Academic Planning and Performance Manager

The Royal College of Art is seeking an experienced &  highly capable Academic Planning & Performance Manager to join our Academic Registry team.

This is a key senior professional services role, providing high-quality planning, analysis, reporting and coordination to support institutional decision-making across the College. Working closely with the Academic Registrar and senior academic & professional services colleagues, you will help ensure that planning and performance activity is well coordinated, evidence-informed and aligned with the RCA’s strategic ambitions.

The RCA is a world-leading specialist postgraduate institution of art, design, architecture, communication and creative practice. Operating within a complex and fast-changing higher education environment, robust planning, high-quality evidence and insightful performance reporting are essential to supporting academic, operational & strategic delivery.

About the role:

You will coordinate key institutional & academic planning cycles, including student number planning, recruitment and admissions monitoring, academic portfolio planning, quality cycles, student outcomes reporting and performance monitoring.

You will analyse and interpret quantitative and qualitative data from a range of sources, translating complex information into clear insights, briefings, dashboards, reports and recommendations for senior leaders and committees.

A key element of the role will be developing and maintaining planning models and analytical tools, including scenario modelling & options analysis to support student number planning, admissions and enrolment monitoring, programme viability, portfolio planning and resource considerations.

You will provide trusted planning and performance advice to the Academic Registrar, PVC Education and Student Success, Deans, Heads of Programme & senior professional service colleagues, providing constructive challenge and helping colleagues understand trends, risks and implications.

You will work collaboratively across Academic Registry, Schools and professional services including Finance, Recruitment, Technical Services, Data and Insight and Strategy, supporting joined-up planning and performance activity across the College.

About you:

You will have significant experience in planning, performance reporting, data analysis, academic administration, governance, business planning or strategy support, ideally within higher education or another complex organisation.

You will have strong analytical & numerical skills, advanced Excel capability and experience producing high-quality reports, briefings, dashboards or committee papers for senior audiences.

You will be confident engaging with senior stakeholders, able to influence and advise colleagues, provide constructive challenge & translate complex information into clear, practical and actionable insight.

An understanding of the UK higher education environment, including governance, assurance, quality, student outcomes, regulatory expectations and institutional performance, is essential.

This is an exciting opportunity to take on a role with significant institutional influence, helping to connect data, planning and performance with strategic priorities at one of the world’s leading specialist postgraduate universities.

Please see Information pack for further details of this exciting new role.

Closing for applications: 11.59pm, 14 September 2026 with interviews expected to take place on 24 September 2026

Further details: Information Pack

RCA Benefits available here: https://www.rca.ac.uk/more/work-at-the-rca/staff-benefits/

The Royal College of Art (RCA)  aims to foster an inclusive culture which promotes equality, values diversity and maintains a working, learning and social environment in which the rights and dignity of all its staff and students and stakeholders are respected. 

We recognise the broad range of experiences that a diverse staff and student body brings and how this  strengthens our research and enhances our teaching.

Please tell us if you need any assistance in applying or if you need the information in a different format.

In your message to resourcing@rca.ac.uk include:

• the web address (URL) of the content
• your email address and name

Advert information