensure delivery meets OfS Conditions of Registration.
• Mentor academic teams and foster teaching excellence.

Responsibilities

• Senior Strategic & Quality Leadership: lead partnership programmes and enhance academic standards.
• Collaborative Partnership & Representation: liaise with GBS campus leadership and staff.
• Regulatory & Quality Frameworks: maintain compliance with OfS and university regulations.
• Pedagogic & Andragogic Excellence: drive best practice in teaching and learning.
• Autonomous Decision-Making: act independently on-site and escalate as needed.

Skills

Academic leadership

Stakeholder collaboration

Regulatory knowledge

Quality assurance

Line management

Education

Master's degree or higher in Health and Social Care / Business Entrepreneurship or cognate discipline

Job description

Are you an established academic leader with the authority, regulatory expertise, and strategic presence to champion educational quality and student success across major university partnerships? Oxford Brookes University is appointing five Programme Directors to provide high-level academic leadership and quality oversight across our collaborative partnership campuses with Global Banking School (GBS). Delivering widening participation programmes in Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, and London, this established partnership brings together Oxford Brookes' academic governance with GBS's regional campus locations to offer transformative higher education opportunities for diverse student communities.

The Role & Employment Context Employed fully by Oxford Brookes University, you will partner with the Academic Director (GBS Partnership) to realise the University's strategic objectives while acting with delegated authority as our senior anchor on-site. This role is designed for an autonomous senior academic who will build constructive, collaborative relationships with GBS leadership, foster a shared culture of teaching excellence, and lead on-ground quality enhancement. While maintaining a strong, direct connection to central Oxford Brookes directorates, you will take full ownership of on-site academic standards, student experience, and governance, exercising expert judgment independently on campus.

• Senior Strategic & Quality Leadership: Manage and play an active role in the leadership of partnership programmes, enhancing academic standards, leading curriculum design, and chairing examination committees.
• Collaborative Partnership & Representation: Represent Oxford Brookes University directly to partner staff and students, partnering with GBS campus leadership and assisting the Academic Director in the overarching management and success of the partnership.
• Regulatory & Quality Frameworks: Maintain accountable inter-organisational working relationships, ensuring academic delivery strictly meets Oxford Brookes regulations and Office for Students (OfS) Conditions of Registration.
• Pedagogic & Andragogic Excellence: Drive advanced pedagogic and andragogic best practice, mentoring academic teams across the partnership and fostering a vibrant culture of scholarly activity and teaching excellence. (Note: Operating within a matrix structure initially, candidates must hold proven academic leadership capability and the readiness to undertake formal line management if operational requirements evolve.)
• Qualifications: Master's degree or higher in Health and Social Care, Business Entrepreneurship, or a cognate discipline. Teaching qualification for Higher Education.
• Academic Leadership & Management: Proven track record in HE programme leadership, change management, and academic staff line management or multi-disciplinary team direction.
• Quality Assurance & Regulatory Mastery: Comprehensive knowledge of HE quality processes, validations, periodic reviews, and regulatory standards, including the OfS Conditions of Registration.
• Relationship Management Capability: Sophisticated negotiation and relationship-building skills, with the diplomacy to foster positive inter-organisational collaboration while protecting institutional standards.
• Pedagogical and Andragogical Expertise: Demonstrated expertise in curriculum design, current pedagogy, and andragogy tailored to widening participation student demographics.
• Autonomous Decision-Making: High level of self-direction, with the capability to act independently, solve complex problems on-site, and recognise key strategic thresholds for escalation.