Partnerships Operations Manager

Job Summary

Robert Gordon University (RGU) is a distinctive, professionally focused university that has national recognition for student success, career-focused education and the positive impact it has on graduates’ futures. With strengths across a wide range of disciplines, an impressive portfolio of awards, and one of the UK's most beautiful campuses, RGU is transforming lives through education.  Recognising the changing nature of education, with many students choosing not to travel to the UK for their education, RGU is seeking to significantly grow its academic partnerships portfolio and its international reach.

The University is seeking an experienced and proactive Operations Manager to play a key role in delivering and enhancing the University's academic partnership portfolio.  In this new role you will report to the Head of Partnerships and lead the operational management of governance, compliance and continuous improvement of partnership activity, ensuring it supports the University's strategic ambitions and delivers value for the institution and its partners.

Working closely with Schools, Professional Services and external partners, you will lead partnership operations throughout the full lifecycle, from opportunity assessment and business case development through to implementation, performance monitoring and review. You will oversee governance and compliance processes, manage partnership risk, support financial planning and reporting, and drive operational excellence through process improvement, digital transformation and effective stakeholder engagement.

You will bring significant experience of operational management within a complex organisation, with strong expertise in governance, risk management, financial planning and business process improvement. You will be an excellent communicator with the ability to influence stakeholders, lead cross-functional initiatives and deliver successful outcomes across organisational boundaries. Experience of higher education partnerships, transnational education or collaborative provision would be advantageous.

This role may require you to occasionally travel internationally.

This post is subject to a Disclosure Scotland check. For more information visit: https://www.mygov.scot/basic-disclosure/

For an informal discussion about the role please contact Kirsty Duxbury, Executive Assistant on 01224 263573 or k.duxbury@rgu.ac.uk to arrange.

In keeping with RGU's commitment to work/life balance you will have the opportunity to work from home for a portion of the working week and also benefit from a generous pension scheme, 46 days annual leave (including statutory days) an onsite nursery and sports centre, as well as a range of voluntary health and travel benefits. 

We are committed to attracting and engaging a diverse range of staff and fostering a culture where everyone feels welcome, comfortable to express their ideas, and can reach their full potential. For more information, please visit Our Diverse Workforce pages.

Job Description

RESPONSIBLE TO: Head of Partnerships

RESPONSIBLE FOR: No direct reports

PURPOSE OF POST:

The Partnerships Operations Manager (POM) provides institutional leadership for the operational management, governance, compliance and continuous improvement of the University's academic partnership portfolio. Reporting to the Head of Partnerships, the postholder is responsible for developing, implementing and monitoring the operational frameworks, procedures and systems that enable the successful delivery of the University's Partnership Plan and contribute to the achievement of the University's strategic objectives.

The role leads the management of partnership operations throughout the partnership lifecycle, from opportunity assessment and commercial evaluation through to implementation, ongoing delivery, performance monitoring and review. Working collaboratively with Schools, Professional Services and external partners, the postholder ensures that partnership activity is operationally effective, financially sustainable, compliant with regulatory requirements and aligned with University policies and strategic priorities.

As a key member of the Partnerships Office, the Partnerships Operations Manager drives continuous improvement, digital transformation and operational excellence across all aspects of partnership activity and provides expert advice and recommendations to senior stakeholders on partnership operations, governance, performance, risk and resource planning.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES:

Strategic and Institutional Leadership

• Lead the development, implementation and continuous improvement of operational processes, procedures and systems that support partnership activity across the University and with partner organisations globally.
• Provide institutional operational leadership for partnerships, ensuring effective coordination across Schools, Professional Services and external partners.
• Advise senior managers on partnership operations, governance, compliance requirements, performance, investment decisions and risk management.
• Lead the operational implementation of the University's Partnership Plan, translating strategic objectives into institutional frameworks, operational priorities and measurable outcomes. Develop and maintain productive working relationships with key internal and external stakeholders to support successful partnership outcomes.

Partnership Lifecycle Management

• Lead operational management of partnership activity from initial opportunity assessment through to implementation, delivery and review.
• Manage pre-award partnership processes, including due diligence, commercial modelling, business case development, governance approval processes and contract progression.
• Coordinate post-award operational delivery, ensuring partners and University stakeholders fulfil agreed obligations and performance expectations.
• Monitor partnership performance, identify risks and opportunities, and implement actions to support partnership growth, sustainability and quality enhancement.
• Develop and maintain partnership operational frameworks, standards and guidance to ensure consistency of practice across the institution.

Governance, Compliance and Risk Management

• Lead the administration and operation of governance arrangements supporting University partnership activity.
• Provide expert advice on governance, regulatory and policy requirements affecting partnership operations, including quality assurance, data protection and other relevant compliance requirements.

• Maintain oversight of institutional partnership risk across the portfolio, identifying and report emerging issues and advise senior leadership on strategic mitigation approaches. Prepare reports, recommendations and decision papers to support effective governance and management oversight.

Leadership of Cross-Institutional Activity

• Lead cross-functional project teams and operational working groups with delegated authority to deliver institutional partnership objectives.
• Coordinate activity across Schools and Professional Services to ensure effective implementation of partnership priorities.
• Influence and engage stakeholders at all levels to secure agreement and commitment to operational priorities, process improvements and institutional requirements.
• Foster collaborative approaches that support successful delivery of partnership activity across organisational boundaries.

Financial Planning and Performance Management

• Lead financial planning, budget monitoring and reporting activities for the Partnerships Office.
• Support development and evaluation of commercial partnership models and business cases.
• Analyse financial and operational performance data and provide recommendations to inform decision-making and resource allocation.
• Work closely with Finance colleagues to support forecasting, management reporting and financial governance requirements.
• Monitor partnership-related income, expenditure and performance metrics to support achievement of institutional objectives.

Committee and Secretariat Support

• Act as Secretary to the Partnership Committee, Partnership Group and other relevant committees and working groups.
• Lead the governance support function for the Partnership Committee and international Partnership Steering Groups via oversight of compliance and implementation of committee actions. Support effective governance by ensuring timely, accurate and comprehensive committee administration.

Digital Transformation and Continuous Improvement

• Lead continuous improvement initiatives designed to enhance the effectiveness, efficiency and scalability of partnership operations.
• Identify opportunities for process redesign, automation and digital transformation.
• Develop and implement innovative solutions that improve operational performance, reporting capability, data quality and stakeholder experience.
• Benchmark practice across the sector and introduce improvements that align with evolving best practice and regulatory requirements.

Stakeholder Engagement and Customer Service

• Act as a principal operational contact for Schools, Professional Services and partner organisations on partnership matters.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders to support delivery of partnership objectives.
• Provide professional advice, guidance and support on partnership procedures, governance and operational matters.
• Resolve complex operational issues and manage stakeholder expectations, escalating matters where appropriate.
• Exercise delegated authority for operational decisions relating to partnership implementation, governance processes and risk mitigation within agreed institutional frameworks.

Person Specification

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

Qualifications and Professional Memberships

• Degree qualified or equivalent professional experience.

Knowledge and skills

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret complex information and make evidence-based recommendations.
• Excellent communication, negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
• Excellent digital literacy and experience of business systems, reporting tools and process improvement initiatives.
• Ability to influence stakeholders and deliver outcomes across organisational boundaries.

Experience

• Significant experience of operational management within a complex organisation.
• Experience of leading cross-functional projects or teams without direct line management authority.
• Experience of developing and implementing business processes and service improvements.
• Experience of financial planning, budget management and performance reporting.
• Experience of governance, compliance and risk management.

DESIRABLE REQUIREMENTS

Knowledge

• Knowledge of UK higher education and academic partnership arrangements.
• Understanding of transnational education, collaborative provision or branch campus operations.
• Knowledge of higher education regulatory and quality assurance frameworks.

Experience

• Experience of commercial modelling and contract management.
• Experience of leading digital transformation projects.

Behaviours

Behaviour 1: Communication - Ability to receive, understand and convey information requiring careful explanation and information of a complex or conceptual nature, in a clear and accurate manner

Behaviour 2: Service Delivery - Experience of exploring and adapting a service to meet customers’ expectations and also identifying ways of improving standards 

Behaviour 3: Initiative and Problem Solving - Experience of resolving new problems where there is a mass of information or diverse, partial and conflicting data with a range of potential suitable options

Behaviour 4: Decision Making - Experience of using own judgement to make decisions, making collaborative decisions with others to reach conclusions and providing advice or information that will influence the decisions of others

Behaviour 5: Planning and Organising Resources - Experience of planning, prioritising and organising the work of yourself and others (within own area) on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, whilst  ensuring the effective use of resources 

Behaviour 6: Team Work and Motivation - Experience of being a team leader, agreeing clear team objectives and organising and delegating tasks according to individual abilities