Programme Director (Partnership Programmes) - Manchester

OXFORD BROOKES UNIVERSITY; Greater London, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester; On-site; GBP 61,000 - 69,000; 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).

Delivering widening participation programmes in Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham and London, this partnership brings together Oxford Brookes’ academic governance with GBS’s regional campus locations to offer.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or higher in Health & Social Care, Business Entrepreneurship, or cognate discipline.
• Teaching qualification for Higher Education (HE).
• HE programme leadership, change management, and staff line management experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead partnership programmes to enhance academic standards, curriculum design, and chair examination committees.
• Represent Oxford Brookes University to partner staff and students with GBS campus leadership.
• Maintain accountability with OfS regulations and Conditions of Registration.
• Drive pedagogic and andragogic best practice and mentor academic teams across the partnership.
• Possess autonomous on-site decision-making and oversee student experience and governance.

Skills

Academic leadership

Regulatory compliance

Stakeholder management

Curriculum design

Quality assurance

Education

Master’s degree or higher

HE teaching qualification

Job description

UK time and date: 05-November-2026 13:58

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£61,165 rising to £68,817

Full Time, Fixed Term - Academic

Executive Academic Leadership: Driving Educational Excellence Across Strategic Partnerships

RoleOverview&AcademicDisciplines

• AcademicDisciplines:Health&SocialCareORBusiness&Entrepreneurship(orcognatefields)
• Employer:OxfordBrookesUniversity
• Locations(5Posts):London–EastHub|London–WestHub|Birmingham|Leeds|Manchester
• EmploymentType:Fixed-Term(untilAugust2031)|Full-time

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

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.

Key Strategic Responsibilities:

• 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.)

About You

• 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.

Closing Date:

21 November 2026*(Note: We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive**a high volume of suitable applications.*Early submission is strongly encouraged.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

The University has adopted equality, diversity and inclusion as core values. We welcome applications from suitably qualified candidates whatever their background, and especially from candidates who are under-represented in our workforce.

As a Disability Confident Employer, Oxford Brookes University is committed to encouraging applications from disabled people, ensuring an inclusive recruitment process, and providing reasonable adjustments throughout the application and employment lifecycle.