Deputy Head of Student Affairs; Operations

Deputy Head of Student Affairs (Operations)

Department:
Guildhall School of Music & Drama
Office

Location:

Guildhall School of Music & Drama
Level of DBS required for this role:
Enhanced
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: £49,140 to £55,000 per annum (including Inner London Weighting)
Contractual

Hours:

35 hours
Basis:
Fixed-Term Maternity Cover (October 2026 to June 2027)
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 accomplished higher education professional to join Guildhall School of Music & Drama as Deputy Head of Student Services (Operations). This is a key leadership role within Student Services, responsible for ensuring that students receive accessible, timely and well-coordinated support throughout their time at Guildhall.

Reporting to the Head of Student Services, you will design, coordinate and continuously improve the end-to-end operational delivery of student-facing services. You will lead day-to-day operations across front-line enquiries, appointments, triage, referral and case coordination, ensuring prompt responses, clear ownership and appropriate escalation in line with service procedures and risk thresholds.

Working collaboratively across Student Services and with colleagues in Registry, Finance, Estates, academic departments and other professional services, you will strengthen communication and workflows for student support. You will also liaise with external partners, including GPs and community mental health professionals, where this is needed to coordinate effective care and support.

The role includes coordinating cross-team responses to priority and complex issues, including duty-of-care, safety and welfare concerns, hospital admissions, safeguarding matters and emergencies. You will oversee case and enquiry management systems, support accurate and timely record keeping, and use management information, service standards and key performance indicators to improve quality, enable early intervention and inform service planning. You will also lead operational improvement initiatives, including digital self-service, streamlined processes, online forms and workflow automation.

Planning for peak periods, staff cover, systems resilience and business continuity will be an important part of the role, alongside coordinating Student Services contributions to major student lifecycle events.

You will have demonstrable experience of leading operations in higher education student services, wellbeing, disability, registry or a comparable environment. You will bring experience of line management and service improvement, together with the ability to coordinate complex activity, manage competing priorities and maintain a consistently high standard of service.

You will have a strong understanding of the frameworks and responsibilities relevant to student services operations, including safeguarding, confidentiality, data protection, equality and disability, and relevant expectations of the Office for Students and the Office of the Independent Adjudicator. You will be confident identifying and escalating risk, handling sensitive information appropriately and working calmly and effectively where student needs are complex or urgent.

You will be able to use data and management information to monitor performance, establish meaningful KPIs and drive continuous enhancement. A meticulous approach, sound judgement and the ability to produce accurate reports, records and statistics are essential. You will also be a collaborative and adaptable colleague who builds effective relationships with students, staff and external…