Head of Strategy & Business Performance Candidate Information Pack
Introduction
We are the UK’s leading provider of on-campus residential and academic accommodation infrastructure. We have over 35,000 rooms in operation or under construction through long- term, bespoke partnerships with 15 leading UK universities. With approximately 1000 employees, since 1998 UPP has invested well over £3.5bn in the UK higher education sector and provided homes to over 400,000 students. Our unique, long-term partnership approach enables our university partners to develop their estates whilst reinvesting in their core services of teaching and research. We design, build, finance and operate (DBFO) new, on-campus residential and academic infrastructure, and complete estate transfers of existing accommodation, for concession periods ranging from 40 years to 125 years. By providing high-quality and affordable accommodation on campus we aim to deliver the very best student experience in partnership with universities.
We create an environment for students to live and learn, so that they can get the most out of their university experience.
1998
15
Company established
Long term partnerships with world-class universities
1000 Employees
35,000
Rooms
£3.5bn + 400,000
Students supported
Invested in the UK higher education sector
1 2 3 4 5 Our Priorities:
Our Purpose To collaborate with our university partners to reinvent the way that students live and learn at university by sustainably transforming the campus experience Our Vision To be the leading infrastructure and services partner to UK universities by delivering next-generation low carbon campuses Our Strategy To preserve and grow the value of our business through partnership, innovation and delivery Our Culture A commercially focused, high performing, customer and results orientated organisation that operates with energy, pace and passion
Preserve Preserving value by driving occupancy; actively managing our assets and investments, and elevating service delivery.
Grow Developing new business opportunities with existing and new university partners.
Partner Acting as a true, long-term partner working in collaboration with universities.
Innovate Innovating to co-create next generation sustainable campuses.
Deliver Focusing on operational excellence and strong service delivery.
Student Experience Great space and services with student experience built in. Our partnerships enhance the support and connection we have with the students who make their home with us. We currently manage the needs of more than 35,000 students every term and this means we never stop learning and we share our experience with our partners. We also know that every university is as unique as the thousands of students it serves and this ensures that we are never complacent, and never take a one size fits all view. Listening, responding, adapting Students can be demanding, and their needs constantly evolve. Independent qualitative and quantitative research helps us understand the evolving needs of students, and face to face focus groups and regular surveys with our residents enable us to check and adapt our approach quickly. As specialists, the quality of our teams and their in-depth understanding of the unique environment and the people for whom we provide services enables us to support universities, understand their aims and their strategy and together deliver tangible improvements to the student experience. Our design teams work to understand how students want to use space, and how they interact with each other, leading to seemingly small improvements to the specification of a bedroom, or major changes that impact on construction or technology. At UPP we aim to deliver great places to live, with student experience literally built in.
Transforming the Campus Experience At UPP we want to reinvent the way students live and learn at university by transforming the campus experience. Our new and clearly defined strategy for growth is based on our overarching mission to develop long-term partnerships, supporting universities in improving the quality of their physical infrastructure and services to students. In aligning the interests of both parties, our unique approach provides security in the delivery of revenues and, in turn, expected returns to investors. Our strategy seeks to protect and grow the value of our existing business, innovate our partnerships, and deliver the very best experiences to our student residents. Our strategy will: • Grow the number of partnerships we have with selected universities • Expand and innovate our next-generation product offer to universities • Enhance our experiential offer for our partners and their students • Empower our teams to deliver by building capability • Transform and optimise our Portfolio through strategic asset management • Drive a proactive and multi-channel approach to business origination • Develop an energetic performance culture with leadership at its heart • Embrace technology in our products and services and to improve our processes • Expand our complementary facilities management strategy
Our University Partners
11
1
6
1,711 rooms University of London
Nottingham Trent University
University of Exeter 4,133 rooms
4,413 rooms
Imperial College London
Leeds Beckett University
4,982 rooms University of Reading
12
2
7
1,364 rooms
479 rooms
13
1,750 rooms University of Hull
2,223 rooms University of Nottingham
1,764 rooms University of Plymouth
3
8
14
4
9
Lancaster University
1,310 rooms Loughborough University
Swansea University
4,374 rooms
2,432 rooms
15
5
10
1,840 rooms University of Kent
Oxford Brookes University
1,043 rooms University of York
771 rooms
UPP manages over 600 buildings on behalf of our University partners.
Sustainability
Today’s students are passionate about Net Zero, equality and social mobility, determined to fight hard for what they believe, from climate change to diversity to mental health and wellbeing. And like our university partners, we stand side by side with students in wanting a fair, inclusive, sustainable future for all.
SITE WASTE TO LANDFILL BY 2025 ZERO
UPP has long led the way in sustainability and responsibility.
15 % REDUCTION IN WATER CONSUMPTION INTENSITY BY 2025
Every day, we are driving new initiatives that make a difference in the communities within which we operate, from recycling white goods to fundraising for local community charities to helping students manage their personal carbon footprint more effectively. But we recognise there is more to do and that’s why our sustainability strategy sets out highly ambitious targets and commitments aligned to the UN Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs). At UPP, we know these SDGs have the power to change our world for the better, to ensure our impact on both the planet and people is a positive one. That’s why we have incorporated alignment with the UN SDGs into our Environmental, Social and Governance strategy.
NET ZERO
25 % WORKFORCE TRAINED AS MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AIDERS BY 2024
To find out more click here.
BY 2035
15 % REDUCTION IN ENERGY BY 2025
Head of Strategy & Business Performance
Employer:
UPP Group Holdings Limited
Business Unit:
CEO
Reports To:
Chief Executive Officer
Location: Job Title:
London Office
Head of Strategy & Business Performance
Job Purpose This is an important, high profile role operating at the heart of the business. It has four principal areas of focus: 1. Supporting the development of business strategy, defining the execution roadmap including measurable success criteria, and managing the annual strategic business planning process. 2. Actively engaging the business around the forward strategy and plan to ensure alignment across the organisation ensuring it is actively promoted internally and marketed/positioned externally. 3. Tracking and reporting of business performance at corporate level and by business unit through a formal Business Performance Review process twice a year. 4. Provide direct support to the Chief Executive Officer across a range of areas and projects to support delivery of the Strategic Business Plan and drive organisational performance improvement.
Roles and Responsibilities • Own and manage the annual strategic business planning process across a rolling three year time horizon. • Development of a strategic business plan, a set of strategic priorities/interventions and the execution roadmap with tangible outcomes and measures. • Management and delivery of the formal business performance review process. • Assess, analyse, and report on the performance of the company against the strategic plan. • Ensure company strategy is reflected in the KPI process with a particular focus on Executive and Senior Leadership Team members. • Support development of the company’s annual budget and three year financial plan to align with our strategic business plan. • Drive organisation wide engagement around the business strategy, co creating launch, engagement, refresh, and ongoing communication materials to deploy across multiple channels internally and externally.
• Support the Chief Executive Officer on a range of projects, spanning people programmes, financial planning, and strategic delivery programmes. • Provide analytical support across a number of business units, including finance and people, drawing out meaningful and actionable insights that can be shared with the Chief Executive Office and wider Executive Team. • Collaborate closely with the Executive team to ensure key business information is provided in a timely manner to the Chief Executive Officer • Liaise with the Director of Governance, Risk and Compliance to ensure good governance in relation to Board and Executive Leadership Committees, including paper production. • Support in the production of key materials utilising effective channels to optimise alignment and engagement.
Person Specification
• Ability to work effectively with Board and Executive team members, challenging and supporting as appropriate. • Strong organisational and planning ability. • Highly developed inter-personal skills. • Planning and analytical capability with rapid assimilation of information. • Capacity to exercise care and diligence in dealing with sensitive information and act with total discretion. • Negotiation and influencing skills. • Able to provide and receive complex, contentious information and communicate effectively, as appropriate. • Ability to identify and solve problems autonomously
Experience
Education/ Qualifications
Personal Qualities
Essential Criteria • Strategic business planning experience • Effective business performance reporting • Business management support at a senior level, working effectively with senior teams • Track record of effective strategic engagement across internal and external comms channels, developing powerful strategic messaging and marketing
Essential Criteria • Educated to degree level with relevant business experience. • Project/programme management qualification and/or equivalent professional experience.
Essential Criteria • Personable and able to build constructive relationships. • A strong desire to succeed. • Politically savvy, both internally and externally.
Desirable Criteria • Masters/management qualification
Other Requirements
• Flexible, as travel may be required from time to time, requiring overnight stays
Skills/ Knowledge/ Ability
Essential Criteria • Ability to develop strategic reports/ presentations and undertake research and analysis. • Highly articulate with strong communication skills • Proven ability to operate proactively and meet tight deadlines, rigorously prioritising workload.
The benefits of working at UPP
This is an exciting time to join a commercially focused, high performing, customer and results oriented organisation that operates with energy, pace and passion. We strive to develop a highly-engaged, skilled and collaborative organisation that is diverse and has an embedded culture that promotes equality of opportunity. We offer the opportunity for flexible working and an inclusive environment for our people. We have an ongoing commitment to making UPP a great place to work for our teams, and as a reflection of this, the Company has been awarded Gold accreditation by Investors in People (IiP). This internationally recognised accreditation is the sign of a great employer and a great place to work with a clear commitment to sustained success through people.
In addition to a competitive basic salary level and industry leading annual bonus potential UPP offer a diverse range of employee benefits, including:
Salary exchange pension – matched contributions of 5%
Private Medical Insurance – single cover with the option to add dependants
Private Health Insurance (Group Income Protection)
Life Assurance x4 salary
29 days annual leave, plus 8 days bank holiday
Holiday purchase option – up to 5 days (FTE)
Bonus Exchange
UPP Payroll Giving (Give as You Earn)
UPP Rewards (discount portal)
Employee Assistance Programme
Further information and application process
For a confidential discussion to learn more about the role and opportunity please contact the UPP’s appointed recruitment partners James Gregory and Ben Duffill of The Management Recruitment Group.
James Gregory 07966 827 391 james.gregory@mrgglobal.com
Ben Duffill 07976125010 ben.duffill@mrgglobal.com
Applications should consist of a CV and supporting cover letter and be sent to james.gregory@mrgglobal.com and ben.duffill@mrgglobal.com
All candidates are also requested to complete an Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form which will be available upon submission of your application. Privacy Notice: Please note that by submitting your details, you are accepting that MRG and UPP is a “data controller”. This means that we are responsible for deciding how we hold and use personal information about you. You will receive an ‘Applicant Privacy Notice’ if your application is progressed. This notice will make you aware of how and why your personal data will be used, namely for the purposes of recruitment, and how long it will usually be retained for.
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