Chief Operating Officer

Challenging, interesting and constantly changing, the University of Derby is an exceptional place to learn and an incredibly rewarding place to work. As the anchor institution within the region, we recognise our role in not only providing excellent teaching and learning, but also the key part we play in supporting the city, county and region’s long term economic growth and prosperity. Our Strategic Framework 2018-2030 articulates our aim of ‘Being a Force for Positive Impact’ on the economic, social, cultural, education and environmental prosperity of our home county.

Our combined higher and further education offering is spread over campuses in Derby, Buxton, Leek and Chesterfield and we have some of the best university facilities in the UK, investing more than £200 million over the last 10 years. We achieve outstanding results for our teaching and research and with more than 31,500 people choosing to study with us every year, we depend on the dedication of a team of over 2,200 academic and professional services staff. 

To build on this strong foundation and to drive further success, we are now seeking to appoint a new Chief Operating Officer (COO). Reporting directly to the Vice-Chancellor, the COO will be responsible for a number of critical, University-wide, corporate functions including, External Relations, Estates, Digital Solutions and Services, Planning, Insights and Performance, and Campus Life. Working in close partnership with a range of key colleagues, this role will create and maximise strategic synergies across the institution and will be pivotal in ensuring that the expertise and focus of our professional services are effectively and efficiently aligned to support and enhance academic excellence.

The new COO will have significant experience of building, managing, developing and motivating skilled teams and maintaining a high-performance culture. They will have a strong track record of delivering high-quality, integrated services that help drive business performance. We are seeking a strategic thinker, who has the proven ability to translate bold and innovative visions into reality. They will have excellent communication skills and stakeholder management experience and the ability to forge and maintain a wide range of internal and external relationships.

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