Head of Management Information Systems

Head of Management Information Systems
60,927 - 64,754
1.0 FTE / 35 Hours
Based at Falkirk Campus, with travel between campuses as required
Permanent

Make a difference through data

Forth Valley College is seeking an experienced and forward-thinking Head of Management Information Systems to lead our management information function and ensure that student, curriculum and funding data are accurate, secure, timely and used effectively.

This is an operational leadership role with responsibility for statutory returns, funding assurance, data quality, student information systems, business intelligence and the continuous improvement of MIS services. You will help the College meet its statutory and regulatory obligations, strengthen data-led decision-making and improve outcomes for learners.

You will work across the College with the Leadership Management Team, curriculum and quality teams, Student Services, Finance, IT, information governance colleagues and auditors. Externally, you will build effective relationships with the Scottish Funding Council, awarding bodies, sector agencies, system suppliers and other partners.

You will provide operational leadership for MIS and act as the College's lead professional adviser on student, curriculum, funding and performance information. You will also act as business owner for the core student management information system and associated reporting platforms.

• Leading the MIS operating plan and continuous improvement programme, aligned with the College's strategic, curriculum and digital transformation priorities.
• Planning, validating, reconciling, certifying and submitting statutory and regulatory returns, including Further Education Statistics and related funding and student-activity returns.
• Ensuring funded activity and credit data are complete, accurate, evidenced and compliant with current Scottish Funding Council guidance, with robust controls and audit trails.
• Coordinating MIS input to internal and external audit, responding to findings and overseeing completion of agreed actions.
• Maintaining an annual compliance calendar and risk register for returns, dependencies, system resilience and key-person risks.
• Establishing effective data-governance and quality controls across the learner journey, from curriculum planning and application through enrolment, attendance, achievement, certification and destination reporting.
• Ensuring MIS processes support compliance with UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018, Freedom of Information requirements, records management and College information-security policies.
• Leading the functional roadmap, implementation and continuous improvement of the student records system and reporting platforms, including integration, workflow automation, self-service reporting and user experience.
• Ensuring system changes are appropriately specified, tested, documented, communicated and implemented.
• Leading the development of reliable dashboards, management reports and analytical products for the Executive, curriculum teams and service areas.
• Providing clear analysis of recruitment, enrolment, attendance, retention, achievement, credit delivery, learner characteristics and other agreed performance indicators.
• Overseeing MIS support for curriculum set‑up, admissions, enrolment, timetabling, attendance, assessment and results processes.
• Ensuring accurate and timely data transfers to awarding bodies, the Student Awards Agency Scotland, Skills Development Scotland and other authorised stakeholders.
• Leading, developing and motivating the MIS team, planning capacity around critical deadlines and maintaining effective resilience and succession arrangements.
• Managing delegated budgets, contracts and supplier relationships, demonstrating value for money and compliance with College procedures.
• The post reports to the Director of Operations and has line‑management responsibility for the Data Manager and Student Administration Manager.

You will be an accomplished MIS and data leader with substantial experience of statutory returns, data quality, management reporting and records or information systems in a complex organisation.

• A degree or equivalent relevant professional experience, together with evidence of continuing professional development.
• Substantial experience of leading MIS, data records, statutory returns, data quality and management reporting in a complex organisation.
• Evidence of managing high-risk returns, audit trails,…