Position Details
External Relations
Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK
Full time starting salary is normally in the range £36,636 to £46,049 with potential progression once in post to £48,822
Grade: 7
Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to May 2027
Closing date: 11th March 2026
This role is also open as an internal secondment opportunity which would need to be agreed by your current line manager.
UK and International travel may be required for this role
2 Positions available
We are advertising for 2 x Global Partnerships Manager roles. One with a primary focus on Europe (59520Z26) and one with a primary focus on North America (48376Z26). Please indicate the role(s) you wish to apply for in your application.
Our offer to you
People are at the heart of what we are and do.
The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.
We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide-range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career at the University.
We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work.
Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working. In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.
The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site. On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.
Find out more about the benefits of working for the University of Birmingham
Background
This role is based in the International Team within External Relations, which directly contributes to the delivery of the University's International Strategy. The International Team comprises international student recruitment and international partnerships and is led by the Deputy Director of External Relations. International partnerships are integral in delivering our global research and education and Global Top 50 reputation priorities.
Role Summary
We are recruiting for two Global Partnership Manager maternity cover roles. One role will focus on North America, and the other on Europe. Please indicate in your application whether you have a preference for one region or would like to be considered for both roles.
The role will contribute to the delivery of the University's International Strategy through supporting the development of international partnerships and collaborative opportunities for the University. Working with academics and other colleagues in divisions across the University, they are responsible for driving forward projects to enhance activity in defined regions, advising departments on opportunities and facilitating partnership development with identified priority partners.
Whilst primary responsibility for a region, or regions, will be defined for the post holder, the role is not limited to any specific geographical region. As such, the post holder may be required to develop a detailed understanding of the political, economic and legal environment of any country in which our partners are located and must be interculturally sensitive with good business acumen.
The post holder will also be expected to develop an understanding of the wider context in which the University operates, as there are opportunities to contribute to and support broader projects and there may be opportunities to connect our work between priority regions.
The post holder may be required to undertake occasional overseas travel, including weekends and public holidays. The post holder must be able to operate effectively and autonomously under these circumstances.
Main duties
* Contribute to the University's International Strategy by evaluating research, reputation and education opportunities and progressing initiatives for partnership development (both in the UK and overseas) that will enhance the University's global reputation and profile and realise strategic objectives. This may include the management and promotion of internal pump-priming funding, visiting fellow schemes or directly supporting a regionally-focused (virtual) institute, which acts as a community of practice across the University.
* Develop a detailed understanding of the opportunities and initiatives that support mutually beneficial collaboration in defined regions, in order to be able to advise academic colleagues in Colleges and other professional service divisions and operationalise our International Strategy.
o Work collaboratively with internal and external colleagues to identify potential funding streams.
o Disseminate information and provide advice and guidance on best practice in partnership development.
o Organise and lead workshops, seminars and training sessions to enhance knowledge and understanding of partnership development with prioritised institutions.
* Provide advice and guidance to Colleges on the development of new and existing schemes that promote the development of sustainable partnerships. This could involve education, research and reputating building activity. This will involve:
o Establishing and maintaining an active network of contacts across the University to enable a detailed understanding of how College priorities and international ambitions align with the University's International Strategy.
o Develop and deliver an effective communications plan for areas of responsibility, sharing information effectively online and through direct communications both internally and externally.
o Evaluating external data sources to identify and respond to potential partnership opportunities that align with the International Strategy, disseminating this information as appropriate.
o In consultation with the relevant Head of Global Partnerships, provide detailed market background information and an assessment of opportunities.
o Assessing proposals for international engagement and approaches from potential partners, and providing market intelligence to aid decision making on new initiatives.
* Manage programmes of incoming overseas delegations, events or other activities involving partnerships.
* Organise and undertake overseas travel in support of partnership development, usually accompanying academic colleagues. This may include:
o Organisation and and management of outgoing and incoming academic and institutional delegations and visits, ensuring the programme will maximise outcomes and opportunities for collaboration.
o Organising, attending and participating in international conferences, seminars and other events.
o Leading discussions with academic departments and professional services to realise partnership objectives through the engagement.
o Ensuring actions are followed up and any agreed, prioritised opportunities are taken forward.
o Preparing costings and managing designated budgets.
* Provide high level project management support for defined projects and initiatives, which may include research and education partnerships (such as direct entry or articulation arrangements).
* Act as the principal contact point for identified partners, collaborating academics and professional services colleagues engaged in the development of joint initiatives.
* Manage defined budgets effectively; preparing and submitting budgets for consideration, undertaking accurate forecasting, reconciliation and reporting as required.
* Ensure that priorities are balanced, taking action to deliver agreed deliverables against timelines.
* Promote equality and values diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.
* Support the University's sustainability agenda through resource efficient working.
* Any other duties commensurate with the grade.
Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience
* Qualified to degree level or equivalent plus practical managerial experience or significant relevant experience demonstrated through increasingly more demanding roles evidencing the experience necessary for this role.
* Knowledge of the international higher education sector and current opportunities and challenges.
* Working knowledge of partnership development and evidenced ability to formulate operational plans that deliver on strategic objectives.
* Evidence of literacy and numeracy, with the ability to write clearly, and to produce and analyse information and data.
* Excellent people-management skills.
* Excellent budgetary management skills and experience.
* Highly proficient IT skills, including the MS Office and website editing software. You should be confident and able to quickly learn new IT skills and software packages as required.
* Excellent interpersonal, intercultural, communication, relationship building and influencing skills with the ability to deal confidently with a range of internal and external stakeholders/contacts and build effective and trust-based relations.
* Excellent organisational, project management, problem solving and multi-tasking skills with a methodical approach to work and the ability to prioritise workloads in order to meet deadlines.
* Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day to day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly.
Role context
Roles at this level will require a broad understanding and practical experience of an administrative or professional field which will be used to plan the running and development of services and/or lead shorter term projects or contribute to larger projects. You will work with information which needs interpretation and analysis; you will use your judgement to identify the best solution to differing problems and issues, offering recommendations for managing more complex situations. You may be responsible for managing a team of staff, being accountable for recruiting and developing them and for managing performance. You may also need to liaise and/or co-ordinate activities across a number of different sections within the department or possibly with wider department or external bodies as appropriate.
Core competencies/transferable skills
Working at this level you will be able to develop and successfully demonstrate the core competencies/transferable skills outlined in each of the areas shown below. As appropriate for the level, our Birmingham Professionals will take ownership for getting things done. You will be expected to be flexible as required in supporting your department and wider University.
Planning and organising
* plan the running and development of service(s), overseeing resources and inputting into resource planning as appropriate;
* develop, agree and implement standards for delivery for own area;
* manage a team of staff and review, develop and motivate them;
* plan relevant training and development;
* provide professional advice, guidance and support to others within and outside their immediate work area;
* oversee resources and make recommendations about future resource requirements.
Problem solving and decision making
* review, develop and propose solutions for problems with (for example) staff, budgets, services and/or systems;
* deal effectively with unexpected issues, such as changing priorities;
* deal with sensitive people matters/issues;
* provide specialist advice and recommendations to support decision–making of others.
Organisational understanding
* understand their own and closely-related working areas and how they contribute to the success of the University.
* has an understanding of how the University operates; actively seeks to share this knowledge with others.
* developing empathy with the academic endeavour.
Relationships and communication
* influence decision makers and win support for proposals;
* develop excellent working relationships within and outside of own area and with external stakeholders;
* co-ordinate activities across a number of areas.
Informal enquiries to Erica Arthur, email:
View our staff values and behaviours here
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.
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.