Interim Director of Operations - College of Life Sciences

Vacancy terms: Full-time, fixed term contract for up to 18 months

About the role

The University is seeking to appoint a Director of Operations for the College of Life Sciences. As Director of Operations, you will lead and direct the development and operation of all professional services in the College, ensuring that the services support the academic activities of the College effectively.

The College of Life Sciences has approximately 4,000 students, with 1034 staff in teaching and/or research roles, and 286 professional service staff. You are responsible for the delivery of all College strategic and operational planning, resource allocation, and financial management. You are accountable for all the College’s risk management and business continuity planning frameworks. As a member of the College Leadership Team, you will work in partnership with academic colleagues to develop the teaching, research and enterprise strategies of the College, and will be responsible for overall good governance of the College, ensuring that the College is working in line with University strategy and policy at all times. As a member of the Registrar and Secretary’s Leadership Team, you represent the College’s interests, ensure integration with wider University developments, and contribute at a strategic level to the development and operation of the University’s professional services.  You will lead strategic cross-cutting institutional development projects, working with internal and external stakeholders as required.  

About you

You will be able to think creatively, with strong financial acumen, and change management skills. You will be able to demonstrate proven capabilities as a senior leader and manager, with a flexible and inclusive management style appropriate to the complexity and diversity of the University.

Additional information

Informal enquiries are welcome and should be made to Ruth Daly, Director of Operations and Convenor of Director of Operations on rsj10@leicester.ac.uk, Professor Tom Robinson tgr2@leicester.ac.uk, or Professor Jacqui Shaw js39@leicester.ac.uk.

Interviews are anticipated to take place on 5 August 2026. 

The University of Leicester has been changing the world, and changing people’s lives, for 100 years. When you join us, you’ll become part of a community of Citizens of Change, which includes not only our staff and our current students but also thousands of Leicester graduates around the world.

As a diverse and forward-thinking employer, we embed the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion into everything we do. That includes not just our core missions of teaching and research, but also our support for staff, students and our local community through our values of Inspiring, Impactful and Inclusive.

We’re committed to the wellbeing of all our staff and to the sustainability of our environment, on our campus and beyond. We offer a competitive salary package, excellent pension scheme and a generous annual leave allowance, along with opportunities to develop your career in a supportive and collaborative environment.

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