Job Title: Head of Employability & Enterprise Service
Reporting Line: Director of Graduate Outcomes
Responsible for: Employability and Careers Consultants
Digital Content and Systems Coordinator
Work Base: East India Campus
Hours of Work: FT
Relationships and Contacts: Students and graduates
Professional Services managers and staff
Students’ Union
Academics
Alumni, employers and industry bodies
Job Purpose:
To lead and manage the Employability & Enterprise Service, to deliver high-impact employability initiatives that contribute directly to positive graduate outcomes, ensuring students receive exceptional, student-focused advice and support.
To work strategically with academic and professional staff, to fully integrate employability sustainably into the curriculum and drive initiatives that enhance student career outcomes, employer engagement, and alignment with the institution’s broader strategic objectives.
Key Responsibilities:
- Management and Leadership:
- Provide management and leadership to the Employability and Enterprise Service, ensuring innovative and high-quality careers and employability information, advice, and guidance is delivered to meet the needs of our university and our students.
- Ensure that appropriate resources are in place to enable the Employability & Enterprise Service to deliver and develop high-quality services to our students and other stakeholders.
- Lead and mentor the team, fostering a culture of innovation, excellence, and collaborative working.
- Strategic Initiatives:
- Develop and implement initiatives and events which have the highest impact, ensuring our students achieve positive, professional employment outcomes.
- Develop effective working relationships with key stakeholders at course and subject level, ensuring that employability is fully integrated in the curriculum.
- Contribute expert knowledge relating to employability and careers development within the curriculum and assessment design processes.
- Negotiate and agree annual action plans with Schools in support of our strategies and objectives.
- Enterprise Hub Management:
- Lead our Enterprise Hub, in collaboration with academic and entrepreneurs who contribute to our programmes, ensuring enterprise is a key feature across the university and is a credible, professional outcome for students.
- Digital and Online Resources:
- Utilise and exploit technologies to maximise the service provision and ensure all students, regardless of their mode of study, have access to high-quality careers and employability resources, advice, and support.
- Implement, manage, and maintain online systems and digital resources that are engaging, informative, and support the students' personal and professional development.
- Student Engagement:
- Ensure all students have meaningful engagement with the Employability and Enterprise Service, prioritising activities that align with the student journey, ensuring they can effectively articulate and evidence their employability skills prior to completion of their studies.
- Work with the Students’ Union to deliver a series of engaging extracurricular initiatives that supports the student employability journey.
- Monitoring and Evaluation:
- Ensure there are appropriate monitoring, feedback, and quality processes in place to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the service against targets.
- Use and connect data to support the student career journey, focusing on engagement and personalisation
- Marketing and Communication:
- Develop, implement, and deliver a marketing plan in accordance with our objectives
- Ensure effective and appropriate communication with students, alumni, academic colleagues, and employers.
- Compliance and Collaboration:
- Comply with Data Protection Act 2018 and GDPR requirements in all working practices, maintaining confidentiality, integrity, availability, accuracy, currency, and security of information as appropriate.
- Work collaboratively across the Employability Service to enhance and develop service delivery as well as to support colleagues at peak times.
- Other:
- Undertake such other duties temporarily or on a continuing basis, as may be reasonably required commensurate with your grade.
- Work flexibly and outside of core hours as required
- Able to travel as required to meet the requirements of the job
Skills and Qualifications:
Qualifications:
Essential:
- Degree and/or relevant professional qualification at degree level (e.g., Qualification in Careers Guidance (QCG), Recruitment, Coaching, or similar).
- Evidence of recent CPD relevant to the role.
Desirable
- Higher degree (e.g. Masters in Career Development or Management)
- Teaching qualification
Experience
Essential:
- Proven experience of managing and leading teams
- Experience of delivering effective training or career development workshops to groups of various sizes and demographics.
Desirable:
- Proven experience of managing graduate careers and employability services, preferably in higher education
- Experience of working in graduate recruitment.
Knowledge/Skills:
Essential:
- Strong leadership and management skills.
- Excellent knowledge of the graduate employment market Ability to innovate and drive change.
- Awareness of Equality and Diversity issues that may affect student and graduate recruitment Ability to produce clear, concise, and impactful reports
- Proficiency in analysing and interpreting data to inform decision-making and strategy
- Effective presentation skills
- Demonstrates a professional work ethic and acts as a role model for students and staff
- Student-centred approach, with enthusiasm for transformative higher education.
- Ability to explain complex issues in an understandable manner
- Knowledge of labour market trends particularly relating to early graduates
- Proficiency in digital tools and platforms.
Other
- A professional and positive approach, always looking for the potential in students and staff
- Willingness to travel between locations.
- Commitment to equality and diversity.
- Adaptability and flexibility to support students and cover events and activities during evenings and Saturdays on occasions.
- Commitment to comply with Health and Safety regulations and Policies and Procedures.
- Commitment to comply with Data Protection Act 2018 and GDPR principles/requirements
Informal enquiries can be made to sarah.janes@london.aru.ac.uk for those who already meet all the essential criteria.