Head of Global Strategic Operations

Salary: £47,389 - £50,253 with progression to £56,535 per annum

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:  22 March 2026

The Role

This is an exciting leadership opportunity at a prestigious, research-intensive institution, Newcastle University, which prides itself on delivering top-quality teaching, fostering research excellence, and playing a key role in driving economic, social, and cultural progress in the North East of England.

The university is seeking a Head of Global Strategic Operations to spearhead efforts in managing international student recruitment operations and delivering an exciting range of initiatives and programmes in support of the university’s global strategies. This role is central to ensuring that future international students receive exceptional support throughout their journey-from initial inquiry to enrolment. It also involves fostering responsible and purposeful relationships with international recruitment partners, ensuring continuous improvement  and innovation of systems and processes, and providing strategic leadership as an integral part of the International Office Leadership Team.

 If you’re passionate about international education and fostering global connections in higher education, this position offers an incredible opportunity to make a difference for both students and the university. As the Head of Global Strategic Operations, you’ll help shape the university’s outreach to international students, help drive transformative change in global education and partner development and support overarching internationalisation goals. We are looking for someone who can demonstrate understanding of the International Higher Education Ecosystem: Highlight your knowledge of global student mobility and education trends, international recruitment, transnational education and the unique challenges faced by international students. Emphasise your ability to innovate tailored strategies that resonate with the diverse cultural needs of students and align with institutional goals. Showcase your Operations and Leadership Expertise: 

In addition you will ideally have proven experience in operational management, particularly in a high-volume and fast-paced environment. Outline examples of managing end-to-end recruitment processes or operational systems. Share stories of how you’ve successfully led teams, improved efficiencies, and motivated others to meet and exceed goals. Highlight Data-Driven Decision-Making and Analytical Clarity: This role requires synthesising complex data and scenarios into actionable insights. Share specific examples of when you used data analysis to inform decision-making, set benchmarks, or improve key operational outcomes. Demonstrate your ability to present data clearly and to diverse audiences, including senior management and external stakeholders. Illustrate Your Passion for Supporting Global Talent and Widening Access to Education: Connections with prospective international students often involve ensuring they feel supported, valued, and well-informed. Share instances where you’ve developed creative or empathetic solutions to support international applicants and recruitment partners. Highlight your cultural awareness and ability to engage with diverse perspectives. 

Please see full job description here

Application Tip – Tailor Your CV and Cover Letter: Ensure your application explicitly matches the criteria mentioned in the person specification provided on the university’s website. Describe how your skills, experiences, and achievements align with Newcastle University’s goals, priorities, and focus on internationalisation. Use evidence-based examples to make a strong case for your candidacy. Plan Ahead for the Interview: If selected, interviews will be held in person on the 2 April 2026 (with exceptions for extenuating circumstances). Prepare well in advance by familiarising yourself with Newcastle’s internationalisation strategies and envisaging how you could contribute as part of the leadership team.

Next Steps: If you’re ready to apply, reach out to Elisa Miles for an informal discussion about the role via elisa.miles@newcastle.ac.uk . This is an excellent opportunity to understand the finer details of the position and ask any questions.

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 silver 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: 28317

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