Nation Director, Ireland (Belfast, NIR, GB, BT1 3GN)
Salary: £
Change your career, change lives
The Open University (OU) is seeking an outstanding leader to become our next Director in Ireland. This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of flexible, part-time, and distance higher education across both Northern Ireland and Ireland, ensuring the OU’s mission and values are championed on both sides of the border.
About the Role
As the University’s most senior officer in Ireland, you will provide strategic leadership and management for all OU activities across the island. You will represent the OU at the highest levels with government, universities, and key stakeholders, ensuring our mission and values are championed nationally and internationally.
You will play a central role as a member of the Vice-Chancellor’s Executive Team, contributing to the overall strategic direction of the University and leading its implementation in Ireland. You will also ensure that academic strategy and delivery are aligned with the OU’s ambitions, maintaining our reputation for innovation and impact.
In this role, you will lead and inspire the OU’s teams in Ireland, fostering a high-performing, inclusive culture. You will represent the University with the Northern Ireland Executive, Irish Government, Universities Ireland, and other stakeholders, securing and optimising funding, managing budgets, and ensuring the quality and cost-effectiveness of operations. You will develop and implement a vision for the OU in Ireland, aligned with University strategy, and build strategic partnerships with employers, educational institutions, and agencies to expand our reach and impact. You will oversee student recruitment, support services, and the delivery of targeted campaigns and communications, while providing advice on geo-political, legislative, and funding developments affecting higher education in Ireland. You will champion equity, diversity, inclusion, and sustainability in all aspects of the OU’s work.
To succeed, you will bring significant senior management experience in higher education or a related field, with the credibility to operate at executive level. You will have a proven track record of institutional representation, partnership building, and stakeholder engagement, as well as outstanding leadership, staff management, and communication skills. Strategic and operational expertise in resource and financial management is essential, as is experience of leading change and delivering high standards of service. You will demonstrate a strong commitment to the OU’s mission, values, and to advancing equity, diversity, inclusion, and sustainability. Educated to degree level (or equivalent professional qualification) is essential; a relevant higher degree is desirable.
Support with your application
If you are passionate about widening access to education, and have the vision and leadership to drive the OU’s mission across Ireland, we would love to hear from you.
For an informal conversation about the role, please contact our recruitment partners at GatenbySanderson, Sophie Hester:
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