Head of Operations – College of Social Sciences – 106721 – Grade 8
Apply for the Head of Operations role at University of Birmingham.
Position Details
Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK.
Full time fixed‑term contract up to June 2027. Closing date: 10 Feb 2026. Interview date: 24 Feb 2026.
This role is also open as an internal second‑ment opportunity which would need to be agreed by your current line manager. Previous applicants need not apply.
Salary
Full‑time starting salary normally in the range £47,389 to £56,535 with potential progression once in post to £63,606.
Benefits
40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, a pension scheme, subsidised day nurseries, and flexible working arrangements. Additional campus facilities include a sports centre, art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.
Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.
Background
Based across our world‑class campuses in Birmingham and Dubai, the College of Social Sciences (CoSS) is a global, diverse and inclusive community of currently more than 12,500 students, 900 academics and 300 professional services staff. We are committed to our strategic goal of driving social change for a fairer and more sustainable world. Our four schools – Business, Education, Government, and Social Policy and Society – are at the vanguard of innovative and impactful research and teaching across social science.
This role would be based in the School of Social Policy and Society. The School delivers a suite of undergraduate, postgraduate, professional and executive education programmes to a diverse and international student population. We undertake research that matters, collaborating with partners from the private, public and third sectors from across the world.
Role Summary
The Head of Operations (HoOP) plays a key role in supporting the Head of School to deliver on University, College and School strategy. The role balances strategic thinking with delivering operational excellence through leadership of the professional services teams, frequently requiring the post‑holder to translate complex strategy into operational plans.
Reporting into the College Director of Operations, HoOPs are key members of the School Strategic Management team, College Professional Services Strategic Leadership Team (PSSLT) and College Management Network. The HoOP role is a College role, based locally within a School, and part of a team of senior professional services leads within the College. Flexibility is a key aspect of this position, with occasional cover and support to other Schools within the College based on operational demand and business need.
The HoOP will be required to work strategically with excellent communication and leadership skills, significant operational experience and a commitment to continuous improvement of excellent service delivery through a collaborative and inclusive approach.
Main Duties
Leadership
* Provide the Head of School with exceptional leadership support to ensure both the School’s strategic and operational priorities are delivered to a high standard.
* Work effectively with the School’s Senior Management Team, translating strategy into practice, and ensuring clear communication of the School’s priorities to professional services teams.
* Lead and manage professional services staff in the school to ensure effective, positive working relationships at all levels, both directly and through interim and matrix managers.
* Lead staff through periods of change, communicating a clear and positive vision and acting as a role model.
* Ongoing development and support for direct reports through coaching and training, both formal and informal.
* Developing teams that consistently embody and demonstrate the University values, and an ability to lead by example.
* Working with senior Professional Services colleagues across the College, lead on continuous improvement of operational service delivery.
Strategic and Operational
* Work in partnership with College Business Partners to support the Head of School, in developing the School’s Strategy in the context of the CoSS 2030 and the University Strategic Framework.
* Engage with strategic initiatives, including external partners, ensuring that the required professional services contribution is made.
* Work as part of the College Professional Services Strategic Leadership Team to provide a critical link between University Professional Services, College and School, balancing local needs with overarching university objectives to ensure an outstanding student and academic experience.
* Work closely with the College Finance Team and Head of School to understand the school’s operational budget and support in year‑financial planning processes.
* Oversee the School Operations Team’s day‑to‑day management of operations within the School, including facilities management, security, maintenance, administrative services and ensuring the School has appropriate health and safety procedures in place.
Governance and Compliance
* Support the Head of School in ensuring that the School has robust governance and decision‑making structures fully aligned with those at College and university level.
* Lead role in understanding requirements for compliance with accreditation and regulatory bodies relevant to the School, and responsibility for operational aspects.
* Ensure the School’s committees are supported to a high standard and ensure that decisions made are communicated and followed up as appropriate.
* Lead ensuring that the School complies with University Regulations, all other University policies, procedures and guidelines, relevant legislation.
HR Management
* Ensure appropriate HR strategies and procedures for school staff, including induction, succession planning, training and development, performance management and review and reward mechanisms, working with College HR staff to ensure compliance with University policy and relevant legislation.
* Recruit, train and supervise professional services staff, promoting professional development and high performance.
* Conduct regular performance reviews and address staff concerns.
* Lead School HR processes by liaising with internal colleagues and external stakeholders, managing staffing requests, drafting business cases (CPAG) and job descriptions, and overseeing fixed‑term contract staff activities in partnership with HR.
Technology and Innovation
* Utilise technology to enhance operational efficiency and service delivery, including automation.
* Oversee implementation of new systems and processes.
Equity, Diversity and Belonging
* Actively promote equality, diversity and belonging, acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.
Citizenship and Collaboration
* Develop effective working relationships with other Heads of Operations and professional services colleagues across the University.
* Take on projects as requested by the College Director of Operations for the benefit of the wider College and University.
* Support key university events such as graduations, confirmations, clearing and other key events, working flexibly across the University if required.
* May require occasional reassignment to other Schools based on operational demand and business need.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Educated to Degree level (or equivalent) plus relevant leadership experience in complex operational delivery, preferably within the Higher Education sector.
Skills
* Proven capability as a leader or manager, with a flexible and inclusive management style.
* Demonstrable success in building relationships across a complex organisation with evidence of exceptional negotiating and influencing skills, specifically with senior academic stakeholders.
* Proven ability to deliver complex strategy, including translating institutional strategy into operational plans.
* Evidence of excellent communication skills across different audiences in a diverse organisation.
* High degree of self‑motivation and ability to motivate and lead others.
* Evidence of digital skills and capabilities to succeed in an evolving digital environment including MS 365.
* Ability to manage conflict effectively and handle sensitive and confidential issues.
Knowledge and Experience
* Significant experience of leading and developing teams.
* Experience of writing and presenting reports in a clear and well‑structured manner for senior management, and producing and analysing source material, information and data.
* Experience of monitoring and reporting on budgets and understanding of financial management procedures.
* Readiness to challenge the status quo with evidence of developing and implementing service excellence, and identifying continuous improvement opportunities.
* Commitment to people development and the organisational values that underpin the culture of the University.
* Evidence of a commitment to excellent service delivery.
* Experience of championing Equity, Diversity and Belonging in own work area.
Informal enquiries to Yvonne Hackforth‑Williams, Director of Operations, College of Social Sciences, email: y.e.williams@bham.ac.uk or Professor Nicola Gale, Head of School, School of Social Policy and Society, email: n.gale@bham.ac.uk.
We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website.
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