Head of CPD and Business Development upon Tyne

Job Description

ABOUT THE ROLE

This is a senior leadership role within Research & Innovation Services (RIS) at Northumbria University, reporting to the Director of Knowledge Exchange (KE) and sitting within the RIS Executive Team.

The Head of CPD & Business Development carries primary responsibility for driving Northumbria's Continuing Professional Development (CPD) growth ambitions, making this a commercially significant role within the University's knowledge exchange portfolio. CPD is a central mechanism through which Northumbria deepens its relationships with employers, professions, and the regional and national economy, and the postholder will lead its operationalisation across all three faculties:
Health & Wellbeing, Society & Culture, and Science & Environment.

The postholder will translate Faculty KE Plans into active, income-generating CPD programmes, coordinating across academic and professional service colleagues to move provision from concept through approval to delivery. They will maintain a clear CPD pipeline, develop and sustain the employer and professional body relationships that underpin demand, and ensure accurate classification, reporting, and compliance with Higher Education Business and Community Interaction Survey (HEBCIS) and Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) obligations.

Alongside the CPD brief, the role carries strategic responsibility for business development across the wider KE portfolio, identifying and securing commercial opportunities in consultancy, contract and collaborative research, Degree Apprenticeships, and Knowledge Transfer Partnerships. The postholder will lead a skilled, multi-disciplinary team of Business Development and KE professionals, fostering a high-performance culture aligned to the University's KE income targets.

The postholder will be expected to build strong networks with employers, industry partners, and sector peers; keep pace with developments in digital tools, CRM systems, and data analytics to drive continuous improvement; and represent Northumbria in relevant external forums.

Further information is available in the job description .

Interviews will be held on 15th and 18th September 2026.

ABOUT THE TEAM

Northumbria University is a vibrant, campus-based institution and the successful candidate will be expected to spend the majority of their time on campus at our Newcastle City location. This is a people-facing leadership role where presence matters, both for the effective management of teams and for building the strong internal relationships that are central to success in this post.

We recognise the importance of work-life balance and have flexible and hybrid working arrangements in place, which will be agreed in line with the needs of the role and the service.

ABOUT YOU

To be successful in the role, you will have:

• Deep knowledge of the UK higher education environment, the CPD and workforce development landscape, and the employer and professional body relationships that underpin sustained CPD demand, alongside a strong understanding of the broader KE income portfolio including KTPs, consultancy, and contract research.
• A proven track record of ope rationalising strategy, with the ability to translate faculty or institutional plans into active programme pipelines and measurable income outcomes.
• Strategic thinking with the ability to operate effectively as part of a senior management team, shaping and driving forward knowledge exchange and CPD growth strategy across a large and complex university.
• Proven people leadership skills with a positive, inclusive and collegiate style, and a track record of motivating and developing high-performing commercial and business development teams.
• Strong communication, stakeholder management, and commercial acumen, with the ability to engage and influence at senior levels across faculties, employer organisations, professional bodies, and funding agencies.
• Demonstrable experience of working in a large and complex organisation, including income forecasting, resource planning, and the development and implementation of processes that drive commercial performance.
• A first degree or postgraduate qualification and/or substantial professional experience is essential; a relevant professional qualification in business development, CPD management, or a related field is desirable.

Further information is available in the person specification .

If you would like an informal discussion about the role, please contact Michael Parker, Director of Knowledge Exchange, at

We welcome applications from the UK and across the world. Visit our web pages for details about Relocation Assistance .

To apply for this vacancy please click 'Apply Now'. Your application should include a covering letter and a CV.

ABOUT US

Join Northumbria University, a research-intensive institution unlocking…