Head of Strategic Planning

University of the West of Scotland – Strategic Planning and Development

Paisley Campus (travel to other campuses as required)

Full-time: 35 hours per week

As our next Head of Strategic Planning, you'll be instrumental in coordinating the planning and budgeting cycle, managing the UWS performance framework, and driving developments in the academic portfolio. You'll be supporting the implementation of UWS thematic plans, ensuring effective decision-making across the University. You will be responsible for liaising with external funders and regulators, providing analysis and insight on key strategic performance targets.

To excel in this role, you'll need to be excellent at extracting value from complex data, providing analysis for colleagues across the university and initiating action.

The Head of Strategic Planning is a senior UWS colleague, with responsibility for providing significant leadership input to the strategic planning processes of the University. The postholder will lead a team of analysts, planners and policy analysts, set challenging targets, and monitor results.

You will be given the chance to drive the University's Strategy, for delivering insight from data, preparing briefings for the Vice-Chancellor’s Executive and Court, and play a leading role in supporting the development of Strategy 2030.

The successful candidate should have the following:

• A degree or relevant experience
• Extensive experience working in a senior role within a strategic planning environment
• Proven ability to analyse, interpret, present, and clearly communicate complex briefings to colleagues at all levels in an organisation through the production of concise and insightful briefing notes and papers
• A track record of achievement in the drafting and implementation of plans or policies in a large and complex organisation
• Significant professional experience in policy analysis and evaluation
• Experience in operating with a high degree of credibility at a senior level within an organisation
• Evidence of the ability to successfully meet challenging targets and planned objectives
• Possess broad administrative experience including leading a significant business unit, including financial accountability.

About us

The University of the West of Scotland is one of Scotland’s largest and most dynamic modern universities. Our reach across the country, together with our London campus, means that UWS is a significant force in global knowledge creation, innovation, and a leading provider of undergraduate, postgraduate and research degree education. Our degrees provide students with a transformational experience; equipping them with highly sought-after graduate skills that set them up for global success in world-leading sectors, industries and businesses.

With cutting-edge courses, modern pedagogy and practical knowledge, we enable our students and staff to experience the joy of learning, teaching, research and innovation, and apply their knowledge for the benefit of others.

UWS is officially ranked by Times Higher Education in the top 200 universities worldwide under 50 years old (2023 Young University Rankings).

We offer our staff a caring and supportive environment, across five campuses, and a competitive benefits package which includes:

• 31 days of annual leave, plus a further 12 days for public/university holidays
• An additional day of annual leave to celebrate your birthday
• Defined benefit contribution pension scheme (currently 19.3%), including death in service benefits upon joining the scheme
• A flexible approach to working pattern and work-life balance
• Employee discount scheme across 3,500 retailers
• Fitness facilities across our campuses
• Access to a range of health and wellbeing resources, including occupational health, physiotherapy and access to our Employee Assistance Programme
• Professional, career and research development opportunities.

Closing date: Monday 1^st April 2024

Interview date: Wednesday 10^th April 2024

The University reserves the right to shorten/extend the closing date of any position where a high/low volume of suitable applications are received. Therefore, if you are interested in this role, an early application would be encouraged.

UWS is committed to equality and diversity and welcomes applications from underrepresented groups.

UWS is a “Disability Confident” employer.

University of the West of Scotland is a registered Scottish charity, no. SC002520.