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As the lead for the development of the business case, you will take the programme from broad concept to final decision, with the prospect of continuing to work on the business plan and delivery of the project. You will lead the appraisal process for the best possible options for the major elements of the programme through negotiation with potential partners and contractors in addition to securing agreement from key stakeholders inside • Provide professional expertise and advice to the Vice Chancellor, the Chief Financial Officer, and the University’s Finance Committee and governing Council and Senate. • Lead the overall production of the business case: the strategic case, financial case, and deliverability and risk management assessments, including option appraisals for delivery and funding. • Lead the business plan coordination workstream and coordinate the contributions of multiple other workstreams, ensuring their development together, managing their progress and working to an agreed timescale. • Support developing options and scenarios for the key elements of the Masterplan. • Develop options for commercial partnerships and joint venture opportunities. and outside the organisation. Main Responsibilities • Work closely with the Vice Chancellor, the Chief Financial Officer, workstream leads and
supporting staff and consultants internally and externally to develop and implement a masterplan business case, reporting on project progress against development appraisal objectives. • Have consideration for the overall financial viability of the project, in terms of capital cost, revenue streams and borrowing requirements. • Preparation of forecasts and progress reports and identifying opportunities for value engineering and cost saving. • Formulate and finalise Development Briefs for the masterplan projects. • Prepare and maintain a development programme. • Liaison with the local planning authorities and statutory consultees, manage planning applications and planning and contractual approvals in accordance with project timelines. • Create an integrated major projects pipeline and improvement of our major projects practice and processes. • Appoint, lead and coordinate the professional team, and manage the design development process through regular team meetings and design workshops. • Monitor the quality and cost effectiveness of services provided by the teams to ensure high standards and value for money and compliance with OU’s procurement policies.
About the Role The Open University (OU) is at a pivotal stage in its history. The university, the largest in the UK, has embarked on a project to determine the best future working environment for its headquarter operations in Milton Keynes. This includes the possibility of diversifying its famous online courses to provision that includes in-person courses taught at a new sustainable and smart campus in the heart of Milton Keynes city centre. If the city centre option is shown to be the best option for the university, it will relocate from its existing 110-acre campus in the suburbs of Milton Keynes. Options for the use of this site are part of the project. The Chief Operating Officer (COO) will be leading the preparation of the business case over several months, taking it through its gateways, with the prospect, if the case is approved, of playing a lead role in the delivery of the largest change programme in the OU's history and one of the biggest in the higher education sector. The OU's governing Council has initiated work on the strategic and financial case to relocate the existing campus to a new site adjacent to the central railway station, in the process transforming the type of space provided to accommodate new ways of working and the opportunities presented by this city centre location. The ambition is to create a vibrant educational and research hub that fosters innovation, collaboration and academic excellence. In conjunction with the proposal for the campus relocation, the OU is also developing plans to investigate in depth a 'sister university' proposition, designed to provide students with in-person courses. This will build on the university’s innovation
in course design, production and presentation to provide a flexible hybrid offer, of particular appeal to young students and to international students. It would include a range of extra-curricular provisions, as well as capitalise on new developments planned for the city centre, creating a regenerated business district and revitalised evening economy. There is exciting potential to work imaginatively on how the overall campus and city centre work together to create an outstanding experience for students, staff and the public. Serving over 200,000 students across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, the OU is committed to adapting continually to future needs and equipping students with the knowledge and skills for success. Engaging internal and external stakeholders, including the city council and local businesses and communities, will be a crucial aspect of the work in shaping the campus. Collaborating closely with the Milton Keynes Development Partnership (MKDP), who are the landowners, the COO will spearhead the creation of a smart, accessible, and energy-efficient campus, featuring state-of-the-art science laboratories, interactive working and learning spaces, studios, a library and a student centre, providing an unparalleled working and study environment. Reporting directly to the Vice-Chancellor and working closely alongside the Chief Financial Officer and colleagues across the university, the COO will lead the planning and coordination of the business case, including ensuring that the work is properly resourced and does not impact on the university’s continuing operations across the UK.
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