Director of Strategic Planning

About us

UCL is regularly ranked amongst the top 10 universities in the world and recently named University of the Year 2024 by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024. Our progressive approach to teaching and research, our world leading academics, curious students and outstanding staff continually pursue excellence, break boundaries, and make an impact on real world problems.

The Office of the Vice President Strategy is responsible for the development of institutional strategy and coordination of the processes that ensure that UCL’s overarching strategic objectives are reflected in planning at all levels of the organisation.

The Office of the Vice President Strategy consists of four teams: Strategic Planning, Academic Strategy Development, Data & Insight and Strategy Implementation. These four teams work collaboratively and effectively with each other to ensure a fully integrated approach to all aspects of strategy planning, development and implementation.

About the role

We are looking for an experienced leader to head up the Strategic Planning Team who will oversee the implementation of a new, integrated strategic planning framework including developing processes in consultation with key internal stakeholders that link overarching UCL strategy and ambition to planning at all levels of the institution. The Director of Strategic Planning will play a key role in designing and implementing the service and shaping the team to provide high quality facilitation, analysis, advice and guidance to stakeholders at all levels of the institution. This will include supporting stakeholders in navigating the various approval pathways for strategic initiatives and opportunities as well as in annual planning exercises, reflecting on past performance and horizon scanning.

The roleholder will work closely with the Academic Strategy Development, Data & Insight Teams and Strategy Implementation teams to ensure that strategic planning processes are informed by both institutional strategy and appropriate internal and external data and intelligence and are aligned with reporting processes for institutional strategy implementation. It is crucial that the successful candidate can use their skills in working with and influencing a range of stakeholders in bringing about a change in culture, playing a key role in ensuring that the desired integration becomes embedded in practice.

Interviews will be held on 25th July in person either at our Bloomsbury Campus, or UCL East Campus, tbc.

About you

To succeed in this role, you will need extensive experience in strategic planning, performance management, and data analysis within higher education or related sectors and a strong understanding of academic and corporate data sources and their application to strategic decision-making. You are able to manage a team of individuals to deliver a programme or set of objectives, and are experienced in producing and presenting reports to senior stakeholders.

You are an excellent communicator, with the ability to convey complex information clearly and persuasively, including with senior stakeholders such as the Provost, Vice Provosts and University Management Council members. Your relationship management skills are exceptional, and you can make things happen through collaboration, influencing and engagement. Additionally, you are a strategic thinker with the ability to anticipate and respond to emerging trends and challenges in higher education.

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