Grade Profile: SENIOR LEVEL

Jobs at this level are typically held by the most senior and highly qualified/experienced staff with significant leadership responsibilities and management contribution. Professional roles are leading, directing and managing a team of managers to develop and deliver strategic plans in their area. Staff may also be supporting a Director to deliver overall management and leadership in large departments. Academic roles reflect recognised leadership and management contribution, and substantial and sustained reputation at an international level;staff typically have a major influence on their discipline.

Contributions are made at departmental level, University-wide and externally: to decision making and planning processes as well as to longer-term direction, strategy and objectives. Staff also have significant responsibility for developing systems and procedures and determining policy and standards.

Typical Work Activities:

The following describes the type of work that is typically required of staff at this level. It is not expected that anyone carries out all the activities mentioned below and some carry out additional duties. However, staff are normally involved in some of the following:

  1. Specialist Activities
  • Innovate and develop the strategic direction of the relevant area of work to support the corporate mission. Includes monitoring and benchmarking the overall performance of the area, and identifying areas of improvement.
  • Contribute significantly to the running of the University through chairing/contributing to meetings and Committees.
  • Take overall management responsibility for the use of specialist equipment and IT systems for work area, based on advice of others and own experience.
  • Take overall management responsibility for the provision, development and delivery of a significant area of work. This includes overall responsibility for staff; including appointment and performance management, communication issues, motivation, development and promotion.
  • Take overall management responsibility for directing analysis and advising on presentation of results provided by others.
  • Contribute to the development of the University’s Corporate Plan by providing strategic direction, expert advice and information on relevant issues to the Vice-Chancellor, other senior management and senior University Committees.
  • Lead major projects and initiatives with significant resource and strategic impact.
  • Provide leadership in research in addition to regular activities, by: leading research activities and programmes; supervising and mentoring others; taking on specific initiating and coordinating roles for handling major processes, such as the RAE; and sustaining a research reputation at a national/ international level through published results, conferences, presentations, consultancy and advice.
  • Provide leadership in teaching in addition to regular activities, by: developing and teaching programmes and taking responsibility for their design and quality; supervising and mentoring others; taking on specific initiating and coordinating roles for handling major processes, such as admissions, examinations, or teaching quality assessment; and contributing to debate on teaching and learning policy.

2.Customer Service

  • Provide high level advice, including dealing with queries from the most senior staff/Committees.
  • Maintain a continuous review of quality, external benchmarks, and current and future customer needs and ensure services are shaped to meet them whilst making sure customer feedback and quality processes are in place.

3.Planning & Organising

  • Develop and lead the implementation of strategies and plans for the area of responsibility, which support and deliver the University strategy.
  • Ensure the organisation structure and staffing levels are appropriate to meet the department’s needs.
  • Lead major projects and initiatives which have significant resources and strategic impact.
  • Anticipate and initiate strategy in own area over a time span of 7-15 years with detailed plans formulated over a time span of 3-5 years. Also contribute to debate on University strategy and policy.

4.Finance/Resource Management

  • Carry out financial planning and ensure that services operate effectively within budget, whilst exploring ways of improving efficiency/effectiveness and promoting improvements in value for money. Take responsibility for business and income development, which may also involve leading major funding bids.
  • Advise on future physical resource requirements within the school/ department/division, eg equipment, apparatus, space, furniture and fittings, etc.
  • Take responsibility for the general maintenance and security of buildings, plant, machinery and equipment in the project or work area.

5.Internal and External Liaison

  • Work with senior colleagues from all areas of the University. Chair and participate in internal Committees and project groups, and oversee the development of effective working relationships with other departments.
  • Represent the University externally, developing professional relationships for the benefit of the University; eg in sector groups and negotiations, or participating in, or leading, high level regional, national and international associations, Committees and networks.

6.People Management

  • Take overall leadership and management responsibility for staff in a major functional area or service grouping, developing them and raising their performance. Includes line managing senior staff in the relevant area, developing, mentoring and providing direction. In research roles, manage teams of people and resources needed to deliver the research plan.

7.Knowledge, Skills and Experience

  • EITHER Professionally/degree qualified, plus c.10 years relevant managerial experience or in-depth experience in a specialist area, OR extensive vocational experience of 15 years or more, demonstrating professional development through involvement in a series of progressively more demanding, influential and broad jobs.
  • For academic roles, extensive and high level experience gained over many years, supported by a relevant PhD and teaching qualification and an established and widely recognised external reputation of excellence amongst peers. Includes extensive experience in planning and leading the design/delivery of research and/or teaching programmes, techniques, and an ability to develop sources of funding.
  • Breadth of vision and highly developed knowledge of the relevant principles, theory and practice gained from extensive experience in own field of work, along with an awareness of broader developments relevant to the University.
  • Authoritative knowledge of systems, services, regulations and procedures for own area and across other functions, how they relate to national and international developments and awareness of the likely effect of change in economic, social, governmental and technological environment. Also, experience of managing and controlling substantial budgets/resources/funding and an understanding of financial management procedures.
  • Highly effective interpersonal and communication (written and verbal) skills including: ability to negotiate, influence and persuade at all levels and experience of working with and influencing senior management; ability to network effectively; plus skills and experience in leading and motivating people. Also requires experience and ability to act as a role model, and skills in coaching and developing others in best practice techniques.
  • An aptitude for the use of IT, coupled with an understanding of its relevance to the specialist area.
  • Sufficient knowledge of relevant Health and Safety and security requirements to take overall responsibility within department/school.
  • Analytical and problem-solving capability plus experience of developing innovative solutions and practical implications for strategic change.
  • Ability to manage high-profile changes, including those with University-wide/strategic consequences.