Assistant Director, Strategic Portfolio Management

**Location**:

- Brighton, UK**Hours**:**Salary**:

- Grade 9 starting at £58,225 to £67,468 per annum, pro rata if part time.**Contract Type**:

- PermanentAbout the role

As Assistant Director of Strategic Portfolio Management, you’ll be at the heart of shaping and delivering the University of Sussex’s strategic change agenda. Sitting within Sussex Projects (our Central Enterprise Portfolio Management Office), you’ll lead a talented team of portfolio, programme and project managers, working collaboratively across the institution to turn the Sussex 2035 vision into a coherent, prioritised programme of capital investment and transformation.

This is a leadership role with real influence — you’ll oversee the strategic change portfolio, lead the annual capital planning cycle, and embed best practices in benefits realisation, resource management, and governance. You’ll work closely with senior leaders, providing insight, challenge, and assurance to support high-impact decision-making.

If you’re a strategic thinker with a passion for driving meaningful change, and you thrive in a collaborative, forward-thinking environment, this is your opportunity to make a lasting impact at a world-leading university.

About you

You’re a strategic thinker and confident leader, with a proven track record in portfolio management within complex organisations. You bring clarity to complexity, using your analytical skills and insight to guide decision-making and drive meaningful change. You’re comfortable operating at a senior level — influencing, advising, and collaborating with stakeholders across the institution.

You thrive in a fast-paced, evolving environment and are passionate about delivering high-quality outcomes. You understand the importance of aligning capital investment, benefits realisation, and resource planning to institutional priorities — and you know how to make that happen.

You lead with purpose, inspire your team, and foster a culture of continuous improvement. Whether you're presenting to governance boards, coaching your team, or shaping strategic plans, you bring energy, credibility, and a commitment to excellence.

About our Division

Established in 2021, Sussex Projects is a fairly new function that exists within the University with a mission to
- 1. Act as a central enterprise function for the selection, prioritisation and control of all projects and programmes in line with the University’s strategic objectives and capacity to deliver.
- 2. Establish and implement project management best practices for the benefit of the University in a way that encourages collaboration, standardisation, and overall improvement in project results across all strategic portfolios
- Headed up by the Director of Strategic Projects and Change, the division provides control and oversight over our ambitious capital programme, a multi-million pound 10-year transformation, delivering complex change across our four institutional portfolios (1) ITS, (2) Estates, (3) Research and Enterprise, (4) Education and Students.

Why work here

Our university is situated off the A27, next to the beautiful South Downs where you will enjoy everything that our 150-acre campus has to offer. We are accessible by public transport; Falmer train station is a five-minute walk to campus and several bus stops are located within campus. We also have dedicated cycling paths and encourage our staff to use these with our offering of a cycle to work scheme.

Sussex is a renowned, multi-accredited, research-led International University and this is only possible because of the people that work here. Whether you are a member of Faculty, part of a Professional Services team or a Student, it’s our people that make us great and we want you to be part of that.

Find out about our equality, diversity and inclusion

Further Key Information

The University of Sussex values the diversity of its staff and students, and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds.

The University requires that work undertaken for the University is performed in the UK.

Visa Sponsorship Queries: This role may be eligible for sponsorship. Please consult our Skilled Worker Visa information page for further information about Visa Sponsorship.

***:

- August 31, 2025 5:59 PM

**Expected Interview Date**:

- Week Commencing 08 September 2025.

**Expected Start Date**:

- As Soon As Possible

**Fixed Term Contract Duration**:

- Not Applicable