Ref Number
B24-00021
Professional Expertise
Strategy, Project and Change Management
Department
Vice-President (Strategy) (B24)
Location
London
Working Pattern
Full time
Salary
£47,414 - £55,805
Contract Type
Permanent
Working Type
Hybrid (20% - 80% on site)
Available For Secondment
No
Closing Date
23-Feb-2023
University College London is a world-leading teaching and research university, often ranked in the top ten in the world with an annual turnover of well over £1 billion. We’re a diverse community with the freedom to question and think differently and with over 14,000 staff and more than 41,500 students from 150 countries, we pursue academic excellence, break boundaries, and make a positive impact on real world problems. We have a proud heritage of disruptive thinking, a reputation for game-changing research and a unique multidisciplinary approach to problem-solving.
UCL’s Planning Team sits within the Office of the Vice-President (Strategy), and was established to support the Provost and the University Management Committee (UMC) to:
- facilitate, coordinate and integrate plans;
advise and challenge Vice-Provosts, Deans and Service Directors as they develop plans and strategies;
- ensure that there are strong links between UCL’s overall strategy, key institutional strategies, major projects and our plans as well as between our plans and operations;
- provide management information and insight across the organisation for better decision-making.
The Planning Team currently comprises 21 staff and carries out the following main functions:
- facilitating the development and delivery of UCL’s overall strategy;
- co-ordinating the annual planning, risk management, delivery, and performance monitoring processes;
- delivering strategy and planning projects;
- developing and delivering the portfolio of major projects, ensuring it is aligned to UCL’s strategy;
- providing data and management information to support the full range of UCL’s strategic activities, delivery, and portfolio management functions.
Within the range of services that the office provides, we have established a new Strategy Delivery unit, to focus on strategy implementation, delivery, performance management, problem-solving, and reporting. The unit will operate at the strategic level, using a data-driven and design-led approach to ensure effective delivery of UCL’s most important strategic aims and processes aligned to the Strategic Plan. The unit will work alongside senior leaders, Faculties, and professional services staff to define priorities, provide and analyse performance data, track progress, develop delivery plans, design and operate delivery routines, set up prototypes, drive action, and jointly work through complex problems.
We are looking for three Strategy Delivery Account Managers to work with our Faculties and Departments on the effective delivery of UCL’s most significant long-term strategic priorities. UCL is a large, complex, and highly-devolved organisation. Effective strategy delivery depends on good coordination between the central Vice-Provost and Vice-President offices, the Professional Services teams, and the 11 Faculties.
As a Strategy Delivery Account Manager, you will form a close working relationship with a group of Faculties to understand their culture, priorities, aims, and operations in detail, to support them in effective delivery of priority strategic aims as set out in UCL’s Strategic Plan 2022-27 in the first instance.
This will involve communicating and analysing priorities, identifying problems and issues, and jointly devising solutions to enable effective delivery. You will also have responsibility for leading on one or more specific projects or areas of responsibility within the strategy delivery unit as a whole.
You will be part of a new team within the Office of the Vice-President (Strategy). As such, you will have the opportunity to contribute to the design and development of an important new service within a globally-leading university, deploying cutting-edge tools and techniques in analysis, problem-soliving, service design, and delivery.
You will be able to influence the direction of the unit, as well as make a major contribution to the execution of UCL’s long-term strategic aims.
You will be expected to have strong planning and organisation skills, as well as skills and experience in analysing complex problems and co-designing solutions swiftly and effectively.
You will be able to take a proactive approach to your work, identifying and addressing issues as they arise.
The Strategy Delivery Account Manager will report to the Director of Implementation and Strategy Delivery. In addition to the specific responsibilities listed above s/he will be expected to make a contribution to the overall development of the Office of the Vice-President (Strategy).
You will also be a strong and confident communicator, able to build positive and constructive working relationships with colleagues at all levels within the university, but particularly within the Faculties and academic departments.
You will also bring a strong entrepreneurial spirit to your work, and be willing and able to innovate and experiment in the design and delivery of new products and services that can support effective strategy delivery in a complex organisation.
We are keen to receive applications from candidates with:
- Knowledge and experience of effective strategy delivery and performance management, and of converting ambitious goals into practical programmes of action
- Experience of co-designing solutions to complex delivery issues
- Experience of analysing data from a range of sources and in a range of formats to identify issues and design solutions
- Experience of communicating clearly and concisely in a range of formats to different audiences
- Experience of providing challenge and critique in the delivery of significant projects and priorities
- Experience of building constructive working relationships with colleagues at all levels within an organisation
- Knowledge or interest in working in a university setting, and/or of the higher education sector more broadly.
As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:
- 41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days)
- Additional 5 days’ annual leave purchase scheme
- Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
- Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
- Immigration loan
- Relocation scheme for certain posts
- On-Site nursery
- On-site gym
- Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
- Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service
- Discounted medical insurance
Visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/rewards-and-benefits to find out more.
As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.
We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce.
These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.