19005BR
Strategic Planning
Managerial, Professional and Specialist Staff – MPSS
Advert
This post is currently open to employees of Cardiff University only. Please do not apply if you do not have a current contract of employment with the University.
Internal Applicants Only - Rankings Improvement Manager (Fixed Term Internal Secondment)
The Strategic Planning team’s role within the University to better inform and facilitate the development of strategies, plans and targets in an ever-challenging sector environment. This role is an exciting opportunity to support a major project to develop Cardiff’s external reputation, with a particular focus on performance in global rankings.
The Rankings Improvement Manager will work across the whole university to develop, implement and coordinate activities as part of a strategic work programme, led by the Pro Vice-Chancellor International, covering workstreams related to international reputation, communications and marketing, citations and research reputation, employment and alumni and sustainability. The role-holder will functionally sit with the Strategic Planning department but will have a cross-university remit working with both academic and professional services to deliver the project’s goals. There is also an opportunity to engage externally and manage relationships with rankings providers. Given the high-profile nature of the project, the role will report directly to the Director of Strategic Planning.
This three-year fixed-term internal secondment opportunity (to August 2027) would suit an individual with strong communication and relationship management skills, as well as an interest in utilising data and insight to develop strategic plans for the institution. To be successful, the role holder will need to demonstrate the ability to manage complex work programmes or projects and develop, implement and oversee planned activities.
For an informal discussion about this role, please contact Melanie Rimmer, Director of Strategic Planning, rimmerm@cardiff.ac.uk .
This post is full time and fixed term for three years, with the opportunity for flexible and blended working.
Salary: £49,794 – 54,395 per annum (Grade 7).
Closing Date: Wednesday, 11 September 2024
External applications are currently not being considered for this post. If the decision is made to open the post to external candidates, the strapline at the top will be removed and you will be given ample time to apply – please check back periodically for details.
Please be aware that Cardiff University reserves the right to close this vacancy early should sufficient applications be received.
Cardiff University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds. We therefore welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of sex, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, trans identity, relationship status, religion or belief, caring responsibilities, or age. In supporting our employees to achieve a balance between their work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share arrangements.
Applications may be submitted in Welsh, and an application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application submitted in English.
Job Description
This role will support a major project to develop Cardiff University’s external reputation, with a particular focus on performance in global rankings. The Rankings Improvement Manager will work across the whole university to develop, implement and coordinate activities as part of a strategic work programme, led by the PVC International. The role-holder will coordinate workstreams on international reputation and communications, citations and research reputation, employment and alumni and sustainability, playing a leading role in the planning of work, guiding colleagues and monitoring progress. The post-holder will also be responsible for managing external relationships with rankings providers and overseeing the university’s submissions to rankings and ensuring that these optimise the outcomes for Cardiff.
The role-holder will become the University’s subject expert on external rankings, advising colleagues in the methodologies and ways of impacting outcomes and on the priority actions to maximise our position.
This post is a three-year fixed term internal secondment opportunity, functionally sitting within the Strategic Planning department but with a broad cross-university remit including academic and professional services departments. As such, the post-holder will require excellent interpersonal and project management skills along with the ability to lead and coordinate multiple overlapping workstreams and develop, implement and oversee planned activities. This role will work particularly closely with the Data and Insight team in Strategic Planning, the Communications, Marketing and Student Recruitment department and with Colleges and Schools as they develop their individual Rankings Improvement Plans.
For an informal discussion about this role, please contact Melanie Rimmer, Director of Strategic Planning and Insight (rimmerm@cardiff.ac.uk).
Person Specification
Essential Criteria
Qualifications And Education
- Postgraduate/Professional qualification/NVQ 5 or equivalent experience
Knowledge, Skills And Experience
- Experience of managing complex projects or programmes of work with multiple stakeholders within agreed timescales
- Experience in developing strategies and plans across multiple departments
- Proven experience in understanding and communicating complex problems and developing solutions in partnership with stakeholders
Customer Service, Communication and Team Working
- Evidence of ability to advise senior management on issues with a strategic impact
- Excellent interpersonal, influencing and negotiation skills
- Proven ability to develop strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders and partners
Planning, Analysis and Problem solving
- Evidence of ability to research and solve expansive problems using initiative and creativity; identify and propose both practical and innovative solutions
- Ability to plan and execute work to firm deadlines
- Strong ability to prioritise and project manage self and others.
Desirable Criteria
- Knowledge or experience of league table rankings and the activities within universities that contribute to them
- Ability to analyse, interpret and present data
- Project management or change management qualification or equivalent experience
Additional Information
Key Duties
- Develop, lead and implement the necessary activities and plans that underpin the improvement of Cardiff University’s performance in external rankings, with particular focus on key international rankings including QS, Times Higher World and Times Higher Impact Rankings.
- Coordinate the work of the Rankings Oversight Group, ensuring the group has the information it needs to direct and prioritise work, developing and managing workstreams within relevant areas, providing regular progress reports against plans, escalating issues and providing guidance to the Group to resolve these.
- Become a subject-matter expert for the institution on external rankings, holding in-depth knowledge of methodologies, and use this to provide insight and recommendations to colleagues from Executive level down, in central services and in Colleges and Schools, on how Cardiff may optimise its performance.
- Develop reports and presentations to educate and inform colleagues about the importance of rankings and their performance and presenting these to a range of audiences across the university.
- Work with Strategic Planning colleagues to ensure that the university has the analysis needed to understand reasons for performance and opportunities for improvement, and that the insights from that analysis are available to colleagues in clear and accessible ways.
- Work with Colleges and Schools to develop individual Rankings Improvement Plans, providing advice and guidance on areas of focus and activities that will make a difference, ensuring that Schools have the information and support they need to deliver their plans, and putting in place appropriate monitoring and reporting against those plans
- Work with colleagues in central services to ensure relevant teams understand the roles they can play in impacting Cardiff’s performance in rankings
- Work with colleagues in Communications, Marketing and Recruitment and in Research and Innovation Services to develop appropriate action plans in support of the Rankings Improvement Project in these key areas, ensuring these speak to the opportunities identified in the different rankings.
- Lead and oversee the university’s submissions to rankings organisations, specifying and ensuring the necessary input from others within agreed deadlines.
- Lead on relationships with external consultants and stakeholders, ensuring that the university derives maximum benefit from external expertise.
- Assess the university’s ability to participate in new rankings and/or prepare the university for methodological changes to ensure high quality submissions.
General Duties
- Ensure that an understanding of the importance of confidentiality is applied when undertaking all duties
- Abide by University policies on Health and Safety and Equality and Diversity
- Perform other duties occasionally which are not included above, but which will be consistent with the role
Additional Information
This will be an internal secondment.
Salary Range Min.
49,794
Salary Range Max.
54,395
Job Category
Business / Strategic Management
Grade
Grade 7