Overview
£50,832 to £63,540 per annum (For exceptional performers, there is scope for further progression up to £73,071 per annum)
Onsite
This role will be based on site, primarily in the named location.
We have one simple promise – to make a positive impact. Through our ground-breaking research, teaching excellence and commitment to sustainable living, we are changing lives for the better.
The University of Derby is a modern university with a modern outlook. Everything we do is driven by delivering excellence and opportunities for our students, our staff and our region.
We have some of the best university facilities in the UK and achieve outstanding results for our teaching and research and have been awarded Gold in the prestigious Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023 – making it one of the top universities in the country recognised for its outstanding student experience and student outcomes.
Financially strong and seriously ambitious we offer our employees an inclusive culture that centres itself around staff wellbeing, where you can be confident you will receive all the help and encouragement you need to build a rewarding career with lots of opportunities to enhance your skills.
The Registry supports all aspects of the student journey, right from initial enquiry and application, all the way through to final award and student completion. We strive to provide an outstanding service to all our users and to be thought leaders in our fields of expertise, developing research informed practice. Registry teams work collaboratively with stakeholders to deliver a high-performance culture that promotes wellbeing, diversity and opportunity for all, supporting excellent student experience.
Registry Services provides a range of staff, academic and student support, information and guidance across the university that includes College Registry Operations, Attendance Monitoring, Placements, Partnerships and FE and Apprenticeship teams. These teams work closely together, and with other areas of the university, to provide the best possible services to our staff and students to enhance the student experience, help students achieve their full potential and to meet the strategic aims of the University. These services are central to the student experience and they are visible, seamless, effective and tailored to the needs of our student community.
You will provide leadership to a large team across Registry Services and will manage and coordinate the professional services supporting the delivery of taught and research programmes across academic structure.
You will be responsible for monitoring and evaluating the service provision with a view to continuous improvement in the student experience, through supporting College and School based activity to achieve targets for student experience compliance and management control to deliver college and University success.
Anticipated interview date: Monday 23rd February 2026
We are seeking a proactive, experienced professional with experience in Higher Education professional services, and a strong understanding of academic registry functions, student records, data quality, governance and regulatory compliance.
You will have a proven ability to lead, motivate and develop teams, embedding a high-performance, inclusive and customer-focused culture that supports excellent student experience. A strategic thinker with operational expertise and a collaborative mindset is essential.
The ideal candidate will have a strong track record of driving operational improvement and managing change, including reviewing and redesigning processes to improve efficiency, quality and compliance. You will have excellent analytical and data-driven decision-making skills, with experience producing and presenting management information to inform senior leaders and institutional priorities.
You will be a highly effective communicator and collaborator, able to build strong relationships across academic and professional services and to influence, challenge and support senior stakeholders.
Remaining well-organised and resilient, able to manage competing priorities in a complex environment, and balancing day-to-day service delivery with strategic development is key to this role.
Responsibilities
* Manage Registry Services teams to create a talented and motivated workforce that have the ambition and capabilities to deliver a sector leading high performance culture that promotes wellbeing, diversity and opportunity for all, essential in providing the best possible student experience.
* Act as the first point of contact for the Colleges and schools on key themes; provide advice, support and guidance on Registry matters including implementing change and business process improvement.
* Manage the strategic direction of the team and be accountable for the consistent review of process and service levels, ensuring continuous audits are in place with accuracy and timely delivery, though effective collaboration with colleges, schools and wider professional services.
* Responsible for upholding data quality across the Registry with a 'right first-time' approach. Guided by the Head of Registry Services, you will analyse, model, and document data and business processes to align with university policies and regulations.
* Accountable for clear, effective, and timely communication as appropriate to internal and external stakeholders. Analyse information and generate reports to present data for the Colleges and wider University to support institutional decision making, relevant areas of responsibility.
* Ensure that relevant data, processes, and documentation are optimised for the efficiency and effectiveness of student performance, consistent with external agency regulations and compliant with the requirements of university policies, procedures and audit.
* In conjunction with the Head of Registry Services and members of the Registry Leadership Team, drive and shape a Registry service which is positive and future focused and on agreed principles of service excellence. To assure consistent quality provision for students and staff that facilitate their success. In doing so, help establish a high performing customer service culture with excellent leadership, providing and seeking feedback from applicants, students, partners, and stakeholders and adjusting services to reflect customer needs and requirements.
* Develop collaborative ways of working across The Registry, ensuring that governance and best practice is intrinsic in all working practices. through fostering good relationships and partnerships with the College and School Leadership Team, academic colleagues, Professional Services, Partnerships, and external bodies to ensure that the needs of the University are being supported aligned to its Strategic Framework.
* Collaborate extensively with stakeholders from the wider University, ensuring alignment with effective communication. Skilfully navigate these functions to facilitate cross-functional teamwork, leveraging your comprehensive understanding to drive informed discussions and decisions to enhance operational efficiency and organisational success.
* Responsible for operational advice in relation to existing policies and influence any future changes through the development of practices and procedures. This will include performing a key role in any University wide projects which impact upon or use data within the remit of the team, that includes developing and implementing mechanisms for obtaining, recording, auditing, updating the student record and reporting information both internally within a unit, and/or across the University.
* Working alongside the Head of Registry Services to participate and represent the Registry at meetings, providing challenge when necessary, taking forward actions whilst role modelling leadership behaviours for setting professional standards.
* Engage in external professional networks, keeping up to date with knowledge and developments in Higher Education and wider education sectors. Research practice in other settings to help inform proposals for improvement and change.
* Take a lead role in recruitment, induction, and development of staff within area of responsibility, in line with the University’s HR policies and procedures, promoting and driving a high-performance culture t in pursuit of the University’s strategic ambition.
* Work flexibly including, when required, during evenings and weekends undertaking any duties, as required, relevant to the level of the post.
* Adopt the University’s Core Values and Underpinning Behaviours.
* Degree (or equivalent qualification), or comparable knowledge gained through professional experience
Experience
* Experience within a Higher Education provider
* Flexible, responsive and business orientated approach, with experience of regular problem solving and ability to prioritise
* Experience of leading and performance managing a team
* Experience of successfully delivering process change and improvement within a Higher Education environment
Skills, knowledge & abilities
* Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (both verbal and non-verbal)
* Proven analytical and data interpretation capability
* Excellent report writing and numeracy skills
* Excellent organisational skills, and effective time and workload management
* Capacity to think strategically and to engage in detailed operational planning across university and college boundaries.
* Analysis and presentation of management information for decision making using software tools (e.g. Tableau, Excel, PowerBI)
* Comfortable providing support and challenge to senior leaders through the provision of evidence-based insights
* Evidenced ability to manage high volume, competing demands, delivering value-added improvements whilst maintaining service standards
* Ability to adopt a pragmatic and risk-based approach to practice, reflecting the commercial approach of the organisation
* Commercial outlook - able to develop specific actions and plans from strategic aspirations and business priorities
* Proven communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to influence and negotiate
Business requirements
* Evidence of continuous professional development
* A commitment to live and promote the University values and behaviours
* Willingness to work outside of normal hours at times as relevant to achieving targets and meeting the needs of the University
* Willingness and flexibility to travel and work between University sites in a cost
* effective and timely manner as required
* Ability to work outside of normal working hours (including some evenings and weekends), to support the business during key University events, such as Graduation, Clearing and Open Days and at key student admissions points
Qualifications
* Relevant professional body membership
Experience
* Risk management and mitigation in information systems and processes
Skills, knowledge and abilities
* A knowledge of Student Record Systems, particularly PeopleSoft
* Evidence of the ability to challenge accepted assumptions
* Knowledge of educational practice in Health and safety, safeguarding and PREVENT
* Understanding of disaster recovery and business continuity processes and systems
* Generous annual leave entitlement of 42 days inclusive of bank holidays and concessionary days (pro rata)
* Suite of holistic wellbeing benefits and support including family-friendly policies, generous sick pay provision and comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
* Access to a variety of staff discounts at high street retailers
* Discounted onsite gym
* Access to employer-funded Private Health Insurance
* Holiday purchase
* Cycle to Work scheme
* A flexible working environment
* A commitment to personal and professional development
For further information and informal enquiries regarding the role, please contact Natalie Clarson, Associate Director - Registry Services via n.clarson@derby.ac.uk
For enquiries regarding your application and for sponsorship eligibility, please contact the recruitment team via recruitment@derby.ac.uk .
This role is eligible for sponsorship by the University, however, your individual circumstances must meet the criteria set out by UKVI ; this includes meeting the English Language requirement and earning a salary that meets the highest of either the going rate for the SOC code or the minimum salary threshold for the Skilled Worker route (£41,700 per annum, as of 22nd July 2025).
If the role is eligible, but the offered salary is less that the going rate for the role, you may still be able to apply for a Skilled Worker visa if:
Your job is on the Immigration Salary List
You’re under 26, studying or a recent graduate, or in professional training
You have a PhD level qualification that’s relevant to your job
You have a postdoctoral position in science or higher education
Please note that the University cannot confirm your eligibility for sponsorship until an offer is made and your individual circumstances have been considered.
The University of Derby is committed to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion, regardless of age, disability, trans status, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief (or none), sex and sexual orientation.
We are Disability Confident Employers, demonstrating our commitment to disability inclusion, and invite applicants to highlight adjustments they may require to ensure equitable participation in our recruitment processes.
Further, we are committed to ensuring an environment which is trans and non-binary-inclusive for all our staff, students, partners, and visitors, and continuously review our policies, guidance and training.
When applying to join the University, you can choose your preferred title, including the gender-neutral title 'Mx'. We also ask our candidates if they would like to share their preferred pronouns.This is voluntary but demonstrates our commitment to inclusivity for trans and non-binary candidates.Once employed, you can add pronouns and preferred names onto our system.
The University of Derby undertakes anonymised shortlisting during the staff recruitment process. This means that, when shortlisting, panel members will not be able to see an applicant’s name and will see an applicant number instead. This demonstrates the practical steps we are taking to remove barriers to recruitment by minimising the possible impact of our unconscious bias.
However you identify, we actively celebrate the knowledge, experience and talents each person brings. Our students come from a wide range of backgrounds; therefore we are particularly interested to hear from applicants who will help our leaders and teams be more reflective of our student population.
At the University of Derby, we are passionate about embedding sustainability into everything that we do. We aim to bring environmental sustainability into all aspects of the University, including teaching, research and operational activities. In line with the University's strategic framework, we expect all our staff to embed sustainability into their working practices and support the University's objective to reach net zero carbon by 2050.
Lead with purpose, apply now to make an impact.
How to apply
You can apply by submitting an online application. Once you have signed in or registered with us you will be able to begin your application. If you are creating an account for the first time, please ensure you provide an email address that you access regularly as this will be our main means of contacting you regarding your application.
The University reserves the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. We encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
If you require any assistance, including the provision of any documentation in an alternative format, please contact the Recruitment team at recruitment@derby.ac.uk .
Please note all applications must be submitted online by Midnight GMT on the closing date of the vacancy.
The University of Derby is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all our staff, students and children. At the University of Derby, safeguarding is everybody's concern.
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