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The Role and the Department The Department of Engineering is seeking a Department Manager to lead the Department's organisational and administrative functions, providing strategic support across learning and teaching, the student experience, research, finance, and impact. Working closely with the Head of Department and Senior Management Team, the post holder will contribute to business planning, help shape strategic priorities, oversee the Department's budget and resource allocation, and manage HR processes. They will also strengthen communication mechanisms, particularly through effective IT systems, and identify opportunities to enhance service quality through innovation and continuous improvement. The role includes maintaining and analysing management information, including KPIs and other performance metrics. The Department Manager will be an active member of key committees, including the Senior Management Team, Strategic Advisory Board, Board of Studies, Education Committee, Research Committee, EDI and Wellbeing Committee, and the Athena Swan SAT, as well as contributing to Faculty level and University working groups. Building strong relationships with academic colleagues, professional services teams, and external partners, including transnational partners in Wuhan, China, will be essential. The role requires balancing institutional risk with enabling academic activity, ensuring departmental readiness and the effective delivery of new initiatives. The post includes line management of a team of administrative and ancillary staff. We are looking for someone who is motivated by working in an educational environment and committed to making a meaningful contribution. The successful candidate will be highly organised, detail-focused, and proactive, able to manage a varied and fast-paced workload and work across multiple concurrent activities. They will be committed to continuous improvement, confident in solving problems, and skilled at building productive working relationships across the Department, Faculty, University services, and external partners to support and drive strategic aims and objectives, and ensure Department engagement with and successful implementation of local and University-wide projects and initiatives. They must demonstrate personal resilience and emotional intelligence in effectively dealing with a wide range of academic and professional services staff and students, as well as often complex process management challenges. This is an exciting time to join the Department of Engineering, which is continuing a period of strategic growth. Durham's unified Engineering Department is recognised as one of the strongest in the UK, with an excellent reputation for teaching, research, and graduate employability. The Department is committed to research-led education and has recently achieved high national rankings, including 5th in The Complete University Guide 2026, 6th in The Guardian University Guide 2026, and 7th in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026. It was also ranked 2nd in the UK for Engineering, behind only Cambridge, in a recent Institute for Fiscal Studies report on graduate earnings. The Department holds an Athena SWAN Silver Award, reflecting its commitment to diversity in STEM and its supportive, positive working culture. This is an excellent opportunity to join a growing Department and make a meaningful impact on its future direction. The base location for this role is in the Department of Engineering, which is situated on the Lower Mountjoy area of the Science site. Due to the nature of the role, the successful candidate will need to work on campus for the majority of time but, subject to business need, may work in a hybrid capacity 1-2 days per week once established. Further information about the role and the responsibilities is at the bottom of this job description. Working at Durham A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University: You'll receive 30 days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year - a total of 42 days per year. The University closes between Christmas and New Year. We offer a generous pension scheme, and as a new member of staff you will be automatically enrolled into the University Superannuation Scheme (USS). No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered. We have ample parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies. You can also take advantage of our cost-effective and environmentally friendly Tusker Car Benefit Scheme, allowing you to lease a brand-new electric or hybrid vehicle with savings on tax and National Insurance. We have a genuine commitment to developing our colleagues professionally and personally. There is a comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications and routes to develop your career in the University. All staff have dedicated annual time to concentrate on their personal development opportunities. We provide wide-ranging health and wellbeing support including discounted membership for our state-of-the-art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme. Our on-site nursery is rated Outstanding by Ofsted, and you can access holiday camps for children aged 5-16. Our family-friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers). We offer all staff the opportunity to take part in volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community. You can access exclusive discounts via our benefits portal including money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, eating out and days out at various attractions. Various salary sacrifice schemes are also available to help you take advantage of tax savings on benefits. If you are moving to Durham, you may be eligible for help with removal costs, and we have a dedicated team who can help you with the practicalities such as house hunting and schools. If you need a visa, we cover most visa costs and offer an interest-free loan scheme to pay for dependant visas. Discover more about our total rewards and benefits package here. Durham University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion Our collective aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and we believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work. As a University equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University's Strategy and a central part of everything we do. We also live by our values and our Staff Code of Conduct. At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive. We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force including people with disabilities, women and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. If you have taken time out of your career, and you feel it relevant, let us know about it in your application. If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role. What you need to demonstrate when you apply / Person Specification When you apply it is important that you let us know what skills / experience you have from a similar role and / or what skills / experience you have which would make you right for this role. Further information about the role and responsibilities is at the end of this job description. Where a criteria has an asterisk* next to it, it may be given additional weighting when your application is considered. Your application should cover the following criteria: Essential Criteria Qualifications / Experience 1. Educated to degree level (or equivalent experience). 2. Strong understanding of risk, governance and compliance requirements, including legal, financial, ethical, data protection and intellectual property considerations relevant to academic activity. 3. Professional practitioner with specialist knowledge and expertise to influence service delivery including strategic and operational oversight of staff, students and processes. 4. Demonstrable experience of leading the design, development and implementation of policies, procedures and operational frameworks, demonstrating the ability to interpret complex requirements and translate them into effective and pragmatic solutions. 5. Demonstrable experience of driving and supporting service improvements, including analysing service needs, identifying opportunities for enhancement, and leading change initiatives to improve efficiency, consistency and user experience. 6. Demonstrable experience of providing specialist advice and guidance to a range of customers and colleagues, including more senior colleagues. 7. Demonstrable experience of participating in internal or external networks to share and discuss good practice, develop strong and productive working relationships and positively influence the University's reputation. 8. Track record of people management and development experience and/or an enhanced management qualification applied across a large service team or teams. Skills / Abilities / Knowledge 9. Excellent spoken and written communication skills across a range of stakeholders including the ability to develop effective working relationships, both internally and externally. 10. Strong digital competence across a range of digital devices and apps relevant to the role including digital communication tools, Microsoft 365 applications, business systems such as Oracle, PowerBI. 11. Ability to analyse and interpret data to produce appropriate outputs. 12. Committed to continuing professional development to maintain professional recognition. 13. Extensive knowledge and demonstrable experience of ensuring compliance with regulatory and organisational policy and guidelines. 14. Ability to contribute to planning at strategic and operational levels. 15. Ability to solve problems and decide on and plan appropriate solutions. Desirable criteria 16. Knowledge and experience of contributing to accreditation by professional institutions. How to apply To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification above. It will be at the discretion of the recruiting panel as to whether they will also consider any desirable criteria, but we would urge candidates to provide evidence for all criteria. Please don't forget to check if there is any weighted criteria (see above). While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview. Submitting your application We prefer to receive applications online. We will update you about your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam / junk folder periodically to make sure you have not missed any of our updates. What you need to submit • A CV: and • A brief supporting statement or cover letter outlining why you are applying for the post (no more than 300 words) • A person specification grid - a table which outlines / evidences how you meet all of the criteria within the Person Specification. Contact details For a chat about the role or any further information please contact Dr Ruth Vater, Department Manager (ruth.vater@durham.ac.uk) or Professor Andrew Gallant, Head of Department (a.j.gallant@durham.ac.uk) Typical Role Requirements Service Delivery / Development Contribute to equality, diversity and inclusion and the University's values. Develop, apply and maintain an in-depth understanding of University policy and external developments, aligned with evolving sector expectations and regulatory frameworks, when carrying out your role. Ensure that policy and regulatory standards are met by activities, processes and transactions that are carried out in the activities and services you are responsible for. Use your professional knowledge and experience as a manager to resolve problems, shape processes and activities, develop systems and provide expertise and advice both in the Department and across the Faculty. Use your managerial and leadership expertise to identify priorities and shape the administrative team and the service it provides to achieve the required outcomes. Look for ways to continually improve services and take a lead role in the development and implementation of assigned policies, processes and standards. Initiate and manage business process reviews to improve the service in your area. Ensure data (commercially sensitive and / or personal) is appropriately stored and managed. Manage quality and regulatory audits of systems and procedures. Manage the administration of the professional accreditation of the Department's taught programmes. Support the welfare, wellbeing and employment of your staff by providing professional guidance. Planning and Organisation Contribute to the development of operational plans relevant to the Department and Faculty. Oversee the analysis of data about the service levels provided by the Department and Faculty and make recommendations for improvement in reports to senior managers and committees. Allocate and monitor designated budgets, expenditure and resources. Team Development Manage and develop the people, performance and resources of your team and the wider Department to ensure that an excellent customer-focused service is provided. Help shape the skills and expertise needed to deliver a professional service by recruiting, inducting and training team members and structuring the team in a way that will best meet operational and strategic priorities. Ensure that your team can deliver the required services by devolving and delegating responsibilities to appropriate team members. Carry out regular performance reviews to provide feedback on objectives and expectations and identify any development needs. Handle most HR issues and support the welfare and wellbeing of your team, referring more complex issues to specialist services or more senior managers. Communication / Liaison Use your professional knowledge to identify and recommend priorities for long-term business plans. Provide professional guidance and advice when managing services. Design creative and innovative communications to promote and increase engagement relating to the Department and its administration service, as well as the wider Faculty and University. Influence University policy, standards and governance by leading and participating in operational business meetings, working groups and sub-committees. Create strong working relationships, including internal and external networks, using your networks to increase your knowledge and skills, swap information with peers and positively influence the University's reputation. Participate actively in a community of Department Managers within the Faculty, contributing to projects, sharing good practice and adopting consistent ways of working where required. Represent the Department and the University at promotional events. Identify opportunities to develop and increase participation in special interest groups. Any other reasonable duties. Useful links If you would like further information you may find the following will help: Department of Engineering - Durham University. Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement Privacy Notices - Durham University which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data. When appointing to this role the University must ensure that it meets any applicable immigration requirements, including salary thresholds which are applicable to some visas.