TRANSFORMATION PROGRAMME DIRECTOR
CANDIDATE INFORMATION PACK
Welcome StARS is a high-profile and ambitious institution-wide programme that will make a significant difference to the student experience and to the ways in which staff can support students. System change and optimisation are at the core, but it is not just a technology programme, it requires modernisation and cultural change to transform the ways in which we all work so that we are making best use of staff time and expertise, and simplifying processes to improve every student’s experience with us. As Director, you will be leading a growing, diverse and highly capable team with a wide range of skills and roles, and responsible for a critical programme of work that is crucial to securing the future success of the University of Birmingham. Strong and effective leadership, management and team working is critical. You will work as part of a wider collaborative team with colleagues from across the campus; in Academic Services, IT Services, Colleges and beyond. Each improvement in processes or systems that StARS delivers is an important step forward, but is not the end goal. The ultimate point of all StARS work is to improve the experience of students and staff, and to ensure that the University can deliver high quality, resilient services both now and for years to come. Your leadership and individual contribution will be a critical to this, and as Director you will be responsible for the wider shared success of the connected and collaborative team that exemplifies StARS. from the Academic Registrar
Dr Emma Robinson Academic Registrar
The University of Birmingham
The
University was established in 1900, and has a pioneering history including being the country’s first civic University, the first Medical
School and the first Faculty of Commerce. The University offered the first ever sport degree in 1946 and became the first University to open a secondary school in 2015. In 2018, we also opened a new campus in Dubai, the first Russell Group University to do so. Today, the University of Birmingham is ranked in the top 100 globally and in the top 20 of all domestic league tables. The quality of what we do at Birmingham is widely recognised. The University’s prolific research portfolio has produced 2 Prime Ministers and 11 Nobel Prize winners, including 3 in 2016 for Physics and Chemistry. The University’s School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences is ranked 6th in the world for its research.
The University of Birmingham is the largest of 5 Higher Education institutions in Birmingham with 23,000 undergraduates, 12,500 postgraduates and 8,000 staff. Our heritage as the original ‘redbrick’ is combined with one of the most compelling and ambitious agendas in Higher Education. Quite simply, at Birmingham we make things happen. The University is a founding member of the Russell Group (UK) and Universitas 21 (global) groups of research-intensive universities and its alumni population exceeds 300,000, spread far and wide across the globe. The University’s campus spans over 250 acres, nestled in leafy green Edgbaston, just three miles from Birmingham city centre. The University is home to the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, housing works by Van Gogh, Picasso and Monet; and the 100 metre high Joseph Chamberlain Clock Tower (affectionately known as ‘Old Joe’) a prominent landmark visible from many parts of the city. We have been integral to some of the greatest scientific discoveries of recent times, such as the Higgs Boson and Gravitational Waves, and are pioneering new approaches to tackling some of the biggest global challenges facing society; from antibiotic resistance and maternal health to conflict resolution and access to education.
Values and Behaviours
Working effectively with others, using guidance, support and advice as appropriate. Understanding the broader context and how your own work impacts the local team and University.
COLLABORATIVE
Continuously reflecting on individual and team practices, recommending and adopting creative approaches to make improvements. Actively seeking and participating in learning and development opportunities.
INNOVATIVE
Reliable and highly motivated. Providing consistently high levels of customer service.
EXCELLENT
Self-aware and empathetic to the impact of your behaviour on others and how others behaviour impacts you. An ability to embrace different perspectives.
INCLUSIVE
Flexible and adaptable in approach and taking responsibility for achieving individual and team goals. Seeking advice when needed, and possessing a willingness to take calculated risks when appropriate whilst learning from mistakes.
CONFIDENT
Student Administration Refresh and Simplification (StARS) About StARS StARS is a major change programme that will transform many aspects of student administration for the benefit of students and staff alike. It is an essential modernisation programme that is required to enable the University to function effectively now and into the future. In transforming our digital interface we will be taking major steps towards improving persistent challenges in the student experience. Leadership StARS is first and foremost a collaborative programme delivered by a diverse network of colleagues across campus, but at the heart is a core programme team within the Innovation & Development division of Academic Services. The Steering Group, Programme Board, and the Project Boards governing each project within the programme include representatives from across the University, including (but not limited to) Colleges, Registry, Student Services and IT Services. Each Board also has academic and student representation.
Key contacts UEB Sponsor and Chair of StARS Steering Group: Professor Kathleen Armour, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education) Programme Sponsor: Dr Emma Robinson, Academic Registrar Senior Programme Management Team • Transformation Programme Director • Deputy Transformation Programme Director • Business Change & Benefits Lead • Head of PMO • Programme IT Architect Professional Services divisions • IT Services: Chief Information Officer • Registry: Director of Registry and Academic Affairs • Student Services: Director of Student Affairs • Strategic Planning: Director of Planning and Performance Insight • External Relations: Deputy Director of External Relations • Colleges - Directors of Operations
• effectively manage and resolve any conflicts escalated by the programme team or senior stakeholders; • be responsible for stakeholder management and act as lead for effective engagement with the supplier and senior stakeholders within the University; • have direct/matrix line management for the Deputy Director, functional Project Managers, Change and Benefits Lead and the PMO Manager and overall responsibility for the performance and wellbeing of the staff within the programme. Main Duties The Transformation Programme Director, with support from the Deputy Transformation Programme Director, will take personal responsibility for the successful delivery of the StARS transformation Programme, ensuring that the required resources are available to deliver the programme, resolving any conflicts that may arise and ensuring an effective approach to communication and stakeholder engagement. This will involve: • inspiring confidence in and working closely with StARS programme team members, project sponsors, the wider-University community and other stakeholders as required; • understanding the operational and strategic needs of the University and working with the Deputy Transformation Programme Director to ensure these are translated into a programme plan; defining tasks, timelines, goals, deliverables and milestones across all phases of the programme, including procurement, sign off, implementation, training, release and post release. This will also require close working with the supplier and external consultants as required to fully understand the implementation challenges; • ensuring effective working with colleagues supporting other business change and/or IT change programmes within the University to ensure that dependencies/inter-dependencies are well understood and that respective project plans are aligned to minimise risk and cost; • where operational or strategic requirements cannot be currently met by the supplier’s product set, presenting these to the supplier in order to influence the supplier’s road map;
Job Description
Job Summary StARS is a major change programme that will transform many aspects of student administration for the benefit of staff and students alike. It represents a major step towards improving persistent challenges in the student experience. The Transformation Programme Director is responsible for leadership, development and delivery of the programme through effective collaboration and management, and driving a comprehensive programme plan. This will require close working with numerous stakeholders across the University, acting as lead contact with the supplier, Ellucian, and ensuring effective leadership and management of the diverse programme team to deliver the transformational change required. Reporting to the Academic Registrar and a member of both the Academic Registrar’s and the Chief Information Officer’s respective leadership teams, the StARS Transformation Programme Director will: • be accountable for the successful delivery of the transformation programme, including effective and ongoing communication, change management and benefits realisation;
Ensuring that:
• The programme plan reflects the complexity of the programme including data and Business Intelligence, process change, testing, communications, training, implementation and other project imperatives as they arise; • There is sufficient capacity to deliver each phase of the programme, and that it is within the constraints of the overall budget; • A comprehensive plan exists to ensure the programme delivers the benefits outlined in the business case; • The programme builds the necessary processes and capabilities to support and embed the desired business changes;
• An effective risk management strategy is employed;
• The programme quality management plan is actively monitored and tracked such that plans are achieved in full and in a timely fashion; • Leading, managing the performance and supporting the wellbeing of the programme team who support the detailed delivery of the programme and individual project plans; • Ensuring that the StARS communications strategy is fully reflected within each stage of the programme, and that the communications and engagement approach is embedded and appropriate to all stakeholders; • Writing high-level project and programme documentation, including non-technical briefings and assurance reports for key committees; • Establishing strong and effective supplier engagement with any third party organisations involved in the implementation of the programme and ensuring ongoing and effective high-level stakeholder engagement with senior academic and Professional Services stakeholders within the University.
• Applying a significant amount of independent professional judgement;
Person Specification
• Risk management and change management.
• Excellent communication and inter-personal skills including:
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, including the ability to produce high quality project documentation and well-developed presentation skills; • Establishing and managing collaborative stakeholder relationships and networks with academics, professional services staff and other partners demonstrating credibility and gravitas; • Interacting with all levels of staff including the ability to motivate and develop people and teams;
• Excellent influencing, negotiating and facilitating skills.
• Personal characteristics:
Educated to degree level (or equivalent) with appropriate programme and change management qualifications, as well as substantial previous management experience of successful transformation programmes at a senior level in a complex organisation, preferably at a Higher Education Institution (HEI).
• strong intellectual abilities and judgement;
• eye for detail and strong influencing personality;
• critical thinking and problem-solving;
• Detailed knowledge of and significant expertise in:
• negotiation and conflict management;
• Programme management that has successfully delivered similar transformational change programmes in a Higher Education or similarly complex environment; • Programme management that has involved significant collaboration both with internal IT stakeholders as well as with software vendors and across a diverse range of stakeholders in the implementation of transformation change programmes; • Managing and embedding both process and cultural change within a similarly complex/matrix organisation; • Effectively managing supplier relationships to ensure effective and on budget delivery;
• honesty and integrity;
• an ability to establish and maintain relationships with both internal and external stakeholders;
• inspiring and empathetic leadership skills;
• energy and resilience.
Further information & Application process
For
a confidential discussion to learn more about the role and opportunity please contact the University’s appointed recruitment partner, Sian Gardiner of The Management Recruitment Group.
Sian Gardiner T: 02039 629 900 M: 07972 579 938 E: sian.gardiner@mrgpeople.co.uk
Applications should consist of a comprehensive CV (of not more than 4 pages) and supporting cover letter (of not more than 2 pages) outlining key matching experience and rationale for applying for the post. (Applications should be sent to sian.gardiner@mrgpeople.co.uk)
You can view the university’s website here;
http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/
mrgpeople.co.uk
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