Head of Student Services

Head of Student Services

Posting

Start Date:

17/08/2026

Posting End Date: 21/09/2026

Department:
Guildhall School of Music & Drama

Office

Location:

Guildhall School of Music and Drama

Level of DBS required for this role:
Enhanced barred list check children

Level of vetting required?:
No security vetting is required

Is this a politically restricted post?:
No

Does this post require a Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) check?:
No

Salary: £59,060 to £66,670 (including Inner London Weighting and Inner London Supplement) plus £10,000 Market Forces Supplement

Contractual

Hours:

Full-time, 35

Basis:
Permanent

Workplace category:
Hybrid

Attachments:
Job Information Pack

Guildhall School is a vibrant, international community of musicians, actors and production artists in the heart of the City of London. Ranked as number one in Arts, Drama & Music by the Complete University Guide 2025, and in the top four in the world for Music and Performing Arts by the QS World University Rankings 2025, we deliver world-class professional training in partnership with distinguished artists, companies and ensembles.

A global leader in creative and professional practice, we promote innovation, experiment and research, and are also one of the UK's leading providers of lifelong learning in the performing arts, offering inspiring training for children, young people, adult learners, and creative and business professionals.

We are seeking an exceptional higher education professional to join Guildhall School of Music & Drama as Head of Student Services.

This is a key senior leadership role within the Student & Academic Services Directorate, responsible for the strategic leadership, effective management and continuous improvement of the School's student services provision. You will shape responsive, inclusive and professionally robust support that enables students to thrive creatively, personally and academically throughout their Guildhall journey.

Reporting to the Director of Student & Academic Services and Registrar, the Head of Student Services will provide leadership and operational oversight of a broad portfolio of student-facing services spanning student welfare, disability support, counselling and mental health, student accommodation and hardship advice, safeguarding in a higher education context, sexual violence prevention and response, and related student support activity. You will lead the development of an ambitious, evidence-informed and student-centred service that enables students to flourish, while engaging with sector developments, identifying leading practice and representing the School in shaping the future of student support in higher education.

You will be an accomplished student services leader with a substantial record of success in student support, wellbeing, disability, safeguarding, student advice and welfare within a higher education professional services environment. You will have an established ability to combine strategic leadership with sound operational judgement in a specialist higher education context.

You will bring excellent knowledge of the UK higher education student services landscape, including student wellbeing, mental health, disability support, safeguarding, inclusion, equality duties, confidentiality, data protection and relevant regulatory expectations. You will have a credible and collaborative leadership style, with demonstrable success in improving student outcomes and experience through effective student services.

You will have experience of leading specialist teams, managing high-risk and complex cases, and delivering service transformation. You will also be confident advising senior colleagues on policy and service responses that align with sector change, emerging regulatory…