Head of Education Office

About the role:

Imperial College London’s Department of Life Sciences is seeking an experienced and strategically minded Head of Education Office to lead our large and complex education administration functions, and act as the senior professional authority for education operations within the Department.

This is a senior professional services leadership role with responsibility for overseeing all undergraduate and postgraduate taught education administration across a thriving and expanding portfolio. You will play a critical role in shaping the quality of education delivery and student experience, working in close partnership with senior academics, central services, and faculty colleagues.

With around 1,000 undergraduate students, 300 postgraduate taught students, and new MSci programmes launching from 2026, this is an exciting opportunity to influence education strategy at scale within a world-leading research university.

What you would be doing:

Reporting to the Director of Operations, Life Sciences, you will provide strategic leadership and operational oversight for the Education Office, managing senior administrators and specialist teams that support teaching, assessment, progression, quality assurance, and student lifecycle activity.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading all aspects of education administration to ensure delivery is efficient, compliant, and student-focused
• Acting as the senior professional authority for education operations within the Department, advising on risk, policy, capacity and improvement
• Overseeing academic year planning for undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes
• Ensuring regulatory compliance and robust quality assurance across programmes and modules
• Leading workforce planning, structure and capability across the Education Office
• Driving continuous improvement and service redesign informed by data and stakeholder insight.

This is a highly autonomous role requiring sound judgement, strong leadership capability, and the confidence to influence at senior levels.

What we are looking for:

You will be an experienced higher education professional with the confidence to operate at senior level and the credibility to influence academic and professional colleagues. You will bring substantial experience in higher education administration, alongside a proven ability to lead large, complex professional services teams.

You will have:

• A degree or equivalent professional qualification
• Significant experience supporting teaching and learning in a higher education environment
• Demonstrable experience of leading and developing administrative teams
• Strong understanding of student systems, academic regulations and the student lifecycle
• The ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced, high-volume environment
• Exceptional interpersonal skills, with the credibility to work effectively with senior academic stakeholders.

What we can offer you:

• A unique opportunity to join our vibrant departmental community and make a substantial contribution to our mission to use science for humanity.
• The opportunity to continue your career at a world-leading institution.
• A sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 41 days’ annual leave and generous pension schemes).
• Be part of a diverse, inclusive and collaborative work culture with various staff networks and resources to support your personal and professional wellbeing.

In this role you will have the opportunity to shape education services at scale, influence institutional processes, and lead a highly skilled team in a supportive and ambitious department.

Further Information

This is a full-time, open-ended post, based primarily at our South Kensington Campus. You will also be expected to travel to our Silwood Park Campus regularly.

We welcome informal conversations with prospective applicants. If you require any further details about the role, please contact: James Andrewes – j.andrewes@imperial.ac.uk.

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