The Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive provides ambitious, visible and values-led leadership to Aston University and is accountable to the Pro-Chancellor and Council. Driving the University 2030 Strategy, the role is about securing high-quality education and research, excellent student outcomes, strong external engagement and long-term financial sustainability. Our ethos is that ‘University will never be the same again’. We are looking for a leader with the vision and determination to position us as an institution that is trailblazing, redefining what a university can be.
The Aston 2030 Strategy is unapologetically bold, driving a step change in the University’s global reach, reputation and impact. The Vice-Chancellor will bring the vision, courage, and decisive leadership to deepen this ambition, working in close partnership with the University community and senior external stakeholders to deliver measurable success.
Leading confidently in a rapidly evolving, competitive UK and global higher education environment, they will sustain momentum while exercising the clarity and judgment to prioritise, sequence and reshape activity for maximum impact. Central to the role is the ability to inspire and mobilise people, build organisational resilience, and foster an inclusive, empowering and high-performing culture aligned to Aston’s mission and values.
We are proud to power people and place!
Founded in 1895 and a University since 1966, Aston has long been recognised for its world-class teaching quality and strong links to business and the professions. Located in the centre of Birmingham our green, 40-acre campus houses all the University’s academic, social and accommodation facilities for our community of 20,000 students.
Aston University is an agile and innovative organisation that thrives on collaboration and partnerships with businesses and the community. Our integrated placement year, our applied high-impact research, and our commitment to enhancing the employability and social mobility of our students, all help to make Aston University distinct both nationally and internationally.
Students from over 120 countries choose to study at Aston University – a safe and friendly campus enjoyed by a global, multicultural community. Birmingham is one of the UK’s most diverse cities and home to an unrivalled cultural heritage, top sporting events, music, performing arts and outstanding world cuisine.
The University has been recognised by a number of awards, including University of the Year for Student Success in the Daily Mail University Guide 2025 and 21st in the UK according to The Guardian. But most importantly, we are highly regarded by our students at Aston University. In the 2025 Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide we are placed 16th in the UK for ‘Student Experience’ and have received Triple Gold status in the Teaching Excellence Framework—the highest possible rating. This includes gold ratings for both Student Experience and Student Outcomes.
Employability is at the heart of what we do. At Aston, our degrees are designed with your future in mind. The Guardian ranks us 16th place in the UK for Careers prospects and The Times and Sunday Times University Guide 2024 recognised us as Runner Up in the University of the Year for Graduate Employment.
Our placement year programme is one of the most distinctive features of an Aston degree. It’s an incredible opportunity to gain practical experience, develop professionally, and enhance your employability.
Our research and enterprise activity is driven by big ideas, bold action and a commitment to real-world transformation. Powered by our people and our place in the heart of Birmingham, we deliver applied, high-impact research that responds to global challenges, strengthens industry, and improves lives.
In the Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), 79 per cent of Aston’s research was rated ‘world-leading’ (4*) or ‘internationally excellent’ (3*). This reflects a strong, confident research culture, collaborative, interdisciplinary and focused on impact.
Our research activity enables agility, encourages cross-disciplinary working, and supports engagement with business, public sector and community partners.
Big ideas, bold action, transformation – powered by people and place.
Aston’s research and enterprise identity is shaped by three defining principles:
Inclusive
Diverse thinking underpins our research culture. We champion the people behind our discoveries and ensure our work delivers meaningful impact for the communities and sectors we serve.
Entrepreneurial
With a long-standing reputation for working with business and the professions, Aston applies a hands-on, problem-solving approach to research. We translate ideas into innovation, policy influence and commercial opportunity.
Transformational
We focus on research that makes a difference. Our work addresses complex challenges across health, digital, sustainability, business and society, driving change locally, nationally and globally.
Aston Breakthroughs
Aston Breakthroughs is our flagship research and enterprise campaign, showcasing how our research delivers real-world impact. Through compelling storytelling, it highlights innovation in action, strengthens engagement with partners, and reinforces Aston’s reputation as a university that turns knowledge into outcomes.
We are here to answer the call- putting our greatest minds to the challenges that matter, pushing boundaries, and delivering impact now.
In September 2023, following an extensive process of engagement with our community, we were proud to launch our Strategy for 2030.
Through this process explored possible scenarios for our future within our city, our region, and more broadly within the national and international context, and how we navigate the challenges of a changing world. The culmination of this was three things which will define our future, each of which requires strategy and hard work to achieve.
We will be Inclusive. From the beginning, our founder’s dream was that Aston University would be defined not by whom we exclude but by whom we include and how they succeed. Inclusion and diversity: these two essential values go right to the heart of who we are as a university. Each and every one of us here at Aston University is unique, and we are proud of that. We come from different backgrounds and cultures and have different experiences, skills and ideas. We all belong here at Aston University, and in Birmingham, one of the most welcoming, diverse, and inclusive cities on Earth.
We will embrace our innovative past and become a truly Entrepreneurial university. The past two decades have been witness to the most frenzied period of innovation and creativity in the history of the world. We’ve made significant strides in almost every field, driven in particular by science, technology and digital transformation. Connectivity has exponentially multiplied human progress. With the Birmingham Innovation Quarter (B-IQ) here at Aston University we are co-creating an innovation ecosystem of global significance with all the essential ingredients, to enable innovation at scale and pace, attract enterprising talent, and create enterprising graduates – our future leaders of innovation and change.
Learn more about the Birmingham Innovation Quarter (B-IQ) here
Thirdly, our vision of Aston is as a Transformational university measured by the positive impact that we achieve for our people, students, businesses, and the communities we serve. Being Transformational means thinking and acting differently beyond the conventional boundaries of today, as we create a more agile and adaptive university, a learning organisation for the future powered by digital innovation.
Our research and enterprise activity is driven by big ideas, bold action and a commitment to real-world transformation. Powered by our people and our place in the heart of Birmingham, we deliver applied, high-impact research that responds to global challenges, strengthens industry, and improves lives.
In the Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), 79 per cent of Aston’s research was rated ‘world-leading’ (4*) or ‘internationally excellent’ (3*). This reflects a strong, confident research culture, collaborative, interdisciplinary and focused on impact.
Our research activity enables agility, encourages cross-disciplinary working, and supports engagement with business, public sector and community partners.
Big ideas, bold action, transformation – powered by people and place. Aston’s research and enterprise identity is shaped by three defining principles:
Inclusive
Diverse thinking underpins our research culture. We champion the people behind our discoveries and ensure our work delivers meaningful impact for the communities and sectors we serve.
Entrepreneurial
With a long-standing reputation for working with business and the professions, Aston applies a hands-on, problem-solving approach to research. We translate ideas into innovation, policy influence and commercial opportunity.
Transformational
We focus on research that makes a difference. Our work addresses complex challenges across health, digital, sustainability, business and society, driving change locally, nationally and globally.
Aston Breakthroughs
Aston Breakthroughs is our flagship research and enterprise campaign, showcasing how our research delivers real-world impact. Through compelling storytelling, it highlights innovation in action, strengthens engagement with partners, and reinforces Aston’s reputation as a university that turns knowledge into outcomes.
We are here to answer the call- putting our greatest minds to the challenges that matter, pushing boundaries, and delivering impact now.
The University is organised across three Colleges: Business and Social Sciences, home to our Triple-Accredited Business School, Engineering and Physical Sciences, and Health and Life Sciences, including our growing Medical School. These are complemented by the growing Aston Online and Aston Professional offers, all with a strong focus on applied, industry-relevant education and research. Aston’s academic model is deliberately practical, outward-facing and aligned to the needs of students, employers and society.
College of Business and Social Sciences
Learn more about Aston Business School here
College of Engineering and Physical Sciences
Learn more about the College of EPS here
College of Health and Life Sciences
A Chief Commercial Officer portfolio, central to the delivery of Aston 2030, has been established to lead the growth agenda, providing integrated leadership across brand, recruitment, internationalisation, business engagement, enterprise, and commercial and philanthropic income growth. It brings together multiple revenue-generating and reputation-critical functions into a single, cohesive portfolio that underpins the University’s financial sustainability, global reach, and civic impact.
Marketing, Communications & Student Recruitment
The CCO portfolio leads Aston’s end-to-end brand, reputation, and student demand strategy across all domestic and international markets.
This includes responsibility for institutional brand positioning, media relations, PR, website and digital platforms, internal communications, and external stakeholder communications, ensuring a consistent and compelling narrative aligned to Aston’s mission and strengths. The team actively manages Aston’s public profile through proactive press engagement and thought leadership.
Critically, the portfolio holds direct accountability for student recruitment, delivering integrated, data-driven growth across undergraduate, postgraduate, online, international (working with International Recruitment and Development), executive and professional (working with Business Development and Advancement), marketing and admissions. Recruitment is delivered through a sophisticated omni-channel model, supporting growth across:
maximising reach, conversion, and yield in a highly competitive global environment.
Business Development & Advancement
Drives Aston’s external commercial engagement with industry, employers, and partners and alumni, positioning the University as a trusted collaborator for business growth, skills development, and innovation.
This includes forging senior-level relationships with corporate partners and C-suite leaders, delivering Executive Education and Degree Apprenticeships through Aston Professional, and building employer-responsive provision that generates sustainable commercial income.
The portfolio also leads the launch and operation of the Aston Business Hub, Aston’s first dedicated innovation and enterprise space, supporting start-ups, scale-ups, SMEs, and corporate collaboration.
Alumni Relations and Philanthropy
In parallel, the team champions alumni engagement, development, and philanthropy, fostering lifelong connections and active participation in Aston’s mission. This includes delivering tailored alumni programs, facilitating mentoring and volunteering opportunities, and cultivating relationships that inspire philanthropic support, thereby advancing the University’s strategic priorities and creating opportunities for current and future students.
Together, these activities diversify income, strengthen employer and alumni pipelines, and embed Aston more deeply within regional, national, and international business and community ecosystems.
International Recruitment & Global Development
Internationalisation is a major growth engine for Aston, with the CCO portfolio providing strategic leadership across international recruitment, partnerships, and transnational education (TNE).
The portfolio leads direct international recruitment to Aston Birmingham, including global agent management, in-country recruitment teams, and scholarship strategy. It also has oversight of TNE as a priority growth area, encompassing partner selection, governance, commercial models, and academic alignment.
In parallel, the CCO leads Aston’s Global Hub strategy, enabling long-term presence and partnership development. Operational hubs are established in China, India, and Singapore, with further hubs in development across Dubai, India (additional locations), Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Greece. This model supports scalable growth, market intelligence, and risk-managed international expansion.
Aston Centre for Enterprise & Entrepreneurship
Formerly the Aston Centre for Growth, the Aston Centre for Enterprise & Entrepreneurship anchors the University’s enterprise, innovation, and business growth agenda.
The Centre delivers high-impact programmes supporting entrepreneurs, SMEs, and scale-ups, including Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK, Government-funded Help to Grow Management Course, Green Advantage, and major WMCA-funded contracts. For students and graduates, the Centre runs the long established BSEEN start-up bootcamps and incubator, supporting new business creation at a rate of one per week, and high-profile enterprise learning events attracting over 1,000 students annually. Its work integrates enterprise education, innovation space, and regional economic development, delivering measurable impact in business productivity, job creation, and inclusive growth.
Overall, the CCO portfolio demonstrates Aston University’s distinctive strength in integrated commercial leadership – aligning brand, recruitment, international development, enterprise, and industry engagement into a single, coherent engine for growth. This breadth, maturity, and ambition provide a strong platform for the next Vice-Chancellor to accelerate Aston’s trajectory as a globally connected, business-engaged, and impact-driven university.
PVC Global Academic Hubs is a recent appointment and role (July 2025).
Vision
Our Vision is to be a leading university of science, technology, and enterprise, measured by the positive transformational impact we achieve for our people, students, businesses, and the communities we serve.
Purpose
Our Purpose is to make our world a better place through education, research, and innovation, by enabling our students to succeed in work and life, and by supporting our communities to thrive economically, socially, and culturally.
Values
All staff are expected to demonstrate/promote the University’s values and expectations, which are an integral part of our strategy and underpin the culture of the University. In addition, our leaders are expected to be accountable, help to execute strategic visions of the University and share and set clear expectations that inspire those around them.
Aston is a proud Civic University, deeply embedded within the city of Birmingham and connected to the wider West Midlands. In September 2025 we launched the second iteration of our Civic University Agreement – Stronger Together 2030 – which commits the university to driving civic regeneration and inclusive growth across our region.
A third of Aston University students are from Birmingham, with half coming from the wider West Midlands. Many are from diverse and underserved local communities, particularly in East Birmingham. We undertake outreach and access work to ensure people from our local communities can benefit from Aston University, including through the Aston Ready Contextual Offer scheme and Pathways to the Professions. Our higher education provision includes foundation years and degree apprenticeships, ensuring access to learners at all levels and stages of life. 40% of our graduates work locally, addressing key regional skills gaps.
Our civic role in the region covers the following areas:
Economic impact
Creating tangible economic impact for Birmingham through our position as a Living Wage employer and ensuring that local businesses can benefit from our procurement processes.
Inclusive growth
Being a catalyst for inclusive growth through the Birmingham Innovation Precinct, supporting businesses to start, spin-out and scale in a thriving innovation ecosystem.
Research that benefits our region
Delivering interdisciplinary, translational research and knowledge exchange activity that generates commercial and societal benefits for Birmingham and the West Midlands.
Strengthening communities
Advocating for and strengthening our diverse localHi R community, working with partner community organisations such as Citizens UK and proactively seeking opportunities to welcome our community to campus.
Raising aspiration
Creating opportunities for young people from all backgrounds to succeed through our outreach programmes and equipping our students with the skills they need to get jobs of the future through the Aston Power Skills programme.
Improving health
Improving health outcomes and reducing health inequalities through our groundbreaking translational research, as well as direct community access to healthcare within the Aston Integrated Health Hub.
Improving our environment
Improving the natural environment, on our campus and more widely, recognising the importance of our campus as the largest green space in Birmingham City Centre.
OUR STUDENTS – Ready for work and life
Under our Strategy 2030 we have established five key value propositions which we will provide to all our students, which the CSO is central to the delivery of:
Engagement with business and industry is central to all that we do at Aston. Professional practice will be embedded in our courses, while at UG level undergraduate level, all students will undertake an Aston Power Skills stackable module which develops digital skills; build leadership, management, and entrepreneurship skills; and develop an awareness and understanding of environmental sustainability and its implications for professional practice.
We will develop a positive, data-informed approach to health and wellbeing as an important life skill and provide integrated healthcare support through the interconnectedness of the new Aston Health Services Hub and our Sports Centre.
Recognising the unique interests of each student all taught provisions will enable our learners to make choices about what, and how, they study and the nature of their assessment, while our new Block Learning Mode will provide our students with a better-paced learning mode leading to higher rates of success, satisfaction, and retention.
Our Digital Enterprise strategy and next-generation information systems will evolve to support technology-rich learning approaches anywhere at any time, and we will provide contemporary digital tech to all learners, encompassing relevant e-texts and e-links to online learning resources, including the hardware and software required for their programme of study.
We will offer our students career support for life, with students becoming part of Aston for Life, which is a thriving community that offers a unique portfolio of personal and professional development and networking opportunities, insights and support that are essential for work and life, both during study and beyond. We will develop a new Student Services in the Cloud platform (a virtual Student Services Hub) that provides end-to-end engagement and support for our students.
Through our commitment to building graduate outcomes for work and life, learners are encouraged and supported to network and build collaborations within the university and externally, in support of lifelong learning development and greater adaptability to the future of work in a changing world.
We have a global network of over 100,000 alumni in over 100 countries, reflecting our position as pioneers of the placement year more than 60 years ago. Our alumni have established communities across the world, including in the United States of America, Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, New Delhi, Malaysia and Nigeria, and these groups maintain an active connection with the University.
This professional network is supported centrally by the University, and also through our local international colleagues, as well as through the activities of teaching and research staff. Aston alumni are generous with their industry knowledge and professional connections in order to support the University and our beneficiaries.
The University is embarking on developing and implementing its new alumni strategy, ‘Aston For Life’ during 2021-22. Through this we will provide a tailored, tech-driven, development programme which supports the long-term career aims of our graduates. We will also continue our strong work in development and fundraising. Our aims are to support our students and key projects through philanthropy, and to drive income through alumni-brokered industry partnerships.
JOB DESCRIPTION
Grade: Band 03
Salary: Competitive
The Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive provides ambitious, visible and values-led leadership to Aston University and is accountable to the Pro-Chancellor and Council. The postholder will lead the University and the delivery of the Aston 2030 Strategy, securing excellent student outcomes, high-quality education and research, strong external engagement and long-term financial sustainability.
The Aston 2030 Strategy is designed to deliver a step change in the University’s global reach, reputation and impact across the breadth of its activity. The Vice-Chancellor will bring the experience, judgment and dynamic leadership required to realise this ambition, working in close partnership with the University community and senior external stakeholders to translate strategy into measurable success.
Leading confidently in a changing and competitive UK and global higher education environment, the Vice-Chancellor will sustain momentum while exercising the judgment to prioritise, sequence and reshape activity to ensure focus, successful delivery and continued growth. Central to the role is the ability to inspire people, build capability and foster an inclusive, empowering and high-performing culture aligned to Aston’s mission and values.
Strategic leadership and delivery
Academic leadership
University 4.0 and digital enablement
People, culture and leadership
External engagement and civic leadership
Financial and organisational stewardship
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Essential criteria
Candidates will demonstrate:
Desirable criteria
Personal qualities
Aston University is in a great, central location. Ideally positioned in the centre of Birmingham – one of the youngest cities in Europe – our campus is only a 10 minute walk to the city centre.
CULTURE AND HERITAGE
Home to some of the greatest creators and inventors, culture and heritage makes Birmingham a great city.
WONDERFUL PERFORMING ARTS
Birmingham hosts the best of British musicals, pantomimes, opera and ballet.
THE ULTIMATE SHOPPING EXPERIENCE
With over 200 shops across the Bullring and Grand Central, Birmingham is a shopper’s paradise.
FANTASTIC FOOD AND DRINK
Michelin-starred restaurants, the Chinese quarter, street dining, farmers’ markets, high street chains to independents, Birmingham has some wonderful places to drink.
SPORTING ACTION
Birmingham has a long history of football, cricket, rugby and athletics. Aston University is the Official UK University Partner of Aston Villa Football Club in the Premier League and is the host city of the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
OPEN SPACES
Birmingham has acres of green spaces, parks, historical canals and scenic routes for walking, running or cycling
The size and scope of the university means that the opportunities on offer are as diverse as the people who work here. From a generous annual leave scheme, gym membership and flexible working to opportunities to volunteer in the community, there is something for everyone. For more information, please visit the benefit pages on our website.
Salary scales
Our salary scale can be found here, and full details of our salary scales and benefits Aston University staff enjoy can be found here.
Birmingham/Cost of living
You can also use property search websites such as Rightmove or Zoopla.
Cycle-to-work scheme
Cycle-to-Work is open to all employees. Through our salary conversion scheme, we’ll make a bicycle available to you for commuting – alongside safety equipment, free of income tax and national insurance.
Employee travel pass scheme
The University has an affiliation to Company Travelwise in Birmingham and an on-going commitment to green transport. As a result, annual travel passes purchased under the Employee Travel Pass Scheme will be available at a discounted price.
Car park scheme
Under the Flexible Benefits Scheme, instead of the car park charges being collected from your net pay, you can exchange an amount of gross salary that is equivalent to the charge. As a result, you will pay less National Insurance, thereby reducing the cost of car park charges.
Low emission car lease scheme
The new Low Emission Car Lease Scheme offers you the opportunity of a new car, benefiting from corporate discounts and savings on Income Tax and National Insurance Contributions. The car scheme will only offer cars with low CO2 emissions (120g/km or less).
Aston gym memberships
The Sir Doug Ellis Woodcock Sports Centre is a fantastic onsite staff facility. Permanent members of staff can choose to pay their membership fee via their monthly/weekly salary or in a one-off lump sum payment. Non-permanent staff can still get Aston staff prices but must pay for the membership in one lump sum.
Charitable giving
We have been looking at ways of promoting charitable giving through the payroll and of providing the most effective way of making tax savings on donations.
There are two ways you can do it:
Citysave Credit Union
Having a regular savings plan means building up a fund of money towards Christmas, a holiday or just for a rainy day. Having it come directly out of your salary means saving has never been easier. In addition, surplus profits the credit union makes are returned to our members in the form of a yearly dividend. Citysave is covered by the FSCS, so your savings up to £75,000 are secure.
Cinema Society Club
You can register with the Cinema Society Club to receive up to 40% off tickets.
Will Writing Service
Aston University has teamed up with Dunham McCarthy, Estate Planning & Will Specialists, to offer Aston employees and their families a free will writing service.
Conference Aston
All staff receive a 15% discount when dining at Conference Aston.
Annual Leave
The annual bookable leave entitlement is 31 days. In addition to the above bookable leave entitlement, a minimum of 13 additional days holiday per year is given as specified Bank and University holidays, the dates of which are circulated annually and are published on the University’s website. Part-time staff are entitled to the same amount of annual leave, including Bank and University Holidays, as full-time staff, on a pro-rata basis to the hours that they work.
Pension
If you are a regularly employed member of staff, you will be enrolled into a pension scheme; the exact scheme will depend upon the grade of the post. Further information is available on our website.
Recognition Vouchers
We designed this scheme to provide managers with the flexibility and autonomy to recognise individuals or whole teams ‘in the moment’ by awarding them with e-vouchers. Typically, e-vouchers are given for going above and beyond normal expectations of a job or role: completion of a project, innovative idea or process/product improvement that has had a positive impact for the university, students, staff or the wider community; excellent customer feedback; citizenship where an individual has gone out of their way to help others.
Personal/Professional Development
To equip you with all the skills you need, we offer a comprehensive range of learning and development programmes. Whatever your role and ambitions, we will support you to build your skills set and be your best at work. As well as training, we offer an induction programme for all our new starters. This induction will give you a basic overview of our organisation, along with the chance to meet colleagues from across the University.
Employee Assistance Programme
Open to all staff, the service offers confidential support for a variety of issues such as managing money; having a family; moving house; personal life; retirement; work life; returning to work after a break; family crises; personal crises; healthy choices; illness. Services are available 24/7, 365 days a year.
Relocation Support
Subject to the conditions of the University’s relocation policy, we provide assistance to new employees who have to relocate to take up a position. This policy applies to staff appointed to a position at grade 7 (salary point 25) or above on an open-ended contract or to a fixed term position of two years or more, and who have to relocate their place of residence in order to take up the appointment. Positions which are externally funded fall outside of this policy.
Employment of Ex-Offenders
Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, a person with a criminal record is not required to disclose any spent convictions unless the positions they applying for is listed an exception under the act.
Eligibility to work in the UK
Non-UK/Irish nationals will require a visa or immigration permission that allows them to work in the UK.
The most common work visas are the Skilled Worker and Global Talent immigration routes. You can find more information about these visa categories on our web page for candidates. The UKVI website also provides further detail about different work visas and the eligibility criteria for each.
Aston may be able to sponsor the successful candidate under the Skilled Worker visa route, dependent upon the salary associated with their appointment.
Please contact hr_immigration@aston.ac.uk if you would like to discuss your eligibility for Skilled Worker sponsorship.
Data Protection
Your personal data will be processed in compliance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation ((EU) 2016/679) (“GDPR”). The University’s Data Protection Policy and Privacy Notices, including the Job Applicant Privacy Notice can be found at https://www2.aston.ac.uk/data-protection. Your application will only be used to inform the selection process, unless you are successful, in which case it will form the basis of your personal record with the University which will be stored in manual and/or electronic files. Information in statistical form on present and former employees is given to appropriate outside bodies.
Full details of our terms and conditions of service and associated policies and procedures are available online.
Anderson Quigley is acting as an advisor to the 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 16 February 2026
Applications should consist of:
Should you wish to discuss the role in strict confidence, please contact Carolyn Coates at carolyn.coates@andersonquigley.com or +44 (0)7825 871 944 or Kiersten Avery at kiersten.avery@andersonquigley.com or +44 (0)7510 384 735 or Ed Pritchard at ed.pritchard@andersonquigley.com or +44 (0)7980 817 927.
www.aston.ac.uk 