Head of Access

Head of Access

Widening Participation & Social Mobility

Location: Highfield Campus

Salary: £44,263 to £56,021 per annum

Full Time Fixed Term until 28/02/2025

Closing Date: 30 June 2024

Interview Date: To be confirmed

Reference: 2752924HL

This is a full time fixed term post until 28/02/2025 to cover maternity leave.

Widening Participation and Social Mobility are recruiting for a fixed term Head of Access to join our growing team at the University of Southampton, covering maternity leave until February 2025. The Head of Access will be directly responsible for the strategic oversight of our outreach and transition activity, which ensures that students have equality of Access to the University. Leading a department of Access Practitioners, the Head of Access will be responsible for the successful delivery of our awareness and attainment raising activities, which start in primary schools and run through to post-16. Focused on increasing the diversity of applications, offers and enrolments at the University, this role will be integral to the development of our Access and Participation Plan, launching in September 2024.

Building on the work already in place, you will be working closely with the Director and Associate Director of Widening Participation and Social Mobility to develop our provision in line with new guidance from the Office for Students, which will focus on attainment raising and the embedding of evaluation throughout. The ideal candidate will have experience of leading activity in a higher education institution, with in-depth knowledge of Widening Participation policy. You will be an experienced leader who is able to develop strong relationships both within the university and externally with schools and colleges to create initiatives which mitigate risks to equality of opportunity across the country. You will be a strategic, creative thinker, able to create innovative projects which have students at the heart and be confident working to co-design activity with both university students and students before they arrive.

For an informal conversation about the role, please contact Florence Harvey, Associate Director Widening Participation and Social Mobility.

An enhanced DBS check is required for this role.

As a university, we aim to create an environment where everyone can thrive and are proactive in fostering a culture of inclusion, respect and equality of opportunity. We believe that we can only truly meet our objectives if we are reflective of society, so we are passionate about creating a working environment in which you are free to bring your whole self to work. With a generous holiday allowance, as well as additional university closure days, we are committed to supporting our staff and students and open to a flexible working approach.

Apply by 11.59 pm GMT on the closing date. For assistance, contact Recruitment, quoting the job number.

Other organisations may call this role Head of Access and Equality, Head of Access and Widening Participation, Social Mobility Programme Manager, Access and Equality Programme Manager, or Head of Access and Social Mobility.