Executive Director Candidate Information Pack
Executive Summary
Since 2017, I’ve been privileged to work with talented senior leaders from higher education commercial and campus services on a mission to create excellent student and campus experiences. Our journey has taken us through conventional business challenges - incorporation, strategic review, the development of new offers and affiliation to a larger organization – and a global crisis. Yet the pandemic brought the value of professional networks to the fore, and set us on our current path. Together with our passionate staff, we took the best from it – the digital connectivity and business agility - and emerged as a more pro- active, responsive membership organization, proudly serving a growing number of leaders and teams responsible for the strategic development and delivery of student accommodation, residence life, catering, hospitality, retail, conferencing, summer schools, sport, print, post and a host of other campus services, at institutions across the UK, Ireland and most recently, South Africa. A student’s academic experience is shaped by their wider lived experience. In a constantly changing and challenging social, economic and political environment, I know that CUBO will continue to play a pivotal role in ensuring that this experience is a positive one, and that campuses provide innovative, value-for- money, best-practice services for the wider university and local community. This role is an opportunity to lead and support a community of dedicated professionals who, uniquely in the sector, blend business acumen and customer service skills with public service values, and whose work is not always as visible as it should be. It’s also an opportunity to change that!
Jan Capper Executive Director
CUBO (College and University Business Officers) is the association for commercial and campus services professionals in higher and further education, whose responsibilities include the strategic development, management and operation of an institution's commercial business, whether run in-house or outsourced. This includes student accommodation; catering, hospitality and retail operations; conferencing and events, including business and leisure tourism. It can include hotels, tourist attractions and arts venues, and many CUBO members have responsibility for services such as sport, security, print, transport, parking, cleaning, childcare, customer services and other soft facilities management. The CUBO membership is made up of commercial directors and teams working at the majority of UK universities and a number of international institutions. CUBO has links to other HE associations and organisations in the UK and relevant organisations in the United States, Canada, Asia Pacific and Europe. About CUBO
Our Mission
To lead and promote excellence in the development of campus life, services and the student experience.
Our Aims
To connect members and support their professional development through events, training, research and the sharing of best practice. To support members to use their management skills and business acumen to deliver effective and sustainable services and commercial activities that enhance universities.
To be the leading advocate for the delivery of high quality and innovative campus life activity.
To work with organisations and businesses to deliver excellent, value for money services that support wider university missions.
To be a diverse and inclusive organisation.
Activities
Corporate structure CUBO is a special interest organisation of the umbrella company Professional HE Services (PHES) Ltd. CUBO has five dedicated staff who are supported by PHES central staff in the areas of HR, IT, finance, membership Management The CUBO Executive Committee, comprised of expert senior professionals from HE commercial and campus services and the business world, set the strategic direction of the association and advise and support the CUBO team. Each Executive member also leads a specific work area or portfolio: sector profile, finance, learning & development, housing codes & standards, conferences, sustainability, engagement, research, EDI and partnerships. The Chair, Chair-Elect and Executive Director form the senior management team and meet fortnightly. The CUBO staff team comprises: • Executive Director FT • National Code and Projects Manager PT • Events and Engagement Manager FT • Communications Officer FT • Support Officer PT • Support Officer PT administration and governance. PHES incorporates a further six HE special interest organisations, representing university professionals working in estates, finance, HR, strategic planning, auditing and legal services respectively.
CUBO connects, supports and develops its members through a range of activities aligned to its strategy, including conferences, training, mentoring, interest groups, webinars, discussion forums and research.
CUBO maintains a network of sponsoring corporate partners,
whose services support the delivery of university commercial services, from conference and accommodation booking software to furniture, laundry services, smart lockers, catering and marketing consultancy. The Code In 2022, CUBO was appointed permanent administrator of the UUK/GuildHE Accommodation Code of Practice (Code) for university owned and managed student residences. One of three codes of practice for the higher education sector, the Code has over 140 institutional members and is the code of choice for most universities. Under the direction of the Code’s Governing Board and Compliance, Advisory and Scrutiny Board, CUBO is responsible for managing Code membership, compliance, finance, events and communications, as well as supporting the development and implementation of its strategy.
Principal Accountabilities
Job Description
Leadership • Undertake a leading role in defining the vision, strategic plan, constitution and operational output for the organisation • Regularly review the existing membership profile, expectations and service provision, identifying opportunities for change, innovation and development • Support national and international policy-setting and lobbying and define how policy changes should be applied at member level • Draft policies for the approval of the Board; review existing policies on an annual basis and recommend changes to the Board as appropriate • Identify, assess and inform the Executive Board about internal and external issues that affect CUBO • Foster effective team work and communication between the Board, members, staff, affiliate organisations, corporate partners and other related bodies • Conduct official correspondence on behalf of the Board or jointly with the Board, as appropriate • Ensure all activity is compliant with legislation and financial integrity • Own and apply MOUs with strategic partners • Oversee conference organisation • Oversee operational output and delivery, driving continuous improvement Financial Accountability • Ensure all recruitment, commercial and sponsorship opportunities are explored and maximised, to maximize revenue potential • Ensure all decisions support effective financial planning and are compliant with accounting procedures, audit compliance, tax and other relevant legislation • Administer CUBO funds according to the approved budget and monitor monthly P&L, approving expenditure within the authority delegated by the Board • Provide the Board with comprehensive, regular reports on revenue and expenditure • Oversee subscription payments • Oversee special project and events planning, ensuring these are effectively managed and delivered to time and budget • Ensure CUBO carries appropriate and adequate business insurance
Job title – Executive Director Location – Remote Contract type – Full time, permanent
Job Purpose The Executive Director is responsible for the successful leadership and management of the organisation according to the strategic direction set by the Executive Board. They are accountable for policy and service development, partnerships, financial accountability, member engagement, communication and advising at national and international level.
CUBO Profile, Community Relations & Advocacy • Attend community, national and international events to raise the profile of CUBO and improve affiliation with relevant bodies • Establish good relationships and collaboration with other
Operational Planning & Delivery • Develop an operational plan with clear KPIs, that enables the Board and team to deliver the broader strategy • Oversee day-to-day operation to ensure output is consistent, relevant, collaborative, time- and cost-effective • Manage the planning, implementation and evaluation of the organisation's programmes and services, driving improvement in quality and output • Evaluate and report on member engagement with the programmes and services offered • Agree and present meeting agendas ahead of board meetings • Agree an annual schedule of relevant events (internal and external) and agree attendance • Ensure that all data storage
Human Resources Planning and Management • Determine staffing requirements for organisational management and programme delivery and source appropriate skill base to deliver
Succession Planning • Identify appropriate executive members to ensure Board legacy and succession • Identify potential future board members and work to evolve this talent pool • Evaluate the effectiveness of all roles in the organisation to promote and encourage the executive succession- planning process
• Manage recruitment,
sector bodies, corporate and strategic partners and other stakeholders, to help achieve the goals of CUBO
appointment, induction and development of staff to improve skill base and support the organisation's mission and aims • Ensure staff awareness of company HR policies, procedures and practices • Ensure full compliance with all relevant HR and employment legislation • Ensure all staff have clear job descriptions, personal objectives and periodic performance reviews • Coach and mentor staff as appropriate to improve performance • Regularly review skills and profile of Board members against the Board skills matrix • Provide a process for
• Act as an ambassador for CUBO and develop
Relationships Internal: • Chair • Chair-Elect • Board • Members • CUBO staff • PHES staff
professional networks to support delivery of the organisation’s strategy
• Communicate key
organisational outputs and activity with stakeholders to keep them informed • Identify and respond to changes in the community served by the organisation • Define a clear mechanism to measure member satisfaction and clear processes to evolve products and services to meet changing community needs • Evaluate the organisation’s risks, implement measures to control these risks and develop contingency plans • Drive information sharing and support innovation within HE and the broader business community • Act as a media spokesperson in response to media interest
External: • Universities UK • Code Governance Board • Code Compliance, Advisory and Scrutiny Board • Affiliate national and international organisations such as ASRA, TUCO, AUDE, BACHE, USHA, AMOSSHE, AVS, AUCSO, ACUHO-I, APSAA, Class Foundation • Government and Local Authority Corporate partners • Conference speakers and training partners • Suppliers • Affiliate business sector organisations such as UK Hospitality
is compliant with data protection legislation
regularly reviewing and stretching the Board’s effectiveness
Person Specification Knowledge & Skills:
Personal Competencies:
Essential: • Sound track record of delivering stakeholder / customer excellence • Excellent communication and presentation skills • Good knowledge & understanding of the higher education sector • Experience of working with and influencing senior management • Comprehensive experience of managing and controlling budgets • Experience of managing
Essential: • Demonstrate flexibility and tolerance in a
changeable and developing environment
• Determine strategies to move the organisation forward, set goals, create and implement actions plans and evaluate the process and results • Assesses options and actions based on trends
and conditions in the environment, and the vision and values of the
and delivering complex simultaneous projects
organisation and use to determine strategic direction • Define and interpret national and international policy and facilitate implementation at local level • Provide clear direction and inspirational leadership
• Experience of team leadership and staff development • Experience of reporting at Board level • Experience of developing sponsor relationships Desirable/Helpful: • Experience of leadership & management of a non- profit organisation • Experience of higher education professional
services or related area e.g. student accommodation, conferencing, retail
• Knowledge of current challenges and opportunities relating to the mission of the organisation • Proficiency in relevant software packages,
including MS365, CRM, CMS and social media
How to Apply For a confidential discussion and to learn more about the role and opportunity, please contact our appointed recruitment partner James Gregory of The Management Recruitment Group.
James Gregory james.gregory@mrgglobal.com
Anna Kacprzak anna.kacprzak@mrgglobal.com
Applications should consist of a comprehensive CV and supporting cover letter.
Applications should be sent to james.gregory@mrgglobal.com
Closing Date for Applications is Sunday, 30th June 2024.
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