Chair of the Board of Governors, ROBERT GORDON University

RGU is one of Scotland's leading universities. As the 2026 Scottish Herald HE Institution of the Year, our work-integrated approach to learning sets us apart in a crowded sector. At RGU, that means a deliberate range of opportunities designed to build students' capabilities through real, work-focused activity: working with employers, professional bodies, community partners, in real world professional contexts, so that learning and practice come together rather than sitting side by side.

Students leave RGU ready for work because the university has built that readiness into everything it does, not bolted it on as an afterthought.

RGU is one of Scotland's leading universities. As the 2026 Scottish Herald HE Institution of the Year, our work-integrated approach to learning sets us apart in a crowded sector. At RGU, that means a deliberate range of opportunities designed to build students' capabilities through real, work-focused activity: working with employers, professional bodies, community partners, in real world professional contexts, so that learning and practice come together rather than sitting side by side.

Students leave RGU ready for work because the university has built that readiness into everything it does, not bolted it on as an afterthought. Higher education is not standing still. Funding, regulation, demographics and public expectation are all shifting, often at the same time. The universities that come through this period well will be the ones prepared to evolve. RGU intends to be one of them, and its next Chair will lead the Board through that work.

This is a governance role, not an operational one. The Chair leads the Board, the Vice-Chancellor and Principal leads the university. But the Chair sets the tone for the Board, sharpens its thinking, and ensures it asks the right questions of the executive at the right time. Done well, that combination of support and challenge is what keeps a university performing at its best.

We need someone with substantial senior leadership experience and proven experience chairing a board or sub-committee, ideally one operating in a complex, regulated or public facing environment. You will understand the financial complexities of a £100m plus organisation and the duality of public good and commercial mindset required of a university. You will understand the difference between governance and management, and you will know how to use that distinction to strengthen an institution rather than slow it down.

You do not need a background in higher education, though an understanding and affinity will help. What matters more is judgement: the ability to read a fast-changing external environment, ask hard questions without grandstanding, and build a genuinely close working relationship with the Vice-Chancellor and Principal built on trust rather than distance. RGU's culture is collaborative. We are looking for a Chair who leads in the same spirit: someone who talks about "we" rather than "I", and who wants to strengthen a board that already works well rather than remake it in their own image.

This is a chance to chair the board of a university with real momentum, at a moment when that momentum needs careful, confident stewardship. You will work closely with a strong Vice-Chancellor and Principal and executive team, a committed Board, and a university community that takes real pride in what RGU does.

• Lead the Board of Governors and chair its meetings, ensuring effective, well-informed decision-making.
• Build and maintain a strong, trust-based working relationship with theVice-Chancellor and Principal, providing support and constructive challenge in equal measure.
• Ensure the Board provides robust governance and oversight of strategy, risk and performance, including delivery of the university's 2030 strategic plan.
• Represent the university externally where required, and act as an ambassador for its work-integrated mission.
• Lead the Board's response to external pressures facing the sector, ensuring RGU is positioned to adapt rather than simply absorb shocks.
• Oversee the effectiveness, composition and succession of the Board, including the…