Vice-President: Global & Regional Engagement

Job Description: Vice-President: Global & Regional Engagement

Purpose of the Role:

The University of Galway has ambitions to be increasingly globally and regionally connected, through strong and distinctive partnerships, engagements, fundraising and communication strategies that underpin these aims.

The Vice-President: Global & Regional Engagement at University of Galway will be pivotal in leading a portfolio of teams that comprise our International, Engagement, Development and Alumni Relations (Advancement) and Marketing & Communications Offices. The post holder will join the University Management Team (UMT) reporting to the President, Professor David Burn, and be responsible for delivering on key activities that will underpin our recently launched University Strategy 2025 to 2030.  The University Strategy ‘Of Galway for the World’ highlights our institutional importance as a driver for engagement, powered by our unique regional ecosystem and global reach.

The Vice-President: Global & Regional Engagement is a newly reconfigured role at University of Galway, presenting an exciting opportunity to shape the external engagement, reputation, and connectivity of our university. The post holder will ensure there is a strong vision and clear strategic leadership to empower and harmonise our activities, ranging across international student recruitment and mobility, regional and global partnerships, alumni relations, fundraising, marketing, communications (both internal and external), press engagement, reputation management and public and civic relations. The successful candidate will have an exceptional track record of delivery within this portfolio and, given the reconfigured nature of the role, will have experience of significant change management.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership and Strategy

• Provide strategic leadership across all activities relating to external engagement to grow our regional and global reputation.
• Work with colleagues to develop a compelling vision and clear strategy for the University’s engagement activities, which enables delivery of our core mission to deliver distinctive research impact and excellent education for the future.
• Develop and lead an ambitious engagement agenda that sets University of Galway apart by focussing on our distinctive strengths, our global and regional connections and unique location within our city and region; including championing engagement with the Irish Language.

Enabling and Embedding Engagement throughout our University

• Develop and oversee the supporting structures that empower our entire university community to be active, engaged participants in internationalisation, partnership building, fundraising and development, community engagement, brand and reputation development and high quality, professional external communications.
• Embed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion good practice and principles into the University’s engagement activities both regionally and globally.
• Lead and encourage the development of innovation and initiatives in global and regional engagement, drawing on our distinctive identity and ambition.
• Work in collaboration with UMT colleagues and key function leads to ensure that our core services, systems, processes and structures support our engagement work and the units within the Vice President: Global and Regional Engagement directorate.
• Embed and promote a positive engagement and fundraising culture – ensuring that the whole university is empowered to participate and benefit from these activities.
• Work with the Vice President: Research & Innovation to embed a culture of industry engagement to advance opportunities for research commercialisation.
• Ensure appropriate processes and frameworks are in place to assure, embed and maintain quality and standards in all our engagement related activities.

Sustaining our engagement ecosystem

• Monitor and influence the internal and external landscape and drivers, anticipating new opportunities and initiating and leading change related to engagement across the University, in line with the University’s strategy and ambitions.
• Promote professionalism in all our engagement activities across the University, championing shared ownership and, above all, participation.
• Provide strategic leadership and management support for our International Office, Engagement Office, Alumni and Development (Advancement) Office and Marketing and Communications Office.
• Work closely with the Students’ Union – Comhaltas na Mac Léinn – to continue and enhance our partnership model for consultation and sharing information, particularly with respect to external communications and the University’s reputation management.
• Develop our talent pipeline, ensuring that staff within the Vice President: Global and Regional Engagement directorate are encouraged to continuously develop their skills and ambitions.

Building relationships and influence beyond our campus

• Act as a key driver and ambassador for our external relations regionally, nationally and globally. Working closely with the President and senior UMT colleagues, to advocate for our university, building our reputation and leveraging external fundraising opportunities.
• Lead the development and sustainability of partnerships with regional, national and international organisations, including our flagship European university ‘ENLIGHT’ partnership, to drive forward our ambitions to deliver distinctive research impact and excellent education for the future.
• Seek to influence the national and international policy agenda to ensure sustainability of our university in areas related to income generation, fundraising, political influence, brand and reputation management and external relations.

Building effective internal relationships

• Work closely with UMT members, including College Executive Deans, as well as Heads of Schools, College Management, College Vice-Deans and Professional Service Units of the University to ensure alignment and delivery of strategic goals.
• Chair engagement-related working groups and committees, most notably the University’s International Committee. Details of the University’s governance structures can be found at: www.universityofgalway.ie/governance/the-kube-the-governance-hub/keygovernancestructures/

Finance/Resource Management 

• Undertake forecasting, ensure financial plans are developed, and that services operate effectively within budget for the area of responsibility.

Analysis & Reporting 

• Provide high level strategic advice, guidance and leadership about the global HE context, trends, best practice, risks and opportunities, based on a thorough evidence-based analysis of the performance of University of Galway against a basket of metrics in comparison with peer institutions nationally and globally (in collaboration with International Office and Strategic Planning).
• Identify ways of improving efficiency and effectiveness and promote improvements in terms of value for money in units within the span of responsibility. 
• Review performance over time in the areas of responsibility and identify areas of improvement. 

Note: The list of duties specified above is not intended to be exclusive or restrictive; duties may be added or withdrawn but any such alteration will take place after consultation with the appointee.

Selection Criteria

Applications will be judged solely against the criteria set out below. Applicants should ensure that their application clearly demonstrates that their skills and experience meet these criteria.

Essential Criteria:

• Minimum 10 years of experience working at a senior management level in a Global engagement, Internationalisation, Marketing, and/or Communications role.
• Demonstrable dynamic and inspirational leadership qualities at organisational, national and international levels.
• Significant experience of engagement with external bodies including professional associations, government, public policy stakeholders and funding agencies at national and international level.
• Demonstrable in-depth knowledge and understanding of the key issues affecting global and regional engagement activities and familiarity with leading edge developments in fundraising, reputation management, communications and global student recruitment and mobility matters.
• Exceptional knowledge and experience of working in one or more of the domains within the Vice President: Global and Regional Engagement directorate.
• Demonstrably excellent, successful experience of leading on engagement-related activities, either in an equivalent post or in a leadership role within a major organisation.
• Significant experience in leading and managing others, creating a highly engaged work environment, and in developing staff.
• Demonstrable planning, organising and decision-making skills.
• Demonstrable communication skills and experience of developing, enabling and supporting a collegial and collaborative approach across a workforce community, including in the development and implementation of strategy.
• Sophisticated influencing, team building and general interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate and deliver a vision for engagement at University of Galway and build consensus as required.
• Demonstrable commitment to, and achievement in, enhancing the university community and in supporting the achievement of international recognition.
• Evidence of leadership in, and demonstrated commitment to, gender equality and the wider issues of equality, diversity and inclusion.
• An ability to think strategically to evaluate a complex changing landscape and to make clear decisions.
• Demonstrable commitment to the core values of the University – Excellence, Respect, Openness, Sustainability and Belonging.
• A track record of high-level personal and institutional relationship building.
• Strong financial and people management skills.
• A strong understanding of governance, management and the regulatory environment in higher education or public sector institutions.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Knowledge of the Irish and/or international higher education environment.
• An experienced and skilful strategist with a demonstrable ability to identify and implement improvements.
• Diplomatically and politically astute.
• Experience of making and implementing difficult decisions. Demonstrating evidence of determination and resilience.

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience of collaboration and mentoring, with a particular focus on professional development for staff.
• Evidence of a personal international network.
• A demonstrable commitment to our university’s strategic ambitions to deliver distinctive research impact and excellent education for the future. 

The successful applicant will be required to participate in a relevant senior leadership programme to further develop their leadership development capabilities.