JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title: Chief Academic Officer
Reports to: Simon Nelson, QA Higher Education CEO
Location: London / Birmingham / Hybrid
Department: QAHE – Exec Team
Vetting Requirement: Basic Disclosure
Salary: Competitive, ranging from £150,000 to £200,000 depending on experience, with flexibility for discussion. Annual bonuses (up to 20%) and long-term incentives are also available to negotiate for the right candidate.

Overview

This is a rare opportunity to shape the academic direction of a forward-thinking and ambitious institution at a pivotal moment in its development. As Chief Academic Officer, you will lead QA HE’s academic strategy, ensuring that our programmes, partnerships, quality frameworks and academic community are aligned with the highest standards of excellence, compliance and integrity.

Reporting directly to the CEO and serving as a key member of the Executive team, you will provide strategic oversight of teaching and learning, quality assurance, academic governance and student outcomes. You will lead the academic community across multiple locations and delivery models, embedding a shared vision for innovation and accountability, supporting curriculum development, and ensuring we continue to meet the evolving needs of students and partners.

This role will appeal to an academic leader who combines strategic vision with operational insight. You may currently be a Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Provost, Pro-Vice-Chancellor or Executive Dean. Therefore, whilst seniority is key, what will set you apart is your ability to navigate complexity, to lead with credibility and clarity, and to thrive in a setting where scale, quality and innovation must go hand in hand. You will bring a deep understanding of the UK regulatory landscape, a commitment to inclusion and widening participation, and a passion for delivering high-quality education that changes lives.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Vision

• Strategic Planning & Implementation: Demonstrated ability to develop and communicate a clear strategic vision for the business, aligning academic and administrative priorities. Proven experience in translating strategy into actionable plans that drive institutional growth and innovation.
• Change Management: Expertise in leading transformational initiatives and managing complex change—balancing innovation with the institution’s long-term goals.

Academic Credibility and Excellence

• Academic Experience: A strong academic background with a record of personal academic achievement, ensuring an in-depth understanding of the higher education environment.
• Quality and Innovation in Education: Commitment to advancing teaching excellence and research, supporting curriculum innovation, and maintaining robust quality assurance processes.

Operational and Financial Acumen

• Resource Management: Exceptional financial management skills, including budget planning, resource allocation, and economic stewardship. Experience in optimizing operational efficiency while ensuring sustainable growth.
• Risk Management & Compliance: Expertise in navigating regulatory frameworks, managing institutional risk and ensuring compliance with national quality and governance standards.

Stakeholder Engagement and External Relations

• Communications & Interpersonal Skills: Advanced communication skills, capable not only of articulating the businesses vision internally but also of representing its interests externally to government bodies, funding agencies, industry partners, and alumni networks.
• Collaborative Networking: Ability to build and nurture strategic relationships and partnerships, fostering cross-functional collaboration and engaging with diverse communities both locally and internationally.

Governance and Ethical Leadership

• Academic Governance: Deep understanding of the governance structures of higher education institutions in the UK, with a commitment to transparency, ethical decision-making, and accountability at all levels.
• Institutional Integrity: Demonstrated commitment to upholding values such as fairness, integrity, and social responsibility while advocating for and ensuring an inclusive academic culture.

Inclusivity, Diversity, and Wellbeing

• Championing Diversity: Proven experience in promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion within an academic institution, ensuring that all staff, students, and stakeholders are respected and empowered.
• Wellbeing & Culture: Capacity to lead a supportive and dynamic working environment, recognizing the importance of staff and student wellbeing as foundational to academic success.

Innovative Mindset and Global Perspective

• Digital and Future-Focused Thinking: A forward-thinking approach to technology and digital transformation in education, enabling the development of innovative teaching, learning, and research methodologies.
• International Engagement: An awareness of the global higher education landscape, with experience in driving international collaboration and enhancing our global visibility, partnerships, and student recruitment strategies.

General

• Giving strategic leadership across the academic community inspiring colleagues to not only bring their best, but to make their best better through creating and embedding a culture of continual reflection and improvement
• Drive efficiency and collaboration across the academic community and surrounding areas of the business. Ensuring the business is adequately and appropriately resourced whilst maintaining a focus on ensuring financial efficiencies
• Operate as a brand ambassador for QAHE playing a key role in working with our University Partners, current and prospective, as well as raising the profile of QAHE across the industry

Play an active role within the QAHE Exec team, contributing to and challenging other senior leaders to continue ensuring optimal efficiency, outstanding service to students and that QAHE remains a market leading offering to all its stakeholders

KPIs & SLAs

• Academic quality
• Student outcomes
• Financial measures

Key Working Relationships

• QAHE Exec Team
• Senior Academic Team – Deans, Associate Deans
• University Partner representatives

PERSON SPECIFICATION

What you’ll bring to QA

Pace, professionalism and an appetite to play a key role in our continued success and development in offering an outstanding experience with us whether as a student, university partner, employee or other stakeholder.

Essential Criteria:

To succeed as our Chief Academic Officer at QA Higher Education, you will bring:

• Extensive experience in senior academic leadership roles within UK higher education. This may include current or recent experience as an Executive Dean, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Deputy Vice-Chancellor or in a comparable position with institution-wide strategic responsibility, ideally within large, complex or multi-campus settings.
• A strong understanding of how to align academic vision with institutional sustainability. You will demonstrate financial literacy, commercial awareness, and the ability to contribute effectively to organisational planning, investor engagement and long-term growth.
• A doctoral qualification (PhD or EdD) is likely expected. In exceptional cases, a relevant postgraduate qualification may be considered where supported by substantial academic leadership experience. A recognised teaching qualification (such as a PGCert) and professional affiliations (such as Advance HE Fellowship) are highly desirable.
• In-depth knowledge of the UK’s academic governance, quality assurance and regulatory landscape. You will be comfortable operating within frameworks set by bodies such as the OfS and QAA, and capable of representing the academic voice at senior institutional and investor levels.
• A clear and values-led commitment to inclusive education, student success, and widening participation. You will understand the particular needs of diverse, non-traditional and career-focused learners, and be driven to improve outcomes in teaching, learning, graduate employability and social mobility.
• A proven ability to lead and inspire academic and professional services teams across disciplines, delivery models and geographies. You will be collaborative, visible and trusted, with a track record of leading curriculum innovation, pedagogic improvement and academic operations at scale.

Desirable Criteria:

The following experience would further strengthen your candidacy:

• Experience of working collaboratively across different parts of the higher education sector. For example, if your career has been largely within public institutions, it would be advantageous to have engaged with private or alternative providers through validation, franchising or partnership arrangements.
• An understanding of investor-backed organisational models, and experience engaging with governance or executive structures shaped by private equity or investment stakeholders.
• Exposure to international higher education systems or regulatory frameworks outside the UK, especially where relevant to QA HE’s global partnerships, potential international campuses or transnational education activities.
• Experience working in institutions undergoing transformation, restructuring or rapid growth. A background that includes navigating change, driving innovation and delivering improvement under pressure would be particularly valuable.