Senior Executive Officer

About The Directorate

Academic Services is one of Manchester Metropolitan University’s largest Professional Services Directorates, bringing together a diverse range of specialist services that support students, colleagues and the University’s strategic ambitions. The Directorate comprises Education Services, Student Services, Technical Services, Library and Cultural Services, Careers and Employability, together with the Academic Registrar's Office. Working in partnership with Faculties and Professional Services colleagues across the University, Academic Services delivers services that are fundamental to the student experience, from enrolment through to graduation and beyond, while also playing a key role in supporting the University’s education and research priorities.

Academic Services is committed to delivering excellent, user‑centred services that are collaborative, innovative and responsive. We continually seek opportunities to improve services, strengthen partnerships across the University and create an environment in which our people can develop and thrive.

The Academic Registrar's Office Projects and Planning team provides strategic leadership, governance and operational coordination across Academic Services.

As part of Academic Services’ commitment to strengthening collaboration, improving organisational resilience and investing in our people, we are establishing a new Directorate‑wide Executive Officer network. This newly created role will lead a team of five Executive Officers, helping to shape and embed a new approach to executive support across the Directorate.

Working with Executive Officers, Directors and senior colleagues across Academic Services, you will help develop consistent ways of working, coordinate workload across the team, promote professional development and support continuous improvement, whilst ensuring departments continue to receive high‑quality, responsive support.

The team operates a hybrid working model, with a minimum expectation of three days per week on campus.

We’re looking for an experienced Senior Executive Officer to provide high‑level executive support to the Academic Registrar and Assistant Academic Registrar while also leading a newly established Executive Officer team supporting five departments across Academic Services.

This is a varied and rewarding role that combines people leadership, executive support, operational planning and project coordination. Working closely with Directors and senior colleagues across the Directorate, you will coordinate competing priorities, support strategic initiatives and help drive continuous improvement across executive support services.

This is more than a traditional executive support role. You’ll have the opportunity to shape a new Directorate‑wide Executive Officer network, developing collaborative ways of working that improve resilience, consistency and service delivery across Academic Services.

For full details of the role, responsibilities and person specification, please refer to the Job Description attached below.

We’re looking for an experienced executive support professional who enjoys leading people, building relationships and improving services.

You’ll be highly organised, an excellent communicator and comfortable working with senior leaders in a fast‑paced environment. Experience of leading or coordinating teams, supporting complex projects and driving service improvements will help you succeed in this role, together with the ability to balance competing priorities and build effective working relationships across a large organisation.

For full details of the essential and desirable criteria, please refer to the attached Job Description.

This is an opportunity to play a central role in one of Manchester Metropolitan University’s most strategically important Professional Services Directorates.

You will work alongside senior leaders across Academic Services, helping to establish a newly created Executive Officer network while supporting the delivery of strategic priorities that make a tangible difference to colleagues, students and the wider University community.

If…