Interim Assistant Director of UK Student Recruitment and Widening Access

ARU is a global university transforming lives through innovative, inclusive and entrepreneurial education and research. ARU holds a Gold award for the quality of its education, awarded through the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF).

ARU’s research institutes and four faculties bridge scientific, technical and creative fields. We deliver impactful research which tackles pressing issues and makes a real difference to our communities.  Our academic excellence has been recognised by the UK’s Higher Education funding bodies, with 16 of our research areas assessed as world leading. We are the largest provider of Nursing, Midwifery, Health and Social Care students in the East of England, and we are also among the UK’s leading universities for degree apprenticeship provision, working with hundreds of employers across the UK.

About the Role:

We are seeking to appoint an interim Assistant Director of UK Student Recruitment & Widening Access (maternity cover) to provide strategic leadership across student recruitment, widening participation and partnership development. Reporting to the Director of Marketing, External Relations and Engagement, you will lead the development and delivery of ARU’s UK undergraduate recruitment strategy, including progression pathways through further and higher education. Using data, market intelligence and sector insight, you will drive application growth, improve conversion and enrolment, and enhance the applicant experience.

Working collaboratively with academic faculties, professional services and external partners, you will lead ARU’s widening access agenda, oversee key outreach initiatives and strengthen strategic relationships with schools, colleges and regional partners. You will also lead a multidisciplinary team, manage resources and budgets, and represent ARU across regional and national networks. The role operates across ARU’s four main campuses and the wider East of England, requiring regular travel and engagement with stakeholders.

You will be an experienced and credible leader with a strong track record in student recruitment, widening participation or a related field, and the ability to provide confident leadership in a complex and changing environment. You will bring excellent strategic thinking, commercial awareness and analytical skills, alongside the ability to translate institutional priorities into effective plans and measurable results.

With exceptional communication, influencing and relationship-building skills, you will be comfortable working with senior leaders, academic colleagues and external partners to build consensus and deliver shared objectives. Resilient, adaptable and politically astute, you will be able to balance strategic priorities with operational delivery, inspire and develop teams, and maintain momentum against ambitious targets. This is an exciting opportunity to make a significant contribution to ARU’s recruitment ambitions, widening access commitments and wider regional impact.

Informal enquiries can be made to Claire Lauder, Partner at Anderson Quigley.

We have an agile working culture and offer an extensive range of benefits including generous holiday entitlement, occupational pension schemes, training and development opportunities, travel to work scheme and a competitive relocation package. Visit our benefits page for full details.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting welfare of our staff and students and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Applicants should be aware that ARU will carry out online searches as part of the due diligence on short listed candidates.

We value diversity at ARU and welcome applications from all sections of the community.

In accordance with Home Office guidance and the Asylum, Immigration and Nationality Act 2006, ARU has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to work in the UK and in the role for which they have been recruited. Prior to their start date, the successful candidate will be asked to provide evidence of their right to work in the UK.

For candidates who do not currently have the right to work in the UK, ARU is a UKVI-licensed sponsor and may be able to provide sponsorship for eligible candidates appointed to skilled roles, subject to meeting the relevant immigration requirements. Eligibility for sponsorship will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Further information about UK immigration requirements and working in the UK can be found on the Home Office website.

Committed to being inclusive and open to discuss flexible working.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy once we have received sufficient applications.