Chief of Staff to Senior Vice President (SVP) - Academic

About Us

King’s College London is consistently ranked one of the top 7 Universities in the UK, has a turnover exceeding £1.3 Bn, is the fourth oldest university in England, and is based in the heart of London.

Kings has over 40,000 students from over 150 countries studying in person and online, and has over 15,000 employees. King’s academics are members of 9 Faculties, based on 5 campuses in central and SE London, delivering a comprehensive portfolio of outstanding and impactful research and education in partnership with NHS Trusts, government departments and other universities across the globe.

The Senior Vice President Academic, Professor Rachel Mills CBE, has oversight of the academic vision and strategy, working directly with the 9 Executive Deans and leads on cross-cutting projects led by Assistant Principals to deliver the strategy.

About the Role

Reporting to the SVP Academic, you will be a versatile and trusted leader who ensures that the academic vision is developed and delivered within the overall strategy.

You will be required to work with a high degree of autonomy, with the delegated authority of the SVP Academic, to oversee, curate, and coordinate strategic projects and cross functional initiatives that are aligned to the academic vision, both within King’s and with external partners.

We are looking for some who is comfortable being flexible and can handle ambiguity as required. Acting as an advisor and problem-solver, the Chief of Staff is responsible for building strong and supportive relationships at all levels with Faculties and Professional Services Directorates.

This is a full time post (35 hours per week), and you will be offered an indefinite contract. Whilst we operate on a hybrid basis, you will be required to be in the office 3 days a week.

Essential criteria

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
• Understanding of the ethos, drivers, and culture of UK Higher Education and capability to learn quickly
• Skills and experience of strategy development and execution
• Experience of working with, coordinating, and influencing a wide range of internal and external stakeholder groups to build alignment
• Experience of resource allocation and financial control
• Strong capability for resolving complex and potentially difficult issues, including at senior levels both internally and externally
• Outstanding influencing and communication skills, both written and verbal, internally and with external stakeholders
• Sensitive and responsive to different working cultures
• Demonstrable ability to maintain progress on multiple agendas simultaneously
• Demonstrable integrity and values

Desirable criteria

• Master’s degree or equivalent experience
• Professional qualifications and or training in finance, change and project management, strategy, operations & leadership

Further Information

We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community.

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ‘How we Recruit’  pages.

Interviews will be held in person on Monday 9 December 2024

We are able to offer sponsorship for candidates who do not currently possess the right to work in the UK

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