Dear Candidate
Thank you for your interest in joining the University of South Wales. We are seeking three senior colleagues: a Chief Operating Officer, a Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and Student Experience, and a Director of People and Organisational Development. These appointments will make a substantial contribution to our future and to the experience of everyone who studies and works here.
USW is an ambitious, modern university with a proud history and a clear commitment to transforming lives. We are home to more than 20,000 students from more than 100 countries, supported by 2,100 colleagues across our campuses in Pontypridd, Cardiff and Newport. We are deeply rooted in South Wales, but our reach, partnerships and impact extend far beyond the region.
Our position as first in Wales and among the top 25 universities in the UK in the Guardian University Guide 2027 is a source of considerable pride. It reflects the dedication of our colleagues and the ambition of our students. We want to build on this achievement, strengthening the quality of our education and the opportunities we create for people from all backgrounds.
Like universities across the sector, we face significant financial, technological and demographic change. Responding successfully requires clear priorities, sound judgement and the confidence to rethink how we work. For USW, this means connecting our educational ambitions with the development of our people, services, digital capabilities and estate, while remaining focused on our purpose and long-term sustainability.
Our new Chief Operating Officer will help translate that ambition into effective delivery. Working with me and colleagues across the University, you will bring together professional services spanning people and organisational development, student life, digital services, and estates and facilities. Your leadership will help us work more effectively across organisational boundaries, improve the experience of students and colleagues, and ensure that our resources support our priorities.
Our Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and Student Experience will shape an educational offer that prepares students for their future careers and wider lives. You will lead improvements in learning, teaching, curriculum and assessment, champion inclusive practice and thoughtful use of digital technology, and strengthen student outcomes. Working in partnership with students and colleagues, you will help ensure that innovation delivers a better experience and greater opportunity.
Our Director of People and Organisational Development will work closely with the Chief Operating Officer to ensure that our people strategy supports the University’s ambitions. You will help us develop the skills, leadership and organisational culture we need, alongside a responsive and effective HR service. Building trust through change, supporting colleagues’ development and maintaining constructive relationships with our trade unions will be central to this work.
Across all three appointments, I am looking for colleagues who combine strategic ambition with practical delivery, and who lead with openness, empathy and accountability. You will need to listen carefully, make considered decisions and bring people with you.
USW is a special community: practical, collaborative and ambitious for our students, colleagues and region. These roles offer the opportunity to help shape our next stage of development and make a lasting contribution to a university whose work matters deeply to the communities it serves.
I hope you will be excited by the opportunity and look forward to receiving your application.
The University of South Wales (USW) is innovative, thriving, and sustainable. We work to build better futures for our students, our communities and our partners economically, socially, and culturally.
We are proud to be Wales’s leading widening participation university and are committed to addressing social inequalities, supporting and enabling our students to achieve the best life outcomes possible.
With a distinctive portfolio co-designed with industry, we pride ourselves on producing the healthcare workers, lawyers, teachers, and police officers of tomorrow. Our curriculum is created with our students to ensure they
are equipped with the relevant skills, knowledge, and experience to maximise their potential and future opportunities. We also work in collaboration with industry, researching and innovating to tackle some of the biggest global challenges, from energy and health
to security and sustainability.
We play a pivotal role in supporting businesses and communities across the South Wales region, contributing £1.1 billion annually to the UK economy and sustaining 10,600 jobs nationwide. While deeply rooted in our region, our influence and contributions extend far beyond.
We have a vibrant and diverse community, with students from more than 100 countries, studying on our campuses in Cardiff, Newport, and Pontypridd. We also provide a range of inclusive study pathways, supporting lifelong learning and flexible options for our students, working closely with our partner colleges.
We are challenging ourselves to think and act differently by tackling stigmas and removing barriers. Taking inspiration from our students, partners and community to develop a shared sense of belonging we are building better futures for all economically, socially and culturally.
The USW community is often described as a family—composed of inspiring and dedicated individuals committed to creating opportunities and promoting social justice. USW is truly special, with a strong sense of community and an unwavering focus on helping others realise their potential.
Our Values
At USW, we hold our values close to our hearts. Our community is:
• Professional
• Responsive
• Creative
• Inspiring
• Collaborative
The University Strategy – USW 2030 – sets out our direction; a pathway for the future that is bold and ambitious to ensure our continued success and long-term sustainability.
Our vision is clear – we want to change lives and our world for the better. Our world is changing at an intense pace and it is our job to equip our students with the skills, knowledge and experience required to maximise their potential and future opportunities in the world of work.
By 2030, we will:
We have a strong reputation for producing highly impactful and applied research. We are fourth in Wales for impact (2021 Research Excellence Framework), with 81% of our research activity classed as world-leading or internationally excellent (4/3*).
We strive to help solve real problems faced by society. Our multidisciplinary research teams collaborate with industry, communities, and organisations to make a positive difference to lives. Our research is focused around four accelerator areas:
Crime, Security, and Justice
We are impacting policy, practice and business with our internationally-recognised research in criminology, cyber-security, social policy and police sciences.
Health and Well-being
Our expertise in intellectual disabilities, health and social care, social prescribing, cognitive psychology, and sport and exercise science is tackling key issues around ageing and vulnerable groups.
Creative Innovation
We’re leading the agenda for the creative industries and digital economy in Wales, influencing policy through identifying the challenges and opportunities facing the creative industries.
Sustainable Environment
We’re helping to create a safer, more sustainable world with our ground breaking multi-disciplinary research in hydrogen, ecology, anaerobic digestion and advanced power systems.
We are challenging ourselves to think and act differently. At USW, we are embarking upon a journey to create equitable spaces for all. We are tackling stigmas and removing barriers, taking inspiration from our students and our community.
Equality, diversity, and inclusion has been embedded into how we operate as a university.
Race Equality Charter – USW is committed to progress with Advance HE’s Race Equality Charter (REC).
Athena SWAN – USW has been recognised for its commitment to gender equality by achieving the Athena SWAN Bronze award.
Stonewall Top 100 Employers 2020 – USW rose to 24th in the 2020 Workplace Equality Index and was named as a Top Trans Employer by Stonewall in 2020.
Disability Confident Scheme – We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer, which means taking action to improve how we recruit, retain, and develop disabled people.
University of Sanctuary – USW is a University of Sanctuary. This recognises the University’s commitment to creating a welcoming culture for people seeking sanctuary within, and beyond, its campuses.
The University’s locations offer the best of what South Wales has to offer within easy reach – the capital, the coast, mountains and valleys.
We have five campuses across three locations, but we’re one university.
Cardiff – A modern, multicultural capital city – here, you’ll find more green space per person than any UK city. Well-known as a city of culture and entertainment, there’s always something to experience in Cardiff. Our Cardiff Campus is home to a vibrant and creative community, from Games and Design to Fashion and Film.
Newport – An independent, multicultural city that is the gateway to Wales. Our Newport Campus is right in the heart of the city, overlooking the River Usk. At the Campus, an array of professional learning and teaching is on offer from Education and Teaching to Business and Cyber Security.
Pontypridd – Framed by green hills with easy access to the Brecon Beacons National Park. Here, you’ll have space to focus and horizons to explore. A diverse and friendly community is at the heart of our Pontypridd Campus, with learning spread across three sites – Treforest, Glyntaff, and the USW Sport Park.
The University of South Wales is a major, modern civic university rooted in South Wales, with a proud commitment to student success, applied research, innovation, partnership working, regional impact and widening access. As the University responds to a challenging and changing higher education environment, we are seeking an accomplished Director of People and Organisational Development to shape and deliver a progressive people strategy that supports institutional change, growth and long-term sustainability.
Based across USW campuses, with flexible working by agreement, this role offers the opportunity to provide University-wide leadership for people strategy, organisational development, workforce planning, culture, wellbeing, talent, employee relations and the continued development of a modern, professional and customer-focused HR function.
Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the Director will work closely with members of the Executive, senior managers, trade union officers and wider stakeholders. The postholder will align people and workforce priorities with the University’s educational, research and financial goals, ensuring an adaptable, efficient, inclusive, data-informed and digitally capable workforce.
Job position Director of People and Organisational Development
Faculty / Department People and Organisational Development
Location USW campuses (multi-site) with flexible working by agreement
Salary Competitive
Hours of work Full time
Contract duration (perm/fixed term) Permanent
Reports to Chief Operating Officer
Responsible for HR Department Senior Team
Job purpose
The Director of People and Organisational Development is a key member of the senior leadership group steering a values-driven and ambitious university. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the postholder will lead the development and delivery of a people strategy that supports the University of South Wales through a period of change and growth and contributes to the long-term sustainability of the institution.
Working closely with senior managers and wider stakeholders, the Director will ensure the development of an adaptable, efficient, data-informed and digitally capable workforce that underpins institutional success. The postholder will also lead the development of a modern, professional, customer-focused and solutions-oriented HR function.
The University of South Wales is a major, modern civic university rooted in South Wales, with a proud commitment to student success, applied research, innovation, partnership working, regional impact and widening access. The Director will align people frameworks and workforce priorities with the University’s long-term educational, research and financial goals, helping to build a high-performing, inclusive and sustainable institution.
Key responsibilities
The postholder will:
We are looking for an accomplished HR leader with significant experience of leading HR functions in large, complex and diverse organisations. All of the following criteria are considered essential unless otherwise noted.
The University of South Wales is a major, modern civic university rooted in South Wales, with a proud commitment to student success, applied research, innovation, partnership working, regional impact and widening access. As the University responds to a challenging and changing higher education environment, we are seeking an exceptional Chief Operating Officer to help translate strategic ambition into effective delivery.
Based across the University of South Wales campuses, with travel across the University and externally as required, this role offers the opportunity to utilise your strategic leadership, organisational development, digital, estates and student services expertise at Executive level.
Reporting to the Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, the Chief Operating Officer is a key member of the University Executive, providing strategic leadership across people and organisational development, estates infrastructure, digital capability and student-facing services. The postholder will work collegiately with academic and professional services leaders to ensure that USW has an agile, efficient and sustainable operating model that enables delivery of the University strategy.
Job position Chief Operating Officer
Faculty/department Executive
Providing Services to USW
Salary Competitive
Contract duration (perm/fixed term) Permanent
Reports to (job title) Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive
Responsible for (job roles) Director of People and Organisational Development, Director of Student Life, Chief Information Officer and Director of Estates & Facilities.
Location University of South Wales campuses, with travel across the University and externally as required
Job purpose
Reporting to the Vice-Chancellor, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) is a key member of the University Executive, providing strategic leadership across the people and organisational development agenda, estates infrastructure, digital capability and student-facing services. Working collegiately with academic and professional services leaders, the postholder will ensure that USW has an agile and efficient operating model that ensures financial sustainability and enables delivery of the University strategy.
A key component of this role will be to ensure that the university develops a workforce which is fit for the future, and which is efficient, agile, motivated and engaged with the university’s core mission.
The COO will align workforce experience, student experience, digital transformation and estate development; drive organisational performance and innovation; shape an inclusive, high-performing culture; and enhance the experience of students and staff in a rapidly changing environment.
University of South Wales is a major, modern civic university rooted in South Wales, with a proud commitment to, student success, applied research, innovation, partnership working, regional impact and widening access. The University is pursuing omnichannel transformation in response to a challenging and changing higher education environment. The COO will help translate this ambition into effective delivery, building a sustainable integrated, and inclusive institution.
Key responsibilities
The postholder will:
To be able to undertake this role effectively, you will need the key attributes and skills outlined below. All of the following criteria is considered essential unless otherwise noted.
The University of South Wales is a major, modern civic university rooted in South Wales, with a proud commitment to student success, applied research, innovation, partnership working, regional impact and widening access. As the University responds to a challenging and changing higher education environment, we are seeking an exceptional Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education and Student Experience) to help shape an excellent, inclusive and future-focused educational offer for students across USW.
Based across USW campuses, with flexible working by agreement, this role offers the opportunity to provide University-wide strategic leadership for education, learning and teaching, curriculum, assessment, student outcomes and the end-to-end student experience.
Reporting to the Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education and Student Experience) will be a key member of the University Executive, working collegiately with academic and professional services leaders to drive educational performance, innovation and enhancement. The postholder will align curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, student engagement, academic practice and student support, helping to build a sustainable, inclusive and student-centred institution.
Job position Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education and Student Experience)
Faculty / Department Executive
Location USW campuses (multi-site) with flexible working by agreement
Salary Competitive
Hours of work Full time
Contract duration (perm/fixed term) Permanent
Reports to Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive
Responsible for Dean of Education, CELT
Job purpose
Reporting to the Vice-Chancellor, the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education and Student Experience) is a key member of the University Executive, providing strategic leadership across education, learning and teaching, curriculum development, student outcomes and the end-to-end student experience. Working collegiately with academic and professional services leaders, the postholder will ensure that USW has an excellent, inclusive and future-focused educational offer that enables delivery of the University strategy and supports students to succeed in their studies, future careers and wider lives.
A key component of this role will be to ensure that the University develops learning, teaching and student experience approaches which are fit for the future, evidence-informed, digitally enabled, inclusive and responsive to the needs of students, employers, communities and the wider tertiary education landscape.
The Pro Vice-Chancellor will align curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, student engagement, academic practice and student support; drive educational performance, innovation and enhancement; shape an inclusive, high-performing learning culture; and strengthen the experience and outcomes of students in a rapidly changing environment.
The University of South Wales is a major, modern civic university rooted in South Wales, with a proud commitment to student success, applied research, innovation, partnership working, regional impact and widening access. The University is pursuing transformation in response to a challenging and changing higher education environment. The Pro Vice-Chancellor will help translate this ambition into outstanding educational delivery, building a sustainable, inclusive and student-centred institution.
Key responsibilities
The postholder will:
To be able to undertake this role effectively, you will need the key attributes and skills outlined below; the followering criteria are considered essential unless otherwise noted.
Benefits
Pensions
The Pro Vice-Chancellor position will be a member of the Teachers Pension Scheme.
The Chief Operating Officer and Director of People and Organisational Development positions will be a member of Professional and Support Services Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of South Wales, which provides services to the University and Colleges. You can read more about pensions here.
Health and Safety
You must a) familiarise yourself with, and comply with, the organisation’s Health and Safety Policies and Procedures which are available on Connect (Intranet); and b) be fully conversant with your health and safety responsibilities outlined in the Faculty/Department Health and Safety Management Arrangements document and implement accordingly.
Safeguarding
USW is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All those working at the University are expected to share this commitment.
Diversity and Inclusion
We are committed to employing a diverse workforce and creating an inclusive environment, where colleagues can be themselves and every person is treated with dignity, fairness and respect. We actively encourage applications from diverse backgrounds and communities, especially with regards to age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, race and religion and/or belief. We benchmark our success through equality accreditations with Athena Swan, Race Equality Charter, Stonewall and Disability Confident.
Welsh speaking
If you are a Welsh learner or a Welsh speaker, we would be delighted to receive your application. At USW, you have access to Welsh courses to enable you to develop your Welsh skills further, in order to provide a bilingual service to our students, colleagues and the public. We welcome applications in Welsh and English. Applications in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than those made in English.
Anderson Quigley is acting as an advisor to the University, an executive search process is being carried out by Anderson Quigley in addition to the public advertisement.
The closing date for applications is noon 30 October 2026.
Applications should consist of:
Should you wish to discuss the roles in strict confidence, please contact
Disability Confident Committed: offer of an interview
The University of South Wales is committed to employing a diverse workforce and creating an inclusive environment where staff can be themselves and everyone is treated with dignity, fairness and respect. We welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds and communities, particularly in terms of age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, race and religion or belief. We guarantee that all disabled candidates who meet all the key criteria for the vacancy they are applying for are offered an interview.
www.southwales.ac.uk 