Head of Student Sport

Closing date: 19 May 2024
Location: Newcastle
Region: United Kingdom
Employment type: Full Time
Salary: £56,021 to £59,421 with progression to £64,914 per annum Description

The Role

We are delighted to open applications for this new opportunity to join us as our Head of Student SpoTo lead the strategic development, management and implementation of the University’s extensive student sport programme and deliver a sector leading student sporting experience across a single sporting pathway from participation to performance. 

You will have the unique opportunity to focus on student competitive sport, through sport clubs, development and performance pathways and shape the future of such an important part of the Newcastle student journey. You will have the chance to bring your experience and expertise to best support the optimisation of our resources and genuine commitment to fulfil our potential through the creation of a unified direction for competitive sporting activity and collaborative delivery framework placing the student at the heart of our Sport & Active Wellbeing offer. You will be joining an ambitious, experienced team who are all striving to ensure we fulfil our potential as a longstanding sporting leader within Higher Education sport.

We are keen to hear from candidates who have the ability and ambition to lead on a full review of the University’s Performance Sport offer to establish a clear strategic direction for delivery. You will direct the University Performance Sport offer, including management of external and internal partnerships, creating nationally leading high performance student sport environments and ensuring dual career pathways are at the core of our offer. Therefore, you should bring with you the ability to produce strategic and operational plans and excellent stakeholder management skills.

We are looking for candidates who have proven leadership in a sport environment with experience of the relationship between the higher education sport sector and Student Unions. 

Applications should contain a CV and letter of application that specifically addresses how you can evidence the skills, knowledge and experience requirements of the role. 

To view the full candidate briefing pack, please click  here

We will be holding interviews in Newcastle on 28 May 2024.

This is predominantly a place-based role with some opportunity for blended working. We can support with relocation packages for candidates who are looking to relocate from outside of the region.

Key Accountabilities

Student Sport Development

• Working with Director of Sport and in partnership with the CEO of the Students’ Union, contribute to the planning the overall strategic direction for Sport, with a particular focus on ensuring the strategy and operational plan for student sport compliments and supports the University’s strategic goals and priorities
• Lead on the partnership with Newcastle University Students’ Union supporting student sport club development, providing expertise, strategic guidance and collaborative support to optimise the existing strong relationship
• Develop long term student sport development plans, in collaboration with Newcastle University Students’ Union, including required people, financial and facility resource
• Identify trends nationally and globally which may have an impact on the service and develop & implement approaches to proactively respond to these changes
• Propose new structures and services to grow and improve our student sport offer, drive efficiency gains and develop innovative solutions to significant problems (staffing and operational)
• Lead on the development and delivery of business priorities and operational plans to deliver against the strategy; ensuring operational plans are cascaded, embedded and delivered by the function, setting and monitoring quality and professional standards
• Reinforce standards by ensuring there are effective systems of recruitment, training, performance management/rewards and personal/team development
• Managing progress against budgets and regularly review to ensure funds are deployed effectively to optimise the student experience and deliver value for money

Stakeholder Engagement

• Represent University Sport and Active Wellbeing within the University and in a National/Regional context, deputising for the Director as and when required
• Work in collaboration with other Newcastle University departments on the development of plans and implementation of several projects that have been identified in the strategic plan regarding student sport, ensuring work is integrated and co-ordinated as appropriate
• Represent Sport at internal and external meetings/events/network with colleagues in other institutions to share best practice and capitalise on opportunities to improve the sporting offer at Newcastle
• Student Performance Sport
• Lead on a full review of the University Performance Sport offer, establishing clear strategic direction for delivery, partnerships, funding and recruitment
• Direct the University Performance Sport offer, including management of external and internal partnerships, creating nationally leading high performance student sport environments and ensuring dual career pathways are at the core of our offer
• Working through intermediate managers, lead and encourage a culture across the team of exceptional student experience / inclusive, evidence-based service delivery, and continuous quality improvement

The Person 

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Proven track record of successful leadership in a sport environment delivering on development and performance targets
• Experience in and understanding of the relationship between the HE sport sector and Student Unions
• Ability to produce strategic and operational plans with experience of being able to prioritise and organise the work to deliver on target
• Excellent stakeholder management skills with evidence of effective collaborations
• In depth knowledge and understanding of the structure/organisation of UK Sport, particularly in terms of higher/further education and BUCS
• Ability to lead and manage diverse groups of colleagues through developing and empowering managers
• Strong initiative with an aptitude for complex problem solving
• Demonstrable experience of working in a complex organisation and managing a variety of sport/leisure teams
• Highly developed written and oral communication skills including ability to write reports and deliver presentations to a wide range of audiences
• Ability to exercise a substantial degree of independent professional responsibility and discretion
• Excellent numeracy skills with evidence of being able to produce and analyse complex source material, information, and data
• Financial awareness including previous experience of setting, managing and monitoring budgets effectively

Attributes and Behaviour

• An active advocate of equality and diversity with experience of being able to use data to identify equality and diversity issues and develop interventions
• Adapts to change and engages key stakeholders in planning ahead
• Can see the bigger picture in order to develop and lead on strategy that aligns with organisational goals
• Can lead teams to deliver strategic objectives, utilising skills and talents to deliver great work
• Embraces our values and leads through those values in order to project and inspire confidence in others
• The ability to operate with tact, diplomacy and with discretion at all times
• Sensitivity to and awareness of public relations, commercial confidentiality and competition issues
• Ability to think calmly and clearly in crisis management situations, with associated problem solving and decision-making skills

Qualifications

• Educated to Degree level (or equivalent level qualifications), preferably in sport &/or management discipline