Director of Future Students (Associate Director of External Relations)

The University of Reading is seeking an outstanding and highly experienced candidate who will be responsible for institutional strategic leadership of student recruitment and admissions (at all levels of study) driving and overseeing critical work to ensure delivery against the University’s student recruitment targets in a fiercely competitive sector market.

The University of Reading has been at the forefront of UK higher education for nearly a century. We are a collaborative community of innovators and pioneers, pushing academic boundaries and leading social change. We are committed to working together to address the world’s biggest challenges. We are proud to be one of the UK’s leading research intensive universities, ranked among the top 200 universities in the world (172^nd in the world, 25^th in the UK - QS World University Rankings 2025). We are a truly international institution operating in a highly competitive, global market.

Our 2020-2026 Strategic Plan commits the university to “challenge and transform the outlook of the students we educate, and improve the lives of our neighbours, the prospects for our country, and the future of our planet”. Working towards the plan’s culmination in 2026 and continuing beyond this, our Centenary Year, we want to significantly build on our successes to date, growing our student body and strengthening our brand and profile around the world.

The role of the newly formed Directorate of External Relations is to support delivery of this ambition. Incorporating four professional service Departments; Global Engagement, Brand & Marketing, Communications & Engagement and Future Students, the Directorate will provide strategic guidance and advice on and delivery of integrated activities and services in global marketing, student recruitment and admissions, brand building, fundraising and communications, stakeholder and reputation management.

The Director of Future Students will lead and support an agile and flexible Department which includes our teams of talented professionals across UK Student Recruitment and Outreach, Applicant Engagement and Admissions.

The role reports to the Director of External Relations and will work closely with the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic Planning and Resource), to lead on the development and implementation of University recruitment, conversion and admissions policy and strategy. This will include playing a Directorate leadership role in annual student number target setting, as well as leading on fee and tariff setting and playing a critical role in driving strategic portfolio review.

As an Associate Director of External Relations, the postholder will also play a crucial role within the Directorate Senior Leadership Team (SLT), working closely and collaboratively with the other Department Directors responsible for strategic and operational oversight of the Directorate. Across the Directorate there is a strong legacy of working together, using RACI and matrix management principles, to maximise the impact of the skills and expertise across the Directorate in an efficient and effective way. It will be the shared responsibility of the SLT to further embed this, within their own Departments, ensuring all within the Directorate are able to work in cross-team groups, taking direction different, relevant project leads as required for specific outcomes.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview day on Thursday 12 December which will include a 10min presentation plus Q&A with colleagues from the Future Students Department, a chance to meet senior colleagues across the wider Directorate as well as a standard panel interview.

We are looking for someone with substantial experience in a directly relevant role:

You will:

• Have significant experience and clearly evidenced leadership skills within student recruitment and admissions in the Higher Education sector.
• Be a strong communicator with excellent interpersonal skills able to inspire trust and confidence across multiple audiences and stakeholders with whom you will work.
• Have extensive operational knowledge of UK Higher Education student recruitment and admissions and be able to operate strategically, tactically and decisively to support and deliver to institutional student recruitment aims.
• Be highly collaborative and personally driven with experience of cross-team (matrix) working, planning and project leadership and a proven track record of motivating teams and individuals.
• Be a strategic thinker with exceptional numeracy, accuracy and attention to detail with strong data analysis skills

Closing date: Monday 2 December 2024

Interviews will be held: 12 December 2024

By reference to the applicable SOC code for this role, sponsorship may be possible under the Skilled Worker Route. Applicants wishing to consider the SWR must ensure that they are able to meet the points requirement before applying. There is further information about this on the UK Visas and Immigration Website.

The University is committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce, supports the gender equality Athena SWAN Charter and the Race Equality Charter, and champions LGBT+ equality. Applications for job-share, part-time and flexible working arrangements are welcomed and will be considered in line with business needs.