Deputy Chief Operating Officer (Operations, Change and Innovation)

The University of Leeds is one of the UK’s largest higher education institutions, and we are renowned globally for the quality of our teaching and research. We encourage enquiry, discovery, and achievement by bringing together academic excellence and an inspirational learning environment. Our ambitions are underpinned by an outstanding community of staff and students, a world-class campus and a strong financial position. The University also plays a key role at the heart of one of the UK’s most economically vibrant and compassionate cities, and takes its economic, social, environmental and cultural responsibilities very seriously.

Our University Strategy 2020-2030 ‘Universal Values, Global Change’, sets a blueprint for a values-driven university that harnesses our expertise in research and education to help shape a better future for humanity, working through collaboration to tackle inequalities, achieve societal impact and drive change in genuinely distinctive and transformational ways.

We are seeking a Deputy Chief Operating Officer (Operations, Change and Innovation). This role is a senior leader in the organisation, reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, and with responsibility for ensuring effective university-wide operations, including delivery of transformation, continuous improvement and efficient and effective professional support for colleagues. The role provides strategic leadership and management across Faculty Operations in our seven Faculties and leads the Transformation Office which oversees all major organisational and IT change programmes. Working in partnership with the COO leadership team and senior colleagues from across the University, the Deputy Chief Operating Officer is responsible for prompting and driving innovation across the COO portfolio and the wider Professional Services, to ensure we deliver efficient, effective and user focussed services to our staff and student community. The role works in close partnership with our academic community and is grounded in a philosophy of active partnership and cross functional working.

The successful candidate will be a strategic and innovative leader with a proven ability to lead high performing teams and individuals with responsibility for complex and wide-ranging services that support both students and academic staff. You will have a strong orientation around large scale organisational, process and systems change, and significant experience of driving operational delivery in a large complex institution. You will be an experienced, values led leader with a good understanding of how to build capability and confidence around change and service delivery within a diverse, highly collaborative organisation.

Our University wants to make a difference to the world, and this boldness and ambition makes it a dynamic place to work, with a genuine desire to innovate at its heart. Our commitment to transformational change across the University will improve the experience of our students and colleagues and make us fit for the future.

The University of Leeds has engaged the services of Odgers Berndtson to whom applications should be sent. 

To apply, please visit: www.odgers.com/93847  

For an informal and confidential discussion, please speak with our advisor at Odgers Berndtson:

Alice Field, Education PracticeEmail: alice.field@odgersberndtson.comTel: +44 (0) 20 3743 1725

Closing date: Friday 20 June 2025 at 5pm

Closing Date: 20 Jun 2025

Section: Professional & Managerial

Salary: Competitive