Overview
Liverpool John Moores University is a proud civic institution, committed to widening participation, social mobility, and delivering education that transforms lives through high-quality teaching, inclusive learning, and strong student outcomes.
We are seeking an exceptional senior leader in a newly established role of Director of Academic Registry and Teaching Excellence. We are seeking a values-driven, credible, and influential leader with extensive senior experience in higher education, a deep understanding of the regulatory and policy landscape, and a strong track record of delivering institution-wide change that improves teaching quality, student outcomes, and equality of opportunity.
This is a rare opportunity to shape how academic governance, registry services, and learning and teaching excellence work together to advance LJMU’s civic mission and deliver an outstanding, inclusive, and outcomes-focused student experience.
Responsibilities
Reporting to the Registrar and Chief Operating Officer and the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Student Experience), the postholder will provide strategic, University-wide leadership across Academic Registry, academic quality, and teaching and learning excellence. The role brings together academic governance, registry services, and teaching excellence to ensure that institutional frameworks, systems, and practice work coherently to support student success across the full student lifecycle.
The Director will position Academic Registry as a strategic enabler of inclusive teaching, curriculum quality, and student outcomes, ensuring that academic governance, policies, and processes actively support access, continuation, attainment, and progression for all learners. They will champion a culture of continuous excellence, embedding evidence-informed and inclusive practice across teaching, learning, assessment, and academic administration.
Working in close partnership with senior academic colleagues, the Director will lead the delivery of the University’s Teaching, Learning and Student Success priorities, aligning learning design, assessment practice, academic regulations, and student support with institutional commitments on equality of opportunity and social mobility. The role will provide institutional leadership for engagement with the Office for Students (OfS), including oversight of regulatory compliance, outcomes-based monitoring, and the strategic delivery and evaluation of the University’s Access and Participation Plan (APP).
The postholder will have overarching responsibility for safeguarding academic standards and the integrity of awards, while ensuring that teaching quality and student outcomes are evidenced through robust data, evaluation, and enhancement activity. They will lead LJMU’s institutional approach to the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), ensuring that TEF principles are embedded into ongoing enhancement rather than treated as a periodic exercise, and that the University presents a clear, credible narrative of teaching excellence and impact.
The Director will oversee the full student lifecycle across undergraduate, postgraduate taught, and postgraduate research provision, including partner delivery, ensuring that registry services, quality frameworks, and digital systems support effective academic delivery and a seamless student experience. They will represent the University with key sector and regulatory bodies, including the OfS, PSRBs, and other national partners.
Leadership and Collaboration
As a member of the University Leadership Team, the Director will lead high-performing professional teams, manage significant resources, and contribute to institution-wide strategy, transformation, and delivery. They will provide clear leadership and accountability for academic quality, teaching excellence, and student outcomes, working collaboratively with Faculties and professional services to drive improvement at scale.
Qualifications and Experience
Candidates will have proven success in delivering institution-wide initiatives that have improved student outcomes, teaching quality or regulatory compliance as well as extensive experience of external review and evaluation, for example, as an External Examiner, working directly with Professional Body Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies or as QAA Reviewer. They will also have extensive experience of working with the Office for Students regulatory framework and demonstrable leadership of Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) strategy, submissions, or institution-wide teaching excellence activity. Demonstrable experience of driving through change in a large, complex organisation and an ability to explain and discuss education and student experience activities are also key.
Benefits
In return, we offer an excellent benefits package including generous annual leave entitlement, pension scheme, induction, and development support as well as family-friendly policies.
Context and Strategy
This is an exciting time to join the university as we deliver the LJMU Strategy 2030 and its vision of LJMU as an inclusive civic university transforming lives and futures, by placing students at the heart of everything we do.
Enquiries
Informal enquiries can be made to Professor Clare Milsom (Registrar and Chief Operating Officer) at: c.v.milsom@ljmu.ac.uk and/or Professor Phil Vickerman (Pro-Vice Chancellor, Student Experience) at: p.vickerman@ljmu.ac.uk.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
We would encourage applications from all individuals who meet the advert criteria, but would particularly encourage applications from women; ethnically diverse groups, LGBTQ+ groups; and disabled people. The University is proud of its commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and endeavours to cultivate a staff base that is representative of society. Please let us know if you require reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process.
Please note all of our vacancies will be closed to applications at midnight on the advertised closing date, unless otherwise stated.
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