Our Principles in Action
In everything we do, we apply Our Principles in Action
Application has passed - page retained for reference only
Foreword from our Senior Vice President (Operations)/Chief Operating Officer, Mr Jeremy Cook OBE
"At King’s, we are proud to be home to over 40,000 students from more than 150 countries, studying across our nine interdisciplinary faculties. Our mission is to make the world a better place, and our ambitious and talented students are at the heart of that purpose. We are continually striving to enhance the student experience, from application through to graduation and beyond, by delivering excellent services, harnessing new technologies, embracing innovative ways of working, and streamlining our processes to better support our community. This is an exciting opportunity to shape the student journey at one of the UK’s most prestigious universities. Working closely with senior leaders, including myself and the Vice-President (Education & Student Success), as well as collaboratively with faculties and professional services across King’s, this role will ensure that our services are seamless, accessible, and responsive to the needs of students and staff alike. We are deeply committed to enabling our students to thrive and to nurturing excellence across our staff community. We welcome applications from individuals who share our values and passion for service excellence, innovation, and inclusive practice.”
Appointment details
Reports to: Mr Jeremy Cook OBE
Salary
Competitive
Terms
Indefinite
Hours of work
Full time (35 hours per week)
Vacancy ID
130387
Role Overview
This is a key leadership role at the heart of King’s College London, responsible for shaping the student experience and stewarding student and academic services across one of the UK’s most prestigious universities. As Executive Director, you will lead a broad and complex portfolio that spans the student lifecycle - from enrolment to graduation, ensuring services: are seamless, optimised and accessible; aligned to student and staff needs; maximise digital and AI opportunities and strategically aligned with King’s ambitions. Reporting to the Senior Vice President (Operations)/COO, and working in close partnership with the Vice Principal (Education and Student Success), you will drive institutional excellence across key domains including: • Academic quality, regulations and compliance • Student administration and student support • Student Enrichment • Libraries and collections • Student access, progression, and success • Student data, insight, and enquiry services • Student Union partnership You will be a key member of the University Executive and the SVP (Ops) SMT, contributing to the integration and evolution of professional services across King’s. As the principal liaison with the Students’ Union, you will foster a culture of partnership, ensuring student voice is embedded in service design and delivery. This role demands a visionary and authentic leader - someone who can balance strategic foresight with operational precision, lead through complexity and change, and build high-performing and integrated teams that deliver lasting impact for students and the university.
Key Responsibilities
• This post reports to the Senior Vice-President (Operations), who is responsible for professional services throughout the University. The post holder will be expected to: • Provide strategic leadership across all student and academic services, shaping and delivering a long-term vision aligned with King’s institutional strategy, Strategy 2030. • Manage a budget of approximately £70m and lead a workforce of around 550 staff, ensuring efficient and effective resource deployment. • Work very closely and be tasked by the Vice Principal (Education and Student Success) and collaborate with Executive Deans, Directors of Operations, and faculty education leads to align services and strategy. • A key member of KCL’s College Education Committee and Academic Board. • Ensure seamless, digitally-enabled, and personalised student journeys from enrolment to graduation, working in close collaboration with IT, Estates & Facilities, and other enabling services. • Oversee academic quality, education governance, compliance and adherence to regulatory frameworks. • Champion continuous improvement of academic and student support policies and student lifecycle processes, informed by data, feedback, and sector best practice. • Represent King’s in national and international forums, influencing policy and practice in higher education and maintaining strong external networks. • Drive digital transformation across student services, ensuring systems are integrated, future-proof, and responsive to student needs. In this capacity be a lead customer for strategic change programmes such as Student Futures, Student Services Review, ensuring subject matter expertise is embedded and change management is effectively executed. • Contribute to institutional resilience efforts, including business continuity planning and crisis response for student-facing services and when students are impacted. • Foster a culture of empowered accountability, inclusive leadership, and high performance across the Directorate. • Engage actively with the King’s College London Students’ Union to ensure robust student voice and partnership in service design and delivery. • Champion the use of data analytics, and increasingly AI to inform decision-making, improve service delivery, and support student success. • Ensure all aspects of student concerns, complaints and conduct are dealt with fairly, transparently and efficiently. • Lead the development and delivery of approximately 75 service lines supporting over 40,000 students across nine faculties and specialist education units, covering multiple levels and modes of study. The role holder will always be expected to demonstrate: • Exceptional leadership that builds a culture of empowered accountability across the directorate and wider function. • A contribution to institutional stewardship commensurate with the level and positioning of the role. • Professional behaviours commensurate with King’s Principles in Action and the King’s Community Charter. • Application of evidence-based analytical, creative and constructive thinking. • Engagement with national and international HE developments, taking responsibility for identifying and planning for future needs informed by sector and other intelligence around emerging policy and best practice. • Collaborative working across professional services functions, academic and student communities.
Education / Qualifications
An undergraduate degree is essential; a postgraduate qualification or equivalent is desirable. Evidence of continued professional development in leadership, governance, or higher education management.
Knowledge / Skills
• Demonstrated excellence in strategic leadership, with the vision and ambition to drive delivery and transformation simultaneously across a complex portfolio. • Deep understanding of the UK higher education landscape, including regulatory frameworks, academic governance, and student lifecycle management. • Proven ability to lead large-scale service delivery, digital, service and people transformation, and continuous improvement initiatives. • Strong financial and resource management skills, with experience overseeing multi-million-pound budgets and large teams. • Exceptional planning, analytical, and organisational skills, with the ability to translate strategy into operational delivery. • Highly effective communication and influencing skills, with the ability to engage credibly with internal and external stakeholders at all levels. • Skilled in data-informed decision-making, with a strong grasp of student analytics, performance metrics, and service evaluation. • Ability to navigate ambiguity and lead through change, fostering resilience and adaptability across teams.
Experience
• A track record of successful senior leadership within a large, complex organisation - ideally within higher education. • Experience of leading cross-functional teams and delivering integrated services across multiple campuses or faculties. • Familiarity with academic quality assurance, student conduct, complaints, and appeals processes. • Experience of working with senior academic leaders, student unions, and external regulatory bodies. • Demonstrated success in building inclusive, high-performing cultures and leading organisational change.
Personal Characteristics / Leadership Attributes
• Ambitious for King’s and its students, with an unambiguous commitment to enhancing the student experience. • Collegiate and inclusive leadership style, with a natural orientation toward service excellence and partnership. • High personal integrity and professionalism, aligned with King’s Principles in Action and Community Charter. • Resilient and emotionally intelligent, with the ability to lead with empathy and authenticity and to remain calm under pressure. • A strategic thinker who can balance operational detail with long-term vision. • Committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion, with a track record of delivering accessible and responsive services.
Vision 2029
King's Vision builds upon our history of service to society and takes us to our 200th anniversary in 2029
Our Principles in Action
In everything we do, we apply Our Principles in Action
About King’s College London
Kings has over 40,000 students from over 150 countries studying in person and online, and has over 12,000 employees. King’s academics are members of 9 Faculties, based on 5 campuses in central and SE London. Together the King’s community delivers a comprehensive portfolio of outstanding and impactful research and education in close partnership with the vibrant arts and culture ecosystem across London along with other universities and partners across the globe. We are ranked 31st in the world (QS World University Rankings 2026) and 36th in the world (Times Higher Education World Rankings 2025). King's College London offers an intellectually stimulating environment in which to work, where staff are dedicated to the advancement of knowledge and learning in the service of society. We are a multi-Faculty institution, providing high-quality education, research and innovation across the humanities, sciences, medicine, law, dentistry, and social sciences. King’s vision is to make the world a better place through world-leading education, research and service to society. King’s provides world-class education which enables students to become rounded critical thinkers, set up for success and with the character and wisdom to strive for social change. Through enquiry-driven research, King's delivers transformative insights and solutions that have the power to advance and accelerate global progress.
Our Faculties
Our comprehensive range of disciplines are organised into nine Faculties: • Faculty of Arts & Humanities • Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences • Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine • Faculty of Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences • Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy • Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care • Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience • King’s Business School • The Dickson Poon School of Law
About Student & Academic Services
Home to over 40,000 students, King’s College London is a leading destination for ambitious students from across the world because of our academic excellence, reputation and research impact. The focus for King’s is to ensure the best possible student experience, ensuring our services are fit for purpose and enable students to thrive and develop in an environment that provides lasting impact. The Students and Academic Services Directorate is a diverse group of professional services dedicated to supporting our students and their educational journey. Working alongside colleagues across king’s, we oversee the entire student lifecycle - from application through to graduation and beyond - ensuring a seamless and cohesive student experience alongside efficient administrative processes.
About King's
Background information about King's
Our people
Through all our work, we aim to make the world a better place.
Faculties & Departments
Our 9 academic faculties
Application has passed - page retained for reference only
Please quote the vacancy id: 130387 in all correspondence.
Closing date for applications: 08 December 2025 23:59
Application process
To apply for this post you will need to register on the King’s College London job opportunities page and submit the application form, along with the following: • a concise statement setting out your reasons for applying for the post and highlighting the particular skills and experience which you feel you would bring to the role (two pages maximum) • a curriculum vitae
Contact the team
For an informal discussion or to find out more about the role please contact the King’s Search Team.
Selection process
Equal opportunities
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion are central tenets of King’s Vision 2029 which sets out the roadmap for King’s ambition to provide an exceptional student experience and to be an employer of choice. Integral to this is ensuring equality of opportunity and outcome, recognising, celebrating and improving our diversity and inclusion. As a responsible employer we aim to provide and promote a positive working, learning, and social environment which is free from prejudice, discrimination and any forms of harassment, bullying or victimisation. Our commitment to inclusion means that King’s aims to create an environment where differences are not just respected, but also valued and celebrated. Everyone should be able to bring their whole self to King’s. All King’s students, staff and affiliates are responsible for meeting these commitments to value diversity and create an inclusive environment. King's will support and equip all members of its community to do this, embedding inclusion throughout the university’s policies, procedures, and practices.
Jobs at King's
Current vacancies and career opportunities
Role Overview
This is a key leadership role at the heart of King’s College London, responsible for shaping the student experience and stewarding student and academic services across one of the UK’s most prestigious universities. As Executive Director, you will lead a broad and complex portfolio that spans the student lifecycle - from enrolment to graduation, ensuring services: are seamless, optimised and accessible; aligned to student and staff needs; maximise digital and AI opportunities and strategically aligned with King’s ambitions. Reporting to the Senior Vice President (Operations)/COO, and working in close partnership with the Vice Principal (Education and Student Success), you will drive institutional excellence across key domains including: • Academic quality, regulations and compliance • Student administration and student support • Student Enrichment • Libraries and collections • Student access, progression, and success • Student data, insight, and enquiry services • Student Union partnership You will be a key member of the University Executive and the SVP (Ops) SMT, contributing to the integration and evolution of professional services across King’s. As the principal liaison with the Students’ Union, you will foster a culture of partnership, ensuring student voice is embedded in service design and delivery. This role demands a visionary and authentic leader - someone who can balance strategic foresight with operational precision, lead through complexity and change, and build high-performing and integrated teams that deliver lasting impact for students and the university.
Key Responsibilities
• This post reports to the Senior Vice-President (Operations), who is responsible for professional services throughout the University. The post holder will be expected to: • Provide strategic leadership across all student and academic services, shaping and delivering a long-term vision aligned with King’s institutional strategy, Strategy 2030. • Manage a budget of approximately £70m and lead a workforce of around 550 staff, ensuring efficient and effective resource deployment. • Work very closely and be tasked by the Vice Principal (Education and Student Success) and collaborate with Executive Deans, Directors of Operations, and faculty education leads to align services and strategy. • A key member of KCL’s College Education Committee and Academic Board. • Ensure seamless, digitally-enabled, and personalised student journeys from enrolment to graduation, working in close collaboration with IT, Estates & Facilities, and other enabling services. • Oversee academic quality, education governance, compliance and adherence to regulatory frameworks. • Champion continuous improvement of academic and student support policies and student lifecycle processes, informed by data, feedback, and sector best practice. • Represent King’s in national and international forums, influencing policy and practice in higher education and maintaining strong external networks. • Drive digital transformation across student services, ensuring systems are integrated, future-proof, and responsive to student needs. In this capacity be a lead customer for strategic change programmes such as Student Futures, Student Services Review, ensuring subject matter expertise is embedded and change management is effectively executed. • Contribute to institutional resilience efforts, including business continuity planning and crisis response for student-facing services and when students are impacted. • Foster a culture of empowered accountability, inclusive leadership, and high performance across the Directorate. • Engage actively with the King’s College London Students’ Union to ensure robust student voice and partnership in service design and delivery. • Champion the use of data analytics, and increasingly AI to inform decision-making, improve service delivery, and support student success. • Ensure all aspects of student concerns, complaints and conduct are dealt with fairly, transparently and efficiently. • Lead the development and delivery of approximately 75 service lines supporting over 40,000 students across nine faculties and specialist education units, covering multiple levels and modes of study. The role holder will always be expected to demonstrate: • Exceptional leadership that builds a culture of empowered accountability across the directorate and wider function. • A contribution to institutional stewardship commensurate with the level and positioning of the role. • Professional behaviours commensurate with King’s Principles in Action and the King’s Community Charter. • Application of evidence-based analytical, creative and constructive thinking. • Engagement with national and international HE developments, taking responsibility for identifying and planning for future needs informed by sector and other intelligence around emerging policy and best practice. • Collaborative working across professional services functions, academic and student communities.
Our Principles in Action
In everything we do, we apply Our Principles in Action
Professional Services
Services that support our students and staff.
Education / Qualifications
An undergraduate degree is essential; a postgraduate qualification or equivalent is desirable. Evidence of continued professional development in leadership, governance, or higher education management.
Knowledge / Skills
• Demonstrated excellence in strategic leadership, with the vision and ambition to drive delivery and transformation simultaneously across a complex portfolio. • Deep understanding of the UK higher education landscape, including regulatory frameworks, academic governance, and student lifecycle management. • Proven ability to lead large-scale service delivery, digital, service and people transformation, and continuous improvement initiatives. • Strong financial and resource management skills, with experience overseeing multi-million-pound budgets and large teams. • Exceptional planning, analytical, and organisational skills, with the ability to translate strategy into operational delivery. • Highly effective communication and influencing skills, with the ability to engage credibly with internal and external stakeholders at all levels. • Skilled in data-informed decision-making, with a strong grasp of student analytics, performance metrics, and service evaluation. • Ability to navigate ambiguity and lead through change, fostering resilience and adaptability across teams.
Experience
• A track record of successful senior leadership within a large, complex organisation - ideally within higher education. • Experience of leading cross-functional teams and delivering integrated services across multiple campuses or faculties. • Familiarity with academic quality assurance, student conduct, complaints, and appeals processes. • Experience of working with senior academic leaders, student unions, and external regulatory bodies. • Demonstrated success in building inclusive, high-performing cultures and leading organisational change.
Personal Characteristics / Leadership Attributes
• Ambitious for King’s and its students, with an unambiguous commitment to enhancing the student experience. • Collegiate and inclusive leadership style, with a natural orientation toward service excellence and partnership. • High personal integrity and professionalism, aligned with King’s Principles in Action and Community Charter. • Resilient and emotionally intelligent, with the ability to lead with empathy and authenticity and to remain calm under pressure. • A strategic thinker who can balance operational detail with long-term vision. • Committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion, with a track record of delivering accessible and responsive services.
Vision 2029
King's Vision builds upon our history of service to society and takes us to our 200th anniversary in 2029
Our Principles in Action
In everything we do, we apply Our Principles in Action
About King’s College London
Kings has over 40,000 students from over 150 countries studying in person and online, and has over 12,000 employees. King’s academics are members of 9 Faculties, based on 5 campuses in central and SE London. Together the King’s community delivers a comprehensive portfolio of outstanding and impactful research and education in close partnership with the vibrant arts and culture ecosystem across London along with other universities and partners across the globe. We are ranked 31st in the world (QS World University Rankings 2026) and 36th in the world (Times Higher Education World Rankings 2025). King's College London offers an intellectually stimulating environment in which to work, where staff are dedicated to the advancement of knowledge and learning in the service of society. We are a multi-Faculty institution, providing high-quality education, research and innovation across the humanities, sciences, medicine, law, dentistry, and social sciences. King’s vision is to make the world a better place through world-leading education, research and service to society. King’s provides world-class education which enables students to become rounded critical thinkers, set up for success and with the character and wisdom to strive for social change. Through enquiry-driven research, King's delivers transformative insights and solutions that have the power to advance and accelerate global progress.
Our Faculties
Our comprehensive range of disciplines are organised into nine Faculties: • Faculty of Arts & Humanities • Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences • Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine • Faculty of Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences • Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy • Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care • Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience • King’s Business School • The Dickson Poon School of Law
About Student & Academic Services
Home to over 40,000 students, King’s College London is a leading destination for ambitious students from across the world because of our academic excellence, reputation and research impact. The focus for King’s is to ensure the best possible student experience, ensuring our services are fit for purpose and enable students to thrive and develop in an environment that provides lasting impact. The Students and Academic Services Directorate is a diverse group of professional services dedicated to supporting our students and their educational journey. Working alongside colleagues across king’s, we oversee the entire student lifecycle - from application through to graduation and beyond - ensuring a seamless and cohesive student experience alongside efficient administrative processes.
About King's
Background information about King's
Our people
Through all our work, we aim to make the world a better place.
Faculties & Departments
Our 9 academic faculties
Application has passed - page retained for reference only
Please quote the vacancy id: 130387 in all correspondence.
Closing date for applications: 08 December 2025 23:59
Application process
To apply for this post you will need to register on the King’s College London job opportunities page and submit the application form, along with the following: • a concise statement setting out your reasons for applying for the post and highlighting the particular skills and experience which you feel you would bring to the role (two pages maximum) • a curriculum vitae
Contact the team
For an informal discussion or to find out more about the role please contact the King’s Search Team.
Selection process
Equal opportunities
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion are central tenets of King’s Vision 2029 which sets out the roadmap for King’s ambition to provide an exceptional student experience and to be an employer of choice. Integral to this is ensuring equality of opportunity and outcome, recognising, celebrating and improving our diversity and inclusion. As a responsible employer we aim to provide and promote a positive working, learning, and social environment which is free from prejudice, discrimination and any forms of harassment, bullying or victimisation. Our commitment to inclusion means that King’s aims to create an environment where differences are not just respected, but also valued and celebrated. Everyone should be able to bring their whole self to King’s. All King’s students, staff and affiliates are responsible for meeting these commitments to value diversity and create an inclusive environment. King's will support and equip all members of its community to do this, embedding inclusion throughout the university’s policies, procedures, and practices.
Jobs at King's
Current vacancies and career opportunities