Strategy Office Business Manager

Please quote reference: 21197

Terms: Permanent, Full Time- Flexible working can be discussed with a minimum of 30 hours per week.

Closing Date:  18 October 2023 - 12:00 noon

Interview Date: 30 October and 1 November

This role offers flexible and remote working, but attendance in Milton Keynes, 1 day per week is required.

Change your career, change lives

The Open University is the UK’s largest university, a world leader in flexible part-time education combining a mission to widen access to higher education with research excellence, transforming lives through education.

The role 

The Strategy Office is responsible for shaping and informing the University’s strategic direction and decision-making through thought leadership, expert insight and analysis, constructive challenge, collaboration and external advocacy. With a strong focus on staff wellbeing, the Strategy Office offers a welcoming, supportive and inclusive working environment.  

This is a rare opportunity where you will report directly into the Strategy Office Director, leading and developing the Strategy Office, taking responsibility for special projects, for the business management and planning work within the Office as well as managing the Strategy Office’s Administration Team. This is a key role that provides a massive breadth of duties and responsibilities and a fantastic development opportunity for your future career prospects.

You will work within a dynamic and energetic team and will play a central role in driving the unit's ongoing development and success in its deliverables.

Skills and experience 

• Excellent organisational skills, with experience of deploying these effectively in a large and complex organisation, including experience in managing a complex and varied workload.
• Good collaboration skills, with the ability to work together effectively with people of different disciplines and backgrounds in a cross-functional team; and to lead teams both with and without formal management authority.
• Confidence and experience in handling statistical and financial information including performance data.
• Proven ability to work effectively within a multi-stakeholder environment.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to convey messages succinctly and convincingly to stakeholders at all levels of seniority. 
• Excellent decision-making skills with experience using own judgement in making complex multi-faceted decisions with no precedent.

The full summary of duties and skills required for the role can be found within the Job Description.

If you would like to discuss the application or recruitment process before making an application, please contact Emma Jones at Resourcing Hub on 01908 655544 or resourcing-hub@open.ac.uk quoting the reference VRF 21197.

What you get in return

We have a strong commitment to providing training and development in and beyond your current role. This includes thorough induction into the organisation and regular reviews of your training and development needs.

We also offer a great range of benefits that support our employees and their families for the long term. Staff Benefits include an attractive pension proposition and 33 days holiday per annum pro rata, plus Bank Holidays and Christmas closure days.

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