Chief Student Officer

at  Cardiff Metropolitan University

CHIEF STUDENT OFFICER

Cardiff Metropolitan University is an ambitious and progressive institution, a leading modern university with a distinctive profile for teaching, learning, research and innovation across a wide range of disciplines. The University draws its inspiration from over 150 years of commitment to education as a force for good in the Cardiff Capital Region, Wales and the world. With over 12,000 students across two vibrant Cardiff campuses and 18,000 more learners studying through 12 international partners, our community is truly global. We are proud to be Wales’ first University of Sanctuary, the holder of a Silver Athena Swan Institutional Award, and the top university in Wales in the People and Planet League for the past two years.
Key among our strategic ambitions is our commitment to putting student success at the heart of everything we do. This past year has seen us make significant strides in improving our standing in the National Student Survey, and we were proud to be first in Wales in the 2024 Graduate Outcomes survey. We achieved our best position in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide and were the biggest climber in Wales; we rose 18 places in the Guardian University Guide, and we were selected as The Mail University Guide 2025’s ‘Welsh University of the Year’.
We are now seeking an inspiring and innovative leader to join us in the newly created role of Chief Student Officer (CSO). The CSO will lead a newly integrated Academic and Student Services division, spanning the student journey from enrolment to graduation. The new division brings together existing Quality, Registry, and Student Support functions, putting a connected approach to student success at that heart of our business.
The new CSO role will providing strategic leadership to specialist service areas key to students’ academic achievement, personal development and growth. You will design, implement and deliver transformation for improvement across these service areas, embracing digital technology, financial and environmental sustainability, collaboration and partnership with internal and external stakeholders (including the Students’ Union), and developing innovative, highly effective models of service delivery. You will work closely with the incoming Deputy Vice-Chancellor Provost and Dean of Teaching and Learning to design, roll out, monitor and evaluate new and existing services and operations to ensure that the University continues to be known for its outstanding learner experience and outcomes.
Candidates will be analytical, proactive and solutions-focused, with an excellent track record of success as a leader of student or customer facing operations. You will bring a track record of designing, leading and implementing successful, wide-reaching, process and culture change, and experience of leading teams and functions within a highly regulated and
compliance-driven context. You will also bring demonstrable experience of achieving significant improvements in service-user satisfaction, along with an in-depth understanding of legal, regulatory and compliance requirements relating to the Academic and Student Success service areas in Higher Education. Our core values are of dignity and respect for all at work and study, and your interpersonal skill set, and record of achievement, will reflect strong alignment with this mission.
This is an exciting time to join us as one of the UK’s most distinctive and progressive modern universities, with a distinctive and growing portfolio of undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, and research and innovation initiatives. You will have the opportunity to be at the heart of shaping change across our Academic and Student Services functions, focused on supporting our students to realise their full potential, all while working in the capital city of Wales, one of Europe’s fastest-growing, most vibrant and cosmopolitan cities.
For a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultants at Anderson Quigley: Carolyn Coates at carolyn.coates@andersonquigley.com, +44 (0)7825 871 944 or Elliott Rae at elliott.rae@andersonquigley.com, +44 (0)7584 078 534.
Closing date: noon on Monday 10th February 2025.
We are committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. Our Strategic Plan underpins our commitment to recruit and retain the best talent and we welcome applications from people from diverse backgrounds. We appoint on merit.

Please refer the Job description for details