School Education Manager

Job id: 083565. Salary: £51,974 to £61,021 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance.

Posted: 31 January 2024. Closing date: 21 February 2024.

Business unit: Social Science & Public Policy. Department: Politics & Economics School Office.

Contact details:Virginia Preston. [email protected]

Location: Strand Campus. Category: Professional & Support Services.

The School of Politics & Economics (SPE) has an exciting opening for a School Education Manager. The role-holder oversees the delivery of education support services and programme administration for students and academic staff, and provides leadership and line management to the School Education team. 

The School Education Manager leads the delivery of high-quality customer service and support for SPE. They ensure the implementation and operationalisation of the faculty and college’s strategic education priorities and projects at academic department and school level. This will include playing a key role supporting development and implementation of the college’s Student Success Transformation Programme. They will support the design of policies and processes in liaison with the faculty education team, ensuring that service delivery issues are addressed and resources utilised effectively. They advise on and deliver the school’s strategic education objectives and projects. They work in collaboration with both academic and professional services staff to deliver world-class programme administration and support, ensuring that a student-centred approach continues to be embedded within SPE. 

Successful candidates will have a proactive approach to leadership with strong experience of line management, working across networks and creating high-performing motivated teams. They will have a good understanding of programme administration in higher education, a commitment to continuous improvement and excellent communication skills. 

Reporting to the Head of School Administration and the faculty’s Associate Director, Education, the role-holder will co-create the school’s strategic planning for education delivery, education policy and programme development. The role-holder will also be responsible for the quality assurance of new and ongoing programmes of study. 

The School of Politics & Economics includes the departments of Political Economy, European & International Studies, and King’s Russia Institute. The Education team are responsible for approximately 2,500 undergraduate and postgraduate students and are based in Bush House on the Strand campus. 

For more information about the school, please see our website: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/politics-economics  

SSPP embraces equality, diversity and inclusion. We attract students and staff from across the world, from many different backgrounds, with a variety of ethnicities, religions, and sexual and gender identities. We promote flexible working as a key enabler of inclusion. We particularly encourage and welcome applications from women, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates, and from candidates who are LGBTQ+ and/or have a disability. 

King’s provides an extensive and varied range of career-focused training and on-the-job learning. Find out more at https://www.kcl.ac.uk/hr/staffbenefits/  

This role is currently offered on a hybrid basis, and the role-holder will spend part of their working week on campus and part of the week working remotely.

• Lead and set the strategic direction for the school education team, including line management, having an overview of work across all parts of the team, fostering an inclusive team culture and high performance; 
• Oversee the delivery of education support services for all students and staff across each stage of the student lifecycle within SPE, including oversight of induction, timetabling, examinations, etc.; 
• Embed a culture of continuous improvement in the team and be a champion of change management activities; 
• Work in collaboration with academic and professional services staff to ensure that student engagement and a world-class student experience are at the heart of SPE’s work; 
• Contribute to a positive, inclusive and supportive work and study culture within the school for the benefit of all staff and students, embedding awareness of diversity and inclusion in all SPE’s work; 
• Support the Head of School, Head of School Administration and Heads of Departments in the preparation of strategic planning, reviews and policy development with regards to education and resource planning, as a member of the school senior management team; 
• Monitor education performance against targets and key performance indicators, producing reports as necessary, and advising the Head of School, Head of School Administration, and Associate Director, Education; 
• Maintain oversight of the school’s portfolio of taught and research programmes, ensuring that quality assurance processes are in place and providing expert guidance on regulatory compliance and academic regulations; 
• Work with department and school education leads and committees on the development and implementation of education strategy and support the development of programmes and programme reviews, providing expert advice and guidance and ensuring that new developments are appropriately resourced; 
• Work closely with faculty and university colleagues, representing the views and opinions of the school on matters regarding quality assurance, programme administration and student experience functions on working groups and committees, and contributing to the development of policies and processes; 
• Lead on the development of initiatives to enhance the quality of educational provision in the school, and oversee the implementation of university developments and policies; 
• Take on ad-hoc projects and deputise for the Head of School Administration as required. 

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

Essential criteria

1.      Educated to degree level or equivalent experience. 

2.      Substantial administrative experience and demonstrated excellence in an HE environment. 

3.      Proactive and authentic approach to leadership, strong experience of line management and managing high-performing teams, including motivating staff and performance management 

4.      Maintaining a positive, proactive culture of continual review and development. 

5.      Excellent interpersonal skills including influencing and negotiating with a range of stakeholders with the ability to form strong professional networks. 

6.      Experience of managing strategic projects, including developing innovative solutions and practical implementation of change. 

7.      Experience of translating and communicating complex regulations, processes and information in suitable formats for a variety of audiences. 

8.      Experience of improving the student experience. 

9.      Excellent task management and problem-solving skills and proven ability to use initiative, prioritise workloads and respond positively to competing demands and deadlines.  

10.   Awareness and understanding of HE policies and current issues in the sector, and experience of working within regulatory and statutory frameworks. 

11.   Evidence of continuous professional development and commitment to team development. 

12.   Strong commitment to equality and diversity in the workplace. 

Desirable criteria

13.  Experience of delivering programme adminsitration services and support for executive education, online and/or blended learning programmes.