Global Insights Director

Position

Director of Global Insights

Permanent

Remote with some travel to London office

Global University Systems (GUS) is an international network of higher‑education institutions brought together by a shared passion for accessible, industry‑relevant qualifications. Our institutional culture was built upon our history and values. Our shared values – student focus, communication, collaboration, respect, competence, entrepreneurship, and integrity – are more than aspiration. We display and expect these beliefs and behaviours from our colleagues equally.

The Director of Global Insights provides strategic leadership on global data, intelligence, and analysis to inform decision‑making across the GUS group. The role leads the development of a shared insights capability that supports international strategy, student recruitment, partnerships, research collaboration, policy positioning, and long‑term planning across diverse institutional contexts. Working closely with senior leaders at both group and institutional levels, the Director translates complex global trends into actionable insights that enhance competitiveness, resilience, and impact across the network.

• Strategic and Functional Leadership
  • Develop and lead a group‑wide Global Insights strategy aligned with collective and institutional priorities.
  • Act as a trusted advisor to executive leaders, providing evidence‑based insights on global higher education trends, geopolitics, mobility, demographics, regulation, and emerging markets.
  • Drive long‑term scenario planning and strategic risk analysis to support sustainable international growth and diversification.
• Data, Analytics, and Intelligence
  • Oversee the collection, analysis, and interpretation of global data.
  • Integrate institutional data with external market intelligence to produce coherent, comparable insights across the group.
  • Lead the development of dashboards, reports, and forecasting tools that support both group‑level and institutional decision‑making.
  • Lead financial analysis / insight and benchmarking on the Group’s expense base, helping to identify efficiency opportunities and challenging the central functions / institutions.
• Stakeholder Engagement
  • Build relationships with global stakeholders and establish ways of working which facilitate access to source data to enable effective delivery of global insights.
  • Translate insights into clear narratives and recommendations for executive committees, boards, and cross‑institutional forums.
  • Support institutions in building their own insight maturity by sharing tools, frameworks, and analytical approaches.
  • Build strong relationships with external data providers, sector bodies, governments, and international partners.
• Insight Communication and Enablement
  • Oversee the production of high‑quality insight reports, briefings, and presentations tailored to executive and operational audiences.
  • Lead cross‑university communities of practice for analysts and insight professionals, encouraging knowledge‑sharing and alignment.
  • Champion data‑informed decision‑making and evidence‑led strategy across the network.
• Governance and Quality
  • Ensure data integrity, ethical use of information, and compliance with data protection and governance standards across regions.
  • Monitor emerging risks and opportunities in the global higher education environment and proactively brief stakeholders.

• Strong analytical capability with a track record of translating complex data into strategic advice for senior leaders.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to engage diverse stakeholders across multiple institutions.
• Deep understanding of global higher education markets and international dynamics.
• Experience building or scaling an insights or analytics function, ideally in a multi‑institution or matrix environment.

• Analytically rigorous with strong professional judgment.
• Good communicator with ability to build strong relationships.
• Collaborative, inclusive, and development oriented.
• Politically astute and culturally aware.
• Comfortable leading through ambiguity and change.

• Plus 1…