Thank you for taking an interest in this critical role for Lancaster University. At a time of significant transformation and as a key member of a senior leadership team steering a values-driven and ambitious institution, the Chief People Officer will provide strategic leadership and direction on people, organisational development and transformation matters across the University.
In a University where the staff experience is a fundamental institutional KPI, the Chief People Officer will work closely with the University’s broader executive team, ensuring that appropriate systems, people policies and processes are established which enable the University to meet its strategic goals..
As a valued member of the Professional Services Executive Group, our CPO will oversee critical units spanning the full range of people-related issues, including Human Resources, Organisational Development, EDI, Education Development, Payroll, and Health and Safety. As the leader of this large directorate you will play a pivotal role in shaping an outstanding team that are user-focused and trusted deliverers of a high-class service who put customer care at the heart of service delivery.
We are looking for a visionary leader with outstanding interpersonal skills and a proven track record of influencing and collaborating with high-calibre, intellectually driven colleagues. While experience in higher education is advantageous, we welcome candidates from related sectors who can demonstrate experience of delivering significant, organisational wide change management and fundamental shifts in delivery models.
You will be joining a highly experienced, committed, and dynamic team of University leaders and more broadly, a vibrant, inspiring and supportive culture. Despite sector headwinds, Lancaster is in an era of dynamic growth and renewal and our CPO will work alongside senior leadership to shape the future direction of the University.
Thank you for your interest and I look forward to reading your application.
With our beautiful, green main campus in Northwest England and our five global teaching partnerships across three continents, Lancaster University offers rich educational and social experiences to more than 29,000 students worldwide.
Lancaster University is considered among the best in the UK; we’re consistently placed in the top 15 in major UK league tables. We also rank highly in international league tables such as the QS World Rankings. In the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021, 91% of Lancaster’s research was rated ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’.
As well as being a global leader in transnational education, Lancaster University’s esteemed academic reputation is evidenced by the numerous international research partnerships we are involved in, and the influence and impact our academics have on delivering innovative solutions to the world’s ever-changing issues.
Our purpose is to advance knowledge, wisdom and understanding through the excellence of our teaching and research. By engaging with others, we aim to use our collective intellectual and wider capabilities as a force for good and create positive economic, cultural, societal and environmental change.
Our vision and values
Our vision is to be a university that is globally significant – a sector leader and innovator that delivers the highest quality research and teaching, and that engages locally, nationally, and internationally on the issues and debates of the day and future.
We are driven by our values:
Working alongside the senior leadership team, the Director will ensure our new strategy for 2026 onwards upholds our reputation of quality, professionalism and effectiveness.
Teaching and learning
We welcome students and colleagues from over 170 countries worldwide. The rich diversity they provide not only brings huge benefits educationally, but it also enhances everyone’s experiences of living in an increasingly global society.
Lancaster University has been awarded a gold rating for teaching excellence in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023. Lancaster is working at the forefront of digital transformation in Higher Education (HE). developing innovative technology and resources that will revolutionise the ways our students learn. We are among the top universities in the UK for academic support and providing access to first class learning resources, according to students responding to the National Student Survey (NSS) 2023. Both, combined with the fact we are one of the top 30 most targeted universities by the UK’s top graduate employers according to The Graduate Market in 2024 report, illustrate why we are so well regarded as a learning institution.
Research
Lancaster is a research-intensive university. Our results in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 confirm our position in delivering world-quality research:
Our researchers enjoy working in a high-quality environment where they can collaborate with some of the best experts from across the UK and the world. The value we place on diversity at the University is demonstrated by our interdisciplinary approach to research which is fundamental in driving innovation.
The University continues to break new ground in understanding and tackling the medical, social, technical, and environmental issues in the world today. We are at the forefront of work in the data and cyber security field. Our new £19m Security and Protection Science initiative will help build on the University’s credentials as a world leader in this area. Lancaster is one of only a handful of universities in the UK whose education, research and training is recognised by the National Cyber Security Centre.
Sustainability
Our commitments on the climate emergency are leading the way; Lancaster University is one of the highest producers of renewable energy out of all UK Universities according to the Uswitch Renewable University Report 2020. Since 2005, we’ve reduced our electricity and heating emissions by 50% and we’re investing a further £57 million to decarbonise the Lancaster campus to deliver our commitment to becoming carbon neutral by 2035.
Beyond that, we are committed to embedding sustainability into all areas of University life to deliver on the broader UN Sustainable Development Goals. We have achieved recognition with:
Lancaster, as a civic university, has a firm commitment to our city and region and we are proud to be part of the team that is bringing the Eden Project to Morecambe and developing the Morecambe Bay Curriculum – a unique community-created curriculum, designed to equip children and young people with the skills to look after themselves and the planet.
Our people
Lancaster’s success depends on talented, creative, and committed people who work hard to make this University so special and distinctive. Our vision for the future is to be a sustainable and an academically excellent institution recognised as one of the leading universities in the world. You will be joining a university which is among the best on any objective measure, but also modern, forward thinking and quick and nimble in adopting the latest developments in teaching and research.
We have a range of staff networks available for our employees and more information on these can be found here.
Lancaster University is committed to attracting, developing and retaining the best staff, celebrating equality and diversity, and recognising how all staff contribute to and enhance the overall success of the University. Our People and Culture Plan clearly articulates that the core strength of the University is our people, this can be viewed here.
The City of Lancaster has a long and diverse history, having gained its first charter in 1193. In the heart of the city centre lies a 12th-century castle – one of the best preserved in Great Britain – which dominates the hill above the River Lune.
Lancaster is small enough to explore on foot, but big enough to keep you entertained all day. It offers excellent shopping, cinemas, theatres, and restaurants, with many well-preserved older buildings. The area is also well served with state, private, faith and Steiner schools. Lancaster’s live music venues are home to regular guitar, electronic, folk, classical and jazz gigs. Fans of independent film and theatre have the choice of the city centre Dukes Theatre and Cinema, Grand Theatre, Vue multiplex cinema, in addition to the University’s own Nuffield Theatre and LU Cinema. Venues also regularly play host to major comedy and theatrical tours too. With a number of galleries and museums located in the city, there is plenty for lovers of the arts to get their teeth into.
Lancaster itself is situated in a delightful part of Northwest England. The rural landscape is superb, with the Lakeland fells in full view across the expanse of Morecambe Bay. The River Lune runs along the edge of the Forest of Bowland, an area of outstanding natural beauty, past many villages, into Lancaster and to the sea.
There are two National Parks, the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales, which are within a 30-minute drive. Lancaster is just over two hours by fast train to London and it is less than one hour to Manchester Airport, which offers direct flights to most European capitals, the Middle East, North America and the Far East.
Lancaster, and the local surrounding area, offers a unique combination of city, coast and countryside. There is an excellent choice of housing within easy commuting distance from Lancaster with areas such as the Lake District, Preston and Morecambe offering a range of housing options, from rural to city living. Housing is varied (from old townhouses to barn conversions and new builds) and is competitively priced, especially against similar properties in Southeast England. The University offers allowances for staff who have to move to join us.
Job Title: Chief People Officer
Division: People and Organisational Effectiveness
Directly responsible to: Deputy Chief Executive (Operations) and Secretary
Supervisory responsibility for: Deputy Directors and Associate Directors covering: HR Service Delivery and Operations (including payroll and pensions); Educational Development; EDI; Health, Safety and Wellbeing; Organisational and Professional Development
Internal Relationships
External Relationships
Job Purpose:
With staff experience a core university KPI and at a time of significant transformation for the University, the Chief People Officer (CPO) is a crucially important, strategic role.
Our CPO provides strategic influence and direction on people, organisational development and key transformation matters across the University. They will lead the development of strategic initiatives that add value to the staff experience and improve organisational effectiveness.
The role will work closely with the University’s executive, to enable the University to meet its strategic goals including the ongoing development of the University’s People and Culture Plan, ensuring alignment with the wider University’s new strategy.
As a key member of the University’s broader executive team and member of the Professional Services Executive Group, Deputy Chair of the EDI Committee, and working closely with key Council committees (including Remuneration, Strategic Reward, Finance and General Purposes Committees and Council directly) you will play a central role in enabling the implementation of current and future University Strategies and in upholding and displaying the institution’s values.
Responsibilities:
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Qualifications, knowledge skills and experience required:
Lancaster, offering a highly competitive reward package and is part of a well-developed framework that allows reward progression.
Anderson Quigley is acting as an advisor to Lancaster University. An executive search process is being carried out by Anderson Quigley in addition to the public advertisement.
The closing date for applications is noon on Thursday 2 January 2025.
Applications should consist of:
Should you wish to discuss the role in strict confidence, please contact Ed Pritchard on ed.pritchard@andersonquigley.com or +44 (0)7980 817 927 or Alicja Janowska on alicja.janowska@andersonquigley.com or +44 (0)7743 927 783.
| Closing date for applications | Thursday 2 January 2025 |
| Preliminary interviews with AQ | w/c 6 & 13 January 2025 |
| Orientation day for shortlisted candidates | Wednesday 5 February 2025 |
| Panel interviews | Monday 10 February 2025 |
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
Our employee community across the UK and the world comprises people from 85 nationalities. They practise different faiths, have different lifestyles and are at different stages in their lives. It is this mixture of life experience that adds diversity of thought and approach to make Lancaster University a force for good.
We are committed to creating an environment where everyone can feel welcome, thrive and fulfil their potential. Our equality, diversity and inclusion leaders are involved with everything from policy creation to celebratory events to help us be a fairer and more inclusive employer.
Recruitment Statement
We want to provide full information to you at an early stage to enable you to make an informed decision as to whether you are committed to pursuing this position and to outline the University’s expectations of all candidates taking part in our recruitment process.
Once you have reviewed the information below, and in fairness to everyone concerned, we would ask that you give serious consideration to proceeding further with this process if you think you may not accept the position should it be offered to you.
The role will be located in Lancaster and there is a requirement that the successful candidates will reside within commuting distance of the Lancaster University’s Lancaster campus.
If this might involve a relocation for you, it is of course important that candidates consider how the move might affect anyone who may accompany you (for example, early consideration may need to be given to local schooling, housing and other employment opportunities where other family members are involved as early as possible).
We will support you as much as possible with this and are happy to discuss any concerns you may have. We would ask you to agree to undertaking a positive, open, and transparent dialogue with us throughout the recruitment process, raising questions and any concerns as early as possible.
Lancaster University engages in a variety of domestic and international benchmarking exercises to ensure we are extremely competitive in the levels of reward and recognition we provide; therefore, we are confident that any offer made will be strong and competitive. If you are happy to continue in your application for the position in light of the above expectations, we would very much look forward to hearing from you.
www.lancaster.ac.uk 