Position Details
Executive Support
Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK
Full time starting salary is normally in the range £46,735 to £55,755 with potential progression once in post to £62,728
Grade: 8
Full Time, Permanent
Closing date: 3rd August 2025
Our offer to you
People are at the heart of what we are and do.
The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, andweare equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university.We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.
We are committed to helping the people who work here todevelopthrough our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programmewhichprovides allprofessionalservices staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential.With almost 5,000professionalservices jobs in a wide-range of functionsin Edgbaston andin our campus inDubai, there are plenty of opportunities foryou to be able to develop yourcareer at the University.
We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate.We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are,and how we work.
Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees andtothe success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer avarietyof flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working.In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 dayspaid holidaya year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.
The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site.On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops,places to eat and drink,our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.
Find out more about thebenefits of working for the Universityof Birmingham
Background
The College Planning Partner (CPP) team plays a crucial part in connecting perspectives across the University, working in partnership with one or more of the University’s five colleges to develop academic strategy and support institutional planning.
You will work with one of the five Colleges of the university and will be actively involved in supporting the development and delivery of College plans to deliver our 2030 ambitions. You will combine strategic thinking with an analytical mind-set to provide expert guidance and drive forward College planning and strategy.
You will also lead thematic work around one of the university’s key strategic themes, working across the Strategic Planning & Performance Insight team: developing insight, convening the right people from across the university to advance plans, creating new analysis, and helping to develop and implement strategy.
Role Summary
In this role you will work at the heart of the University to support the delivery of our Birmingham 2030 aims and ambitions.
The University of Birmingham has an ambition to be ranked as a top 50 global university. As thematic lead for Global Reputation, you will work across the Strategic Planning & Performance Insight team and with Colleges on the delivery of this key pillar of Birmingham 2030.This will involve working with the lead for the Civic and Global pillar of the Strategic Framework, with the Performance and Insight team, and with your fellow CPPs to provide expert advice and overview, ensure integration of global reputation plans into the annual academic planning process, and align delivery plans across the university.You will support this by working with the Performance & Insight team to commission data and analysis, in order to advise and support on evidence-led global reputation planning. The role covers global league tables and their metrics, including collaboration with other themes to understand and optimise metrics like citations. You will be accountable for maintaining coordination and alignment across the theme, negotiating between colleges and the central university and acting as a critical friend to both.
In the College, you will sit on College Board at the centre of decision making, and you will work closely a variety of senior colleagues to manage, support and coordinate annual institutional planning and resourcing activities. You will lead in developing, supporting and defining College level strategy and priorities, and you will manage the relationship between the College and the Planning Office.
The role is generalist in nature. Intelligence, intellectual confidence, organizational understanding, strong analytical skills, and excellent communication skills are important contributors to success in this role. You will be comfortable and confident with quantitative and qualitative data, including financial data, performance indicators, budgets, and business plans. You will have meticulous attention to detail, be highly organized and yet flexible, with exceptional time management skills and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously. You will have strong people skills and be able to liaise confidently and build productive relationships with senior members of the University Executive Board, Colleges, Schools, and Professional Services. You will be able to understand, manage and integrate multiple and competing points of view constructively.
Based with the Strategic Planning and Performance Insight, part of the Executive Support Division, you will workwith senior leaders across the University. As part of the Strategic Planning and Performance Insight team you will work collaboratively to connect a range of perspectives and support and influence senior leaders in making well-informed and evidence-led decisions. You will bepartner with colleagues across the University, and externally, to provide trusted advice and expertise, insightful analysis, and robust data.
Main Duties
Person Specification
Informal enquiries to Duncan Smith, email: d.smith.1@bham.ac.uk
View our staff values and behaviourshere
We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website .
* The salary benchmark is based on the target salaries of market leaders in their relevant sectors. It is intended to serve as a guide to help Premium Members assess open positions and to help in salary negotiations. The salary benchmark is not provided directly by the company, which could be significantly higher or lower.