Assistant Principal, Performance, Planning and Student Experience
Application Deadline: 1 February 2026
Department: Administration and Business
Employment Type: Full Time
Location: Glasgow
Reporting To: Robin Ashton
Compensation: £72,626 - £78,796 / year
Description
This exciting new role of Assistant Principal – Performance. Planning and Student Experience offers an exciting opportunity to provide strategic leadership in shaping the College's approach to quality enhancement, planning, and the student experience.
The postholder will lead the College's quality assurance and enhancement activity, ensuring full compliance with TQEF, QAA Scotland, awarding bodies, and other external agencies. They will oversee rigorous processes that safeguard academic standards, manage institutional risk, and drive continuous improvement across all areas of learning and teaching. With responsibility for monitoring performance against strategic objectives, the Assistant Principal will ensure clear KPIs, transparent reporting, and robust evaluation are embedded at every level. A key aspect of the role will be championing the student voice—ensuring that learners actively participate in co-designing their educational experience and wider support services. The role also leads the College's teacher education responsibilities, including accredited training programmes, professional standards, and registration requirements, while promoting inclusive, evidence-based practice and digital innovation.
The role provides strategic direction for Student Support Services—including wellbeing, guidance, learner support, engagement, and library services—ensuring these functions are inclusive, responsive, and impactful. By fostering a culture rooted in safeguarding, corporate parenting, inclusion, and wellbeing, the Assistant Principal will support learners to thrive. They will work collaboratively with curriculum teams and professional services to ensure seamless support for all students, while representing the College nationally and regionally to strengthen partnerships, influence sector practice, and enhance opportunities for learners.
In addition, the postholder will bring together quality enhancement and operational planning to deliver measurable improvements in learner outcomes and organisational performance. They will lead the development and evaluation of operational plans aligned with national priorities, SFC requirements, and regional strategies, promoting a culture of evidence-informed decision-making across the College.
Please refer to the attached Recruitment Pack for more information, including Job Description and guidance on application by CV.
Key Responsibilities
* Provide strategic leadership of the College's quality enhancement activity, ensuring compliance with TQEF, QAA Scotland, awarding bodies, and other external agencies.
* Oversee robust quality assurance processes that safeguard academic standards, manage risk, and drive continuous improvement.
* Lead on performance monitoring against strategic objectives, ensuring clear KPIs and transparent reporting to SLT and the Board of Management.
* Ensure alignment of planning activity with national priorities, SFC requirements, and regional strategies.
* Collaborate with SLT colleagues to ensure strategic coherence between curriculum, student services, workforce development, and organisational growth.
* Provide strategic leadership of Student Support Services, including Advice and Guidance, Counselling and Wellbeing, Learner Support, Learner Engagement, and Library Services.
* Ensure services are inclusive, responsive, and evidence-informed, enhancing the student experience and improving outcomes.
* Lead the development and delivery of a strong student engagement framework and support for the Students' Association.
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
Qualifications:
* Qualified to degree level or equivalent in a relevant subject area.
* A recognised teaching qualification.
* Evidence of substantial and ongoing Continuous Professional Development.
Knowledge:
* Comprehensive understanding of TQEF and the wider tertiary education quality landscape, including SFC, QAA Scotland, and awarding body requirements.
* Extensive knowledge of learning, teaching, and assessment practice in further and higher education, including inclusive pedagogy and approaches that enhance learner success.
* Understanding of performance and quality frameworks and their role in driving continuous improvement.
* Strong understanding of safeguarding, corporate parenting, equality, diversity, and inclusion within student support and College operations
Professional Experience:
* Significant senior management experience in further or tertiary education, leading performance enhancement, planning, and student experience functions.
* Proven record of leading transformational initiatives in learning, teaching, and student support that deliver measurable improvements.
Skills and Competencies
* Outstanding leadership and management skills, with the ability to shape institutional strategy and deliver organisational change.
* Ability to lead, inspire, and influence cross-functional teams and senior stakeholders.
* Highly developed analytical and evaluative skills, including the ability to interpret complex performance and quality data.
* Exceptional communication skills—able to articulate a compelling vision and represent the College externally.
* Strong project management, planning, and resource allocation capabilities.
Benefits
Professional Development
Access to an extensive range of staff development opportunities and events to support you in your role, helping you reach your full potential and plan for your future.
Personal Vehicle usage
Mileage Allowance – reclaimable for travel on College Business. Rate in accordance with HMRC at 45p per mile.
Employee Assistance Programme
24-hour service that supports your health and wellbeing and that of your family.
Family Friendly and Flexible Working Policy
Access to flexible working, maternity leave, parental leave, paternity leave, adoption leave and other paid leave to support you and your loved ones.