Interim Director of Strategy and Strategic Performance

Part Time (0.8fte), Fixed Term Contract (8 months)

Start date: January 2027

Salary: Competitive  

This is a role for a senior leader who combines strategic insight with delivery focus, can navigate complexity across a multi-stakeholder institution, and can build the systems, behaviours and discipline required for successful strategy execution.

The role will lead the Strategy Delivery Office and translate the new University strategy into clear priorities, measurable outcomes and coordinated delivery plans. It will ensure that planning, governance, risk, strategic performance insight and transformation activity operate as a coherent institutional framework. 

The role will support the Senior Leadership Team and Board of Governors with high-quality analysis, programme oversight, assurance and decision support. The postholder will strengthen the University’s ability to deliver strategic change at pace while maintaining clarity, accountability and institutional grip.

The intention is for this role to commence on a fixed term basis for 8 months after which a full assessment will be made as to the University’s needs going forward.

The Job Specification outlines the full responsibilities of the role, but it is intended that the Interim Director will initially focus on the following key areas of work:

• Strategy 2032:  Strategic delivery planning, institutional priorities, roadmaps and phased implementation plan for 3 major programmes. Click here to view ‘Strategy 2032’.
• Strategic Development Office: Establishing the function, delivery frameworks, project governance and institutional transformation capability.
• Operational Planning and Strategic Investment:
• - Integrated 2027/28 planning cycle, aligning strategy themes and resource allocation, academic workload, academic portfolio, student number planning, estate utilisation and financial integration.
• - Investment prioritisation, business case development and Strategic Investment Fund arrangements.
• Institutional Performance and Risk: KPI framework, institutional targets, performance reporting and strategic risk management. Maintain and continue revised, streamlined Risk approach and SMT engagement on mitigations. 
• Estates – Utilisation & Strategy: Estates Strategy development, space requirements, campus review and future estate and investment planning. This work is interlinked to a Timetabling Review.
• Management of strategic and commercially sensitive projects.
• Oversight of key changes in statutory reporting to OfS: Modernisation of data architecture (to SQL); dashboard development (recruitment and RAM are the priorities); movement towards data lake; full migration to new Qlik product. 

This post requires a senior leader with significant experience of strategic planning, performance, transformation and PMO, ideally from within Higher Education or a closely aligned area.  In a multi-stakeholder and regulated environment, the postholder will develop and deliver plans and programmes to support the University’s new strategy and bring expertise and insight into governance, transformation practices and management of strategic risk.   This will require a mix of clear and strong leadership, developed analytical and interpretive skills along with proven negotiation and influencing skills, and the ability to navigate complexity and operate in a multi-faceted organisation.

Informal enquiries are welcomed by:

Olivia McLaughlin, Chief Operating Officer & University Secretary, via Executive Officer, Melissa Francis m.francis@chi.ac.uk.

• Closing Date: 18 November 2026
• Interview Date: To be confirmed       

For full details of the post and to apply, please visit our website.

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