Head of Education Services

Salary: £58,225 to £61,759 with progression to £67,468 

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 05 August 2026

Do you want to help shape the future of education at Newcastle University? 

Registry and Education Services, part of Student Services, is looking for an experienced, innovative and committed individual to join them as Head of Education Services.

Working closely with the Director of Registry and Education Services and the Academic Registrar, the role will lead across the University on matters relating to education, ensuring that the teams provide expert support, advice and insight supporting an outstanding student experience aligned with the new Education for Life Strategy. The teams reporting to the postholder comprise student casework and policy, education policy and governance, education partnerships, education evaluation and impact. A key element of the Head of Education Services role will be deputising for the Academic Registrar on student cases.  

You will be pivotal in ensuring that the strategic direction of the Service is informed by national and international good practice, colleague expertise, student voice, and evidence. You will be central in leading programmes of enhancements to policies, systems and processes across all Education Service areas, working closely with colleagues in our international campuses, faculties, schools and services.

We are based in King’s Gate in the heart of the University and Newcastle city centre. 

We are committed to professional development of all our colleagues, and you will benefit from a range of development opportunities.

The role is offered on a permanent, full-time basis. The service operates on a blended working model with time working remotely and in the office. The hiring manager will discuss the requirements of the role, should you be invited to interview.

If you are considering relocating to join us, should you be successful in your application you can find out about our relocation package options.

Please provide evidence of how you meet the essential criteria required for the role outlined in ‘The Person’ by uploading a letter of application along with your Curriculum Vitae (CV).

All informal enquiries should be directed to Rachel Dearlove, Director of Registry and Education Services rachel.dearlove@newcastle.ac.uk

The Role

Newcastle University’s Education for Life Strategy is ambitious and transformational and provides us with a bridge to the future of higher education. Our aim is to be a global, future-facing provider of leading-edge, inclusive and transformational higher education for our students, and our mission is to provide our students with an education for life that engages, challenges and supports them to discover and fulfil their potential. This post is based within the Registry and Education Services unit, part of Student Services, an essential component in delivering our Education Strategy.

This role represents an outstanding opportunity for an experienced, innovative and committed individual. Working closely with the Director of Registry and Education Services and the Academic Registrar, the objectives of the role will be leadership across the University on matters relating to education, ensuring that the teams provide expert support, advice and insight supporting an outstanding student experience aligned with the new Education Strategy. The teams reporting to the postholder comprise student casework and policy, education policy and governance, education partnerships, education evaluation and impact. A key element of the Head of Education Services role will be deputising for the Academic Registrar on student cases.

You will be pivotal in ensuring that the strategic direction of the Service is informed by national and international good practice, colleague expertise, student voice, and evidence. You will be central in leading programmes of enhancements to policies, systems and processes across all Education Service areas, working closely with colleagues in our international campuses, faculties, schools and services.

Key Accountabilities

• Lead and progress the University’s arrangements for the development, review, and operation of student and education policies, procedures and regulations and the operation of a wide range of quality assurance, statutory and regulatory activities relating the University’s education provision across all Newcastle University campus locations
• Ensure University compliance with external regulatory requirements and guidelines relating to student education provision. This includes, for example, consumer protection law, Office for the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) and relevant Office for Student Conditions of Registration
• Lead and manage the University’s preparation for and participation in government and regulatory initiatives such as the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF) and the Access and Participation Plan and develop institutional responses to national education consultations
• Champion the University’s use of data, insight and evaluation to improve the student education experience, inform strategic priorities and develop policy and practice, working with the Academic Registrar, Director of Student Success and other key stakeholders
• Lead the development and implementation of effective education governance arrangements for managing the wide range of education, quality assurance, statutory and regulatory activities relating the University’s education provision across all Newcastle University campus locations
• Work with the University legal team and relevant stakeholders to support complex student casework for taught and research students, particularly where it represents a risk to the individuals and/or the institution. Ensure fairness, integrity and compassion in determining outcomes, and that learning from cases is reflected in revisions to University policy and practice
• Work with the Newcastle University Students’ Union (NUSU), the Dean of Students and relevant taught and postgraduate research student representatives to ensure that policies are student-centred, compassionate and inclusive
• Proactively manage budget and staffing resources to maximise value for money and deliver agreed objectives
• Develop and lead training for academic and professional service colleagues in faculties, schools and services on relevant Education service-related topics to ensure consistency of approach and decision making for colleagues and students.
• Attend internal and external meetings and events to represent the Service /institution, providing expertise and input and feeding back on relevant developments, issues and opportunities
• Identify and mitigate key institutional risks, both strategic and operational, based on the observation of trends and sector knowledge and escalate risks as required to minimise their impact
• Any other duties, consistent with the post’s grade, as requested by the Academic Registrar and Director of Registry and Education Services

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of the higher education sector, the current operating and regulatory context and the challenges and opportunities faced by taught and research students today
• Significant experience of developing, writing and implementing policies and processes relating to student education within a higher education environment, and of measuring their impact
• Experience in at least two of the following areas:
  • interpreting quality assurance matters to align with an organisational context, and of embedding external regulatory requirements into internal strategy
  • student casework and risk management
  • successful delivery of complex projects, strategic planning and service improvement
  • designing effective education evaluation and impact approaches
  • development and delivering successful education partnerships
• Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills, including highly developed verbal and written communication skills
• Strong influencing and collaboration skills, with the ability to negotiate agreements with senior managers and key stakeholders
• Demonstrable experience in leadership and staff management, with an ability to motivate self and others to achieve high standards
• Outstanding level of data literacy, including familiarity with analysis, presentation and understanding of data to develop data-informed policy, processes to drive improvements in the student education experience
• Excellent IT skills including the use of databases, Powerpoint, Microsoft and advanced knowledge of Excel, and understanding of systems that underpin the student education experience
• Ability to prioritise work and meet deadlines in the management of a complex and varied workload

Attributes and Behaviour

• Demonstrable commitment to own professional development and the development of others
• Embraces and initiates change and commitment to continuous quality improvement
• Uses data to inform decision making and approaches
• Demonstrates integrity, discretion and professional judgement in maintaining confidentiality and protecting sensitive information
• An ability to work inclusively and with compassion with individuals from a wide range of backgrounds, recognising the value that diverse perspectives bring to an academic community and balancing the rights of academic freedom and freedom of speech within the law

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or equivalent
• A relevant higher degree or professional qualification, or demonstrable equivalent experience
• Relevant professional recognition, for example Senior Fellowship of the HEA, Fellowship of the AUA 

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.  As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a Gold Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.  We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.  We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe. 

Requisition ID: 29553