Thank you for your interest in the role of Chief Academic Officer at BIMM University.
This is a moment of real significance for our institution. We are proud to be entering the next phase of our journey as an ambitious, values-driven university at the forefront of creative industries education – and we’re looking for someone who can help us shape what comes next.
BIMM has always done things differently. Born out of a passion for popular music, we have grown into a truly international, multi-disciplinary creative university, offering degrees in music, screen and film, performing arts, and most recently, creative technology. Our students learn in nine vibrant cities across the UK, Ireland and Germany – supported by expert practitioners, ambitious academic leaders, and a university-wide team committed to delivering education that is both transformative and rooted in real-world opportunity.
We are fortunate to be building on solid foundations. Over the past four years, under Professor Louise Jackson’s outstanding academic leadership, we have introduced a new academic framework, launched a university-wide restructure, enhanced our quality assurance systems, and cultivated a stronger, more inclusive academic culture. Louise has been instrumental in each part of this work, and her legacy is one of collaboration, care and ambition. She leaves her post on excellent terms for pastures new, having created a strong foundation for her successor to thrive.
As our next Chief Academic Officer, you will join a senior team that works with pace, purpose and a deep respect for one another’s expertise. You will lead a dedicated community of academic and professional colleagues who believe passionately in our mission and values. And you will have the freedom and support to shape a university that dares to think differently – a university that prepares the next generation of creatives not just to enter the industry, but to transform it.
We’re looking forward to meeting someone who shares our energy, our curiosity, our ambitions for growth, and our belief in the power of creative education. Please read on to find out more about what makes us truly different – we look forward to hearing from you.
With best wishes,
A bold force in creative Higher Education
BIMM University is a vibrant, specialist creative arts institution offering a compelling opportunity for an ambitious Chief Academic Officer (CAO) to shape the academic heart of a dynamic, multi-campus university. With degree awarding powers since 2019 and full university status granted in 2022, BIMM has evolved from a pioneering music institute into a multi-disciplinary creative powerhouse. Its faculties span Music, Performing Arts, Screen and Film, and a new Faculty of Creative Technology launched in 2024. Operating across nine campuses – London, Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Essex, Leeds, Manchester, Dublin and Berlin, BIMM is driven by an unapologetically industry-led ethos: producing graduates who are resilient, entrepreneurial, and deeply connected to the creative sectors.
A creative industries-first ethos
BIMM’s defining USP is its genuinely embedded industry model. This goes far beyond branding – it is reflected in curriculum design, student experience, and graduate outcomes. From masterclasses delivered by icons like Nile Rodgers, Fatboy Slim, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Charlie Brooker, to trailblazing appointments such as Google AI strategist Warren Barkley as Visiting Professor, BIMM integrates industry relevance at every level. It has cultivated an alumni network that features global names in music and performance, and it continues to evolve as a real-time reflection of the creative sectors it serves. At BIMM, industry is not peripheral, it’s embedded in our DNA.
Strategic academic expansion
BIMM’s growth story is one of bold, well-paced diversification. In a few short years, we’ve evolved from a single-subject music college into a four-faculty university, each aligned with a growing sector of the creative economy – Performing Arts, Screen and Film, and now Creative Technology (Games Design, Art and Development). As our new Chief Academic Officer, this presents the ideal canvas for you to shape emerging disciplines and push the boundaries of creative pedagogy and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
A post-transformation environment with space to lead
Our recent transformation, Project Arrow, has reshaped BIMM into a modern, matrix-led institution. We have replaced siloed operating models with a multi-campus academic framework, integrating academic quality, compliance, and enhancement under one roof – a new Provost’s Office. For you, this is fertile ground: an organisation that has already done the heavy lifting of structural change – and is now ready for strategic consolidation and your creative and entrepreneurial academic leadership.
Governance that balances strategy and agility
BIMM’s governance model is both mature and sophisticated, shaped by its unique position as a privately owned university backed by FTSE 100 private equity firm Intermediate Capital Group (ICG). With ICG managing over $86 billion in global assets, their involvement brings a powerful blend of strategic discipline, commercial acumen, and educational ambition to the university’s senior leadership structures.
At the heart of academic governance is the BIMM University Limited Board (BULB), chaired by Professor Mark Hunt, responsible for academic quality, performance, and compliance. This board interfaces directly with ICG’s holding board (Murphy TopCo) and adheres to the Committee of University Chairs (CUC) Code of Governance. Academic oversight is underpinned by a full suite of subcommittees, including Academic Board, Quality Assurance & Compliance, Student Experience, Learning & Teaching, and EDI. What this means for you is a rare leadership environment: entrepreneurially minded, professionally governed, and free from the bureaucratic inertia that typifies some institutions.
Innovation through partnership
BIMM’s partnership strategy is selective, mission-driven, and globally focused. Its collaboration with the MetFilm School – now a sister institution – marks a major step in academic integration, with BIMM validating MetFilm’s courses under its own awarding powers. With a strong history in validation and international partnerships spanning India, Norway, and beyond, BIMM combines academic rigour with global reach. Industry partners remain central to its model, embedding real-world insight directly into teaching, employability, and leadership, providing a new Chief Academic Officer a rich platform for academic and creative collaboration.
International mobility and a multi-campus model
With campuses across six major UK creative cities (including a state-of-the-art greenfield site in Essex), and Berlin and Dublin, we offer one of the most unique mobility models in the sector. Students can transfer between locations during their studies – a rare flexibility that we are ready to scale. We hope you will build on this USP and see it as an invaluable opportunity to strengthen internationalisation, mobility, and experiential learning for our students.
Progressive, student-centred academic policy
Post-TDAPs, BIMM has reimagined its academic regulations to reflect a progressive, student-responsive ethos. This includes pass/fail assessment at Level 4 to prioritise feedback, a pragmatic policy on late submissions, and a tailored approach to exceptional circumstances that mirrors the professional realities of creative work. For our new Chief Academic Officer, this is a chance to build on a regulatory foundation that’s both compassionate and fit for purpose.
A genuine commitment to social mobility
BIMM is consciously expanding beyond London and the Southeast – with major investments in cities such as Manchester and Birmingham, aligned with local creative regeneration. Initiatives like Talent Match, which directly connects graduates to roles in the creative industries, ensure that our work closes the loop between education and employability. Widening participation is not just a bolt-on – it’s central to our mission. As a university that takes social mobility seriously, our new Chief Academic Officer must live and breathe these values.
BIMM is more than a university
We are a creative ecosystem – fast-moving, values-led, and unapologetically ambitious. For a Chief Academic Officer who is ready to shape the future of creative education, BIMM offers a rare, high-growth leadership opportunity to redefine how higher education connects with industry, talent and the future of work. Here, you’ll find the space to shape strategy, lead innovation at scale, and drive academic excellence in an institution built for the future. If you are ready to help define the next chapter of creative higher education – we would love to hear from you.
BIMM University is part of the BIMM Group and is comprised of 4 faculties:
BIMM Music Institute – Preparing our students for a successful career in the music industry is why we do what we do. It’s who we are. With nearly four decades of experience, we’re recognised as being at the forefront of contemporary music education. We have been commended for the opportunities that BIMM students enjoy, including our masterclasses, guest lecturers, mentoring, and careers advice. Our expert teaching staff are all music professionals working in the industry today, bringing current, real-world experiences straight to the classroom. Locations in Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Dublin, London, Manchester and Berlin. Learn more about BIMM Music Institute here.
MetFilm School – MetFilm School’s mission is to deliver practical courses and train the next generation of filmmakers wishing to enter the film industry. Music, Film, TV, and Digital Technologies are inextricably linked, and we provide students with collaborative opportunities in this exciting £4bn global sector. With state-of-the-art facilities and dedicated industry tutors, our MetFilm Schools provide diverse creative communities and a digital infrastructure that can inspire students to become the next generation of creative digital professionals. Our aim is to find opportunities to give our students an understanding of how the industry works, what is out there for them, and to initiate tailored work placements. Locations in Birmingham, Manchester, London, Leeds, Brighton and Berlin. Learn more about MetFilm School here.
MetStudios – This new creative technology faculty is interdisciplinary and combines creativity, design and technology and will allow students to develop innovative experiences in areas such as video games, animation, and VFX. Using industry-standard tools, students will be encouraged to adopt and master emerging technologies, including real-time rendering engines such as Unreal Engine, virtual and augmented reality and artificial intelligence. Whether through character and level design, storyboarding or innovative code, students can focus on their personal games development journey. Additionally, enrolling on one of our new degree courses will allow students to connect and learn alongside peers across our different sites. Locations in Berlin, Brighton, London, Manchester and Bristol. Learn more about MetStudios here.
Performer’s College – The philosophy guiding the underlying principles of our Performer’s Colleges is for students of various abilities and backgrounds to have equal opportunities to fulfil their ambition of a career in dance and/or musical theatre. The Colleges place an emphasis on providing a balanced curriculum that offers personal challenges, development, and encourages self-discipline in a safe, protective learning environment. Our impressive purpose-designed and built performing arts centres are extremely well appointed and have some of the best facilities in the country. Locations in Birmingham, Essex, Brighton and Manchester. Learn more about Performer’s College here.
Northern Ballet School – Northern Ballet School is a centre of excellence in training for classical ballet and musical theatre. It delivers a 3-year Diploma in Professional Dance; a full-time professional course leading to the Trinity College London Diploma in Professional Dance, in addition to the NBS Diploma in Professional Dance. This course is designed to prepare students for a career in an industry that demands an ever-widening range of dance performance and related skills. This is why all students study a range of dance styles and genres throughout the three years of the course. Located in Manchester. Learn more about Northern Ballet School here.
Post: Chief Academic Officer
Reporting to: Chief Executive Officer
Contractual Hours: 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday. You will occasionally be required to work evenings and weekends to meet the demands of the role, including a minimum of 4 open days / events per year.
Location: This is a hybrid working role, ideally based in London, Brighton, Bristol or Birmingham, but we will consider Manchester or Leeds as a second preference. Please note, there will be an expectation for some regional travel across the BIMM UK sites, and travel to international BIMM sites on a limited basis.
Remuneration: The salary for this role ranges c. £130,000-140,000 (further considerations may be possible for an exceptional candidate). In addition to the salary, you will also be eligible for a yearly bonus, and there are discussions to be had with the preferred candidate regarding Long Term Incentives (LTIPs).
A University for the Creative Industries
BIMM has a long history in the creative arts. From our beginnings as Drumtech in London in 1983 to the acquisition of MetFilm School in 2024, our journey has been one of continual growth. We have campuses in nine locations – Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Essex, Leeds, London, Manchester, Dublin and Berlin – and are proud to be a leading provider of contemporary music, film, creative technology and performing arts education in Europe.
We have over 40 years of experience helping students launch successful careers in the creative industries. We offer a broad range of higher education courses including undergraduate degrees, the Trinity Professional Performing Diploma and Master’s courses. Beyond academic life, BIMM University offers a community built on a shared passion, creativity, and belief system. Our inclusive culture is at the core of everything we do, binding us together and driving us forward.
Our purpose and vision
Our values
JOB DESCRIPTION:
The Chief Academic Officer is responsible for the academic character of BIMM University and provides leadership for all matters relating to academic strategy. The Chief Academic Officer ensures that the University meets its regulatory obligations relating to the courses of study delivered on campus and to drive improved standards and quality across each campus location. This includes compliance with the Office for Students (OfS) conditions of registration (UK) and managing academic partnerships (UK and International).
Key Accountabilities
PERSON SPECIFICATION:
Essential Criteria
To succeed as the new Chief Academic Officer of BIMM University, you will bring:
Desirable Criteria:
The following experience would further strengthen your candidacy:
NB: This is not a complete statement of all duties and responsibilities of this post. The post holder may be required to carry out other duties in keeping with the nature of the post as directed by and agreed with their line manager.
Location: This is a hybrid working role, ideally based in London, Brighton, Bristol or Birmingham, but we will consider Manchester or Leeds as a second preference. Please note, there will be an expectation for some regional travel across the BIMM UK sites, and travel to international BIMM sites on a limited basis.
Remuneration: The salary for this role ranges c. £130,000-140,000 (further considerations may be possible for an exceptional candidate). In addition to the salary, you will also be eligible for a yearly bonus, and there are discussions to be had with the preferred candidate regarding Long Term Incentives (LTIPs).
Our benefits include:
Anderson Quigley is acting as an advisor to BIMM University, an executive search process is being carried out by Anderson Quigley in addition to the public advertisement.
Closing date for applications: 19 May 2025. To apply, please click here and follow the instructions: https://andersonquigley.com/job/aq3184/apply/
Applications should consist of:
Provisional Schedule, to be confirmed very shortly:
Should you wish to discuss the role in strict confidence, please contact:
www.bimm.university 