Goldsmiths University of London
Dear applicant
Thank you for expressing an interest in joining Goldsmiths as our director of people and organisational development.
Goldsmiths is a world-renowned university that has a reputation for rigorous and innovative academic work; creativity has long been our hallmark. As part of the University of London, we blend academic excellence with forward-thinking approaches to teaching and learning. Our research tackles some of the most urgent challenges of our time—such as environmental sustainability, population change, artificial intelligence, and advancing equality across gender, sexuality, and race. Deeply rooted in our local community yet with a global perspective, Goldsmiths offers a unique and dynamic environment.
As a key member of our senior management team and reporting to me as chief operating officer, the director of people and organisational development will play a key role in ensuring that our strategic goals are achieved through our most valuable asset: our people. Leading a dedicated team of approximately 30 professionals across organisational development, equity, people services, and HR data management, you will drive Goldsmiths’ commitment to fostering an inclusive, diverse, and forward-thinking workplace.
You will bring substantial experience in leading people and organisational development within large, complex organisations. You will have a proven track record of delivering high-quality people services, coupled with expertise in managing organisational change. Your skills in providing expert advice across a wide range of people-related issues will be critical, and experience of managing trade unions is essential. Above all, you will share our passion for promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion at all levels.
Goldsmiths is an exciting, dynamic, and rewarding place to work. We are committed to offering a transformative educational experience, generating new knowledge, and encouraging self-discovery through creative, bold, and intellectually rigorous approaches.
This role offers you the opportunity to play a central role in ensuring that Goldsmiths continues to thrive as a catalyst for change and a champion of social action and cultural progress.
You can find out more about Goldsmiths and the role on this site. Our advising consultants at Anderson Quigley would be pleased to discuss the role with you in confidence. Their details can also be found on this site.
I do hope you will consider joining us in shaping the future of Goldsmiths and making a lasting impact on our community and beyond.
We offer a space for self-discovery, delivering world-leading research and excellent teaching from our single-site campus in the heart of South East London. Part of the prestigious University of London, we combine academic excellence with creative and innovative approaches to teaching and learning.
Teaching that challenges
Teaching across our academic departments spans the arts, humanities, social sciences, cultural studies, computing, law, teaching, social work and business management – bringing everything you’d expect from a world-renowned arts institution and much more.
Research that pushes boundaries
Our research draws on expertise from across our disciplines to help us craft responses to some of the most pressing topics of our time – including environmental sustainability, population change, AI and sexual, gender and racial equality.
We cooperate extensively with other academic institutions to find novel ways of approaching the issues that matter in our society. And we look beyond our sector, collaborating at local and national level with NGOs, businesses and governments to share knowledge and in turn enrich our own. All of this means a rich learning environment shaped by real-world issues.
A partner for business
From start-ups to multinational corporations – our community has the expertise to help organisations achieve its goals, whatever the size or sector. We support SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) in our home borough of Lewisham by playing an active role in local programmes. Our world-leading academics regularly share their expertise through consultancy, mentoring and research projects.
A local university
We are one of 50 universities in the Civic University Network, which means we’re committed to prioritising the local economy and quality of life in our home borough of Lewisham and across London. Through our Green New Deal project we are working to enhance the environment of our campus and surrounding area for everyone who spends time at Goldsmiths or nearby.
We’re proud of our many local partnerships, including with local authority and NHS partners as well as South East London charities and arts and culture organisations.
Our campus is open to the public, with exciting cultural offerings including our Goldsmiths Centre for Contemporary Art, as well as regular talks and events and spaces to hire for community groups.
A global institution
We are a diverse community welcoming people from all over the world – over a third of our students and staff come from outside the UK. Our campus is located in London, one of the most diverse cities in the world where more than 300 languages are spoken each day.
Firmly committed to our South East London roots, we are global in our reach and outlook, collaborating with universities and colleges from around the world and undertaking research with an international focus.
Senior Management Team
Our Senior Management Team (SMT) are responsible for overseeing the academic and administrative leadership of the University. Each member has responsibility for managing different areas from strategic development to academic development.
The Warden, Professor Frances Corner OBE, is the academic and administrative leader of Goldsmiths. She leads the Senior Management Team, which considers major policy issues and oversees the submission of business to Council, Academic Board and Finance and Resources Committee.
The title of Warden is unique in British universities, where the equivalent role is normally known as a Vice-Chancellor. It is a reminder of the founding of the College by the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, one of the City of London’s ancient Livery Companies.
Professor Corner has more than 20 years’ experience in higher education leadership.
Before joining Goldsmiths, she was Head of the London College of Fashion and Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Arts London.
You can find out more about the leadership of Goldsmiths here.
Further information
You can find out much more about Goldsmiths at our website here.
Our Mission and Values articulate what type of institution we are and what is important to us.
Mission
We offer a transformative experience, generating knowledge and stimulating self-discovery through creative, radical and intellectually rigorous thinking and practice.
Values
Our Mission is underpinned by the following values:
Achieving academic excellence
Radical and innovative thinking
Respecting the individual
Promoting access and diversity
Supporting our students and staff
Creating change, locally and globally
A new institutional strategy
Goldsmiths is developing and delivering a new institutional strategy in academic year 2024/25, which draws on our heritage as an agent of change with a proud history of partnership in social action and cultural progress.
We are passionate about advancing equality and celebrating diversity at Goldsmiths.
Goldsmiths has a rich heritage of challenging inequality in all its forms, and equality, inclusion and social justice are values which are incredibly important to us. These values are enshrined in our history, entrenched in the subject matter of our research and teaching, and embraced by members of our community.
We are rightly proud of this history. But there is more to do – which is why we have a team of specialists leading our work in this area on an ongoing basis.
Our EDI team is led by the Head of Equalities, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI), and includes an EDI Officer, EDI Coordinator, Race Equality Charter (REC) Officer, and Race Justice Projects Officer.
Our aim is to embed equality, diversity, and inclusion across Goldsmiths and make it a part of everything that we do. Fundamentally, we want to provide opportunities for all staff to develop and thrive in their careers here.
Goldsmiths has six staff networks, focused on Disability, Gender, LGBTQ+, Race Equality, Parenting and Caring responsibilities, and Menopause.
Schemes and Charters
You can read more about our commitment to equality and diversity here.
If you choose to work with us, you will become part of a learning organisation that is committed to professional and personal development, with a comprehensive and innovative staff development programme.
You’ll also have access to frequent lunchtime and evening talks, seminars and performances, and annual performance and development reviews.
Our other benefits include:
You can find out more about working at Goldsmiths here.
Anderson Quigley is acting as an advisor to Goldsmiths. 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 Friday 1st November 2024.
Applications should consist of:
Should you wish to discuss the role in strict confidence, please contact Eliott Rae at elliott.rae@andersonquigley.com or +44 (0)7584 078 534, Alicja Janowska at alicja.janowska@andersonquigley.com or +44 (0)7743 927 783.