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Overview

The full-time starting salary is normally £81,836.00 per annum, with progression available in post to £92,593.00 per annum.

Grade: K

Permanent, full-time role.

Birmingham City University (BCU) is a dynamic, forward-thinking institution at the heart of a vibrant city. As a STEAM-powered Civic University, we are committed to delivering transformative education and impactful research that contributes to inclusive economic and social development. As part of our Strategy 2030, we are now seeking a Director of Engagement.

Responsibilities

As Director of Engagement, you will provide strategic leadership and operational oversight of the University's engagement activity across business, community, and alumni relations. You will lead a team, set strategic direction, and ensure high performance across all areas of engagement. Acting as a visible ambassador for the University, you will represent us regionally and nationally, forging partnerships that enhance reputation, visibility, and influence. You will also provide expert advice to the Executive Team, ensuring engagement activity is evidence-based, inclusive, and aligned with institutional priorities. At its core, this role is about creating opportunities for students, staff, communities, and partners, while positioning the University as a driver of positive change and innovation.

As Director of Engagement, you will provide strategic leadership and operational oversight of the University's engagement activity across business, community, and alumni relations. You will shape and deliver a compelling engagement strategy that reflects the University's mission as Birmingham's anchor institution, ensuring our partnerships generate civic good, enhance student outcomes, and support sustainable income growth. You'll be working across a wide portfolio, from advancing business and industry collaboration to developing impactful community initiatives and strengthening lifelong alumni relationships, all with the aim of building meaningful, long-term connections that benefit both the University and society.

Qualifications and experience

You will bring substantial experience of strategic leadership in engagement, ideally gained in a large or complex setting. You will have a strong understanding of civic engagement and the role of universities in driving local and regional development, alongside excellent skills in partnership building, influencing, and negotiation.

Experience of working in or with the higher education sector is desirable, as is knowledge of relevant regional and national policy agendas such as levelling up, social mobility, and economic development.

Additional information

The appointed candidate will normally be employed through our subsidiary company BCU Support Services Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Birmingham City University. Appointees with prior LGPS membership who wish to enter the LGPS scheme will be able to do so and will be employed by Birmingham City University directly.

Birmingham City University is deeply committed to equality, diversity, and inclusivity at all levels in the organisation, and to addressing underrepresentation in our workforce to ensure we are truly representative of the community we serve. We welcome applications from applicants from all backgrounds and communities for this role, and particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic applicants.

The University is proudly Disability Confident. This means amongst other things that we commit to offering a guaranteed interview to disabled applicants who fully meet the essential criteria for each role.

About Us

At the heart of our Strategy for 2030 and Beyond, it is our mission to enable our students to transform their lives and to achieve their potential. Through our education and research, and the roles our graduates go on to play in the world, we not only support individuals to transform their lives, but we also play a part in transforming society.

Located in the centre of the UK's second city, we are a university with a long heritage of innovation and of making, dating back to our origins in 1843 when we were founded as the Birmingham Government School of Design. Our heritage of making through innovation and its application through knowledge exchange, and of creative research and practice, today finds its expression in our STEAM agenda, in our research and enterprise, and in our commitment to challenge-based learning. Working across disciplines, and delivering impactful research and enterprise, interdisciplinarity is at the heart of the continuing transformation of our academic portfolio.