Dear Candidate,

Thank you for your interest in joining Harper Adams University as our inaugural Chief Student Officer.

This is a transformational moment for our University. As we look toward a bold and ambitious future, we do so with deep respect for the journey that brought us here. Founded in 1901, Harper Adams has spent more than 120 years shaping the future of sustainable food, land, and animal systems. Our history is a source of strength—but it will never be a barrier to progress. Our past is not a constraint; it is a launchpad for what comes next.

We are proud to be the UK’s leading specialist institution in the agri-food and animal wellbeing sectors, and to be recognised not only for the quality of our research and teaching, but for our impact on people, place, and planet. That impact begins with our students.

The appointment of our first Chief Student Officer marks a step-change in how we serve and support our student community. We are seeking a visionary, collaborative leader to shape an end-to-end student experience that is sector-leading, inclusive, and fit for the future. You will join a close-knit, forward-thinking executive team and work across all areas of the institution to ensure every student journey is connected, personalised, and empowering—from first enquiry to graduation and beyond.

Our students are diverse, driven, and deeply committed to making a difference in the world. They deserve an environment where they can truly belong, thrive, and succeed. Under your leadership, student voice, wellbeing, belonging and success will not just be supported—they will be central to our strategy and culture.

Harper Adams is more than a university. It is a community of people—staff, students, alumni and partners—united by a sense of purpose and a belief in better. With over 600 staff across our Shropshire campus and growing presence in Telford, we are expanding our reach while staying grounded in values of care, curiosity, and courage. Whether it’s pioneering research, inclusive education, or industry collaboration, our ambition is underpinned by a genuine commitment to wellbeing, development, and belonging.

I hope you’ll take the time to learn more about who we are and the exciting future we are building. If you are ready to help shape that future—and ensure every student has the support, opportunity, and experience they need to thrive—I warmly invite you to apply.

Yours sincerely,

Harper Adams University is a welcoming, forward-thinking community of over 600 employees working together to create real, lasting impact – ensuring that everyone, everywhere, can access sustainable food, land, and animal systems. Our work contributes directly to planetary health, animal welfare and ultimately human wellbeing. We’re passionate about what we do – and about the people we do it with. 

We are deeply committed to the wellbeing and development of our colleagues. Our annual employee survey consistently tells us that staff are proud to work here, feel trusted to do their jobs, and are supported by their managers. Our inclusive and empowering culture is one of the many reasons our people stay, grow, and thrive. 

While our rural Shropshire campus remains central to who we are, our presence now extends to Telford – a town with a rich history of innovation and revolution, and a fitting symbol of our ever-evolving mission. This growing site strengthens our ties to the local region and reinforces our commitment to inclusive education and collaboration that reaches far beyond any single postcode. Our impact and reach are proudly regional, national and international. 

We offer: 

• A beautiful rural working environment 
• Generous holiday allowance with the opportunity to purchase more 
• Flexible, agile working opportunities 
• On-campus retail, catering and gym facilities 
• Free staff parking 
• Corporate discounts at seven fitness centres in Telford and Wrekin 
• Enhanced maternity and sickness benefits 
• Disability Confident Employer status 
• Employee Assistance Programme 
• Cyclescheme supporter 
• Workwear provided (where applicable) 

Harper Adams is the UK’s leading specialist institution serving the agri-food, animal wellbeing, engineering and land management sectors. We are a world-respected provider of industry-led education and research in food production and technology, animal health, environmental sustainability and sustainable business. Our work is grounded through partnerships – with more than 1,100 organisations in the UK and beyond – that fuel our research, shape our teaching, and deliver genuine impact. 

We began life in 1901 as Harper Adams Agricultural College and became a university in 2012. Our Chancellor is Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal and our Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ken Sloan, joined us in 2021. Our rural campus near Newport in Shropshire is supported by a growing site in Telford, offering a range of housing options and excellent rail and road connections to the West Midlands and beyond. We’ve invested more than £50 million in our estate in the last decade – including leading-edge teaching, research and veterinary facilities, modern laboratories, and a purpose-built Veterinary Services Centre. Our commercial farm spans 494 hectares and plays an active role in our education, research, and knowledge exchange. 

Take a virtual tour of the campus: Virtual Tour 

We are proud to be the UK’s highest-ranked small specialist provider for the agri-food and animal wellbeing sectors, consistently delivering the largest cohort of graduates into these industries – with over 97 per cent going directly into employment. We currently welcome over 3,000 full- and part-time students across undergraduate and postgraduate courses, including subjects like agricultural engineering, veterinary nursing, business, land and property management, and veterinary medicine and surgery – the latter delivered through the Harper & Keele Veterinary School, established in 2020. 

Most of our undergraduate students undertake a bespoke Placement Year, designed with industry and tailored to employer needs. Our courses are co-developed with our industry partners, and we offer a wealth of employer- and philanthropically funded scholarships via our Development Trust. We also support employers through a broad suite of CPD courses and our growing range of Higher Level and Degree Apprenticeships, which directly address sector skill needs. 

In 2021, we launched the School of Sustainable Food and Farming, in partnership with the NFU, Morrisons and McDonald’s. Its mission: to equip the industry with the skills and knowledge needed to achieve Net Zero by 2040. 

Our research is internationally respected, particularly in sustainable agriculture, entomology, animal science, livestock nutrition, and precision farming. Our research covers the sciences and the social sciences. In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework, 60% of our work was classed as world-leading or internationally excellent. Our research spans the strategic and the applied – addressing critical global challenges in soil health, smart agriculture, the circular economy, land use and sustainable food systems. Much of our research is done in collaboration with industry, and all of our students contribute directly to this work through their own research projects. 

Our research is structured through two main centres: the Centre for Crop and Environment Sciences and the Centre for Animal Welfare. We also have cross-cutting research groups including our Centre for Social Sciences, and our Future Farm which is pioneering sustainable agriculture and realising a roadmap to Net Zero. 

Harper Adams is a young university with a bold heart – optimistic, pragmatic, and unapologetically ambitious. We face challenges with confidence and seek opportunity in every corner. Our Strategy 2030, led by Professor Ken Sloan, lays out a bold future grounded in five goals: inclusion, globally connected, community, influence and sustainability. It is a call to action for the whole Harper Adams community – and for those who want to make a difference. 

Facilities
We offer state-of-the-art resources across teaching, research and applied practice – from modern laboratories, smart agri-tech hubs and glasshouses, to engineering workshops and dedicated veterinary facilities. Many of our newest spaces – including the Veterinary Education Centre, Agri-Tech Innovation Hub and SMART Dairy – have been enabled through the work of the Harper Adams Development Trust. 

Catering and Sports
Our Students’ Union operates a membership gym open to staff. Bowling greens and tennis courts are available in summer months, and catering outlets across campus provide convenient lunch options for everyone. 

To find out more about us, visit: www.harper-adams.ac.uk 

Our Vice Chancellor’s Group (not all are VC reports)

Salary

The starting salary will be negotiated with the successful candidate. While it will depend on relevant qualifications and experience, it is expected to be no less than £80,000. Salaries are paid monthly, in arrears, by credit transfer on the 28^th day of the month.

Pension

The University’s preferred arrangement is for the post-holder to join the Harper Adams Group Pension Scheme (full details available here). In exceptional cases, the University may consider the continuation or transfer of an existing sector pension scheme (LGPS).

Holiday

The annual holiday entitlement is 30 working days, plus statutory bank holidays.  In addition to this there are 8 University closure days during the full annual leave year.  The holiday year runs from 1 August to 31 July.

Other benefits include

• A beautiful rural working environment
• Generous holiday allowance with the opportunity to purchase more
• Flexible, agile working opportunities
• On-campus retail, catering and gym facilities
• Free staff parking
• Corporate discounts at seven fitness centres in Telford and Wrekin
• Enhanced maternity and sickness benefits
• Disability Confident Employer status
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Cyclescheme supporter

Anderson Quigley is acting as an advisor to Harper Adams University. An executive search process is being carried out by Anderson Quigley in addition to the public advertisement.

The closing date for applications is Friday, 9 May 2025. To apply, please click on the Apply Now button at the top of the page.

Applications should consist of:

• A full CV.
• A covering letter setting out your interest in the role and details of how you match the experience criteria outlined in the person specification in addition to broad evidence against the knowledge and skills section.
• Details of two referees, though please note that we will not approach your referees without your prior consent and only should you be shortlisted.

Should you wish to discuss the role in strict confidence, please contact Aino Betts, aino.betts@andersonquigley.com, +44(0) 7743 934 723 or Elliott Rae at elliott.rae@andersonquigley.com, +44 (0)7584 078 534.