Location
University of Warwick Campus, Coventry
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Department
Education - Flexible Online Learning Division
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Position Type
Fixed Term
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Duration
Fixed-term contract for 18 months.
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Salary
£58,225 to £67,468 per annum
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About the Role
Informal Queries
For informal queries about the role, please contact Sam Hardy (Director of Flexible & Online Learning Division) at
[email protected].
The Associate Director (Online Programme Unit Operations) is a senior leadership role responsible for the commercial and operational delivery of the University's online education portfolio. Leading the Online Programme Unit, the postholder will drive sustainable growth, revenue performance and operational excellence across the full online student lifecycle, from initial lead generation and recruitment through to student success and graduation. Working closely with academic departments, professional services teams and external delivery partners, the role will ensure a seamless, high-quality student experience while delivering against ambitious financial and strategic objectives. The postholder will provide leadership for a growing multidisciplinary team, oversee supplier performance and partnership management, and play a key role in shaping and implementing the University's online education operating model, ensuring it is scalable, financially sustainable, data-informed and aligned with institutional priorities.
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About You
You are a commercially minded and operationally focused leader with a proven track record of delivering growth, performance and service excellence within complex organisations. You will bring substantial experience of leading large-scale online, digital or education-related services, with responsibility for strategy implementation, operational delivery, financial performance and organisational change. Comfortable working in a fast-paced and evolving environment, you are able to turn strategic ambitions into practical, scalable operating models that deliver measurable outcomes.
You will be an exceptional relationship builder, able to establish credibility and influence with senior academic leaders, professional services colleagues and external partners. With strong commercial awareness and a data-driven approach to decision making, you will have experience managing budgets, driving revenue growth, overseeing supplier performance and delivering against challenging KPIs. You will be passionate about creating outstanding user experiences, leading high-performing teams and fostering a culture of continuous improvement, innovation and collaboration. Most importantly, you will be motivated by the opportunity to help shape and scale a strategically important area of the University's future education portfolio.
For details on the experience and skills required, please refer to the
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About the Department
The Flexible and Online Learning Division is at the forefront of Warwick's ambition to expand access to world-class education through innovative online learning. Within the Division, the newly established Online Programme Unit (OPU) operates as a strategic and operational hub for the University's growing online portfolio, initially focused on postgraduate taught programmes.
As a brand-new unit, the OPU offers a rare opportunity to help shape its direction, culture and ways of working from the outset. The Unit provides strategic leadership and governance for Warwick's online programme portfolio, ensuring that academic quality, market demand, financial sustainability and institutional priorities are aligned. It also coordinates the development, delivery and performance of online programmes, bringing together academic departments, professional services and external partners to create an outstanding student experience.
Working at the centre of a major institutional growth initiative, the OPU collaborates closely with colleagues across Faculties, Central Finance, Education Operations, IDG and other professional services teams. Joining the OPU means becoming part of an ambitious, collaborative and forward-thinking environment that is shaping the future of online education at Warwick and extending the University's global reach and impact.
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About the University
We are a world-leading research-intensive university founded in 1965. We are ranked 74th in the world and 9th in the UK.* Additionally, 92% of our research is rated world-leading or internationally excellent.**
Find out more about us at warwick.ac.uk/about/.
- World University Ranking 2026, Complete University Guide 2026
** Research Excellence Framework 2021
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How to Apply
Closing Deadline: Sunday 16 August 2026 at 11:55pm (UK Time)*
To apply, please click APPLY below and submit an application form by the closing deadline.
You will be asked to include a CV and Cover Letter. These documents should:
Outline employment and education history (including your most recent employment).
Demonstrate how you meet the essential and desirable criteria in the /*generated inline style */
Right to Work in the UK
If you do not yet have the right to work in the UK and/or are seeking sponsorship for a Skilled Worker visa, please follow this link which contains further information about obtaining the right to work in the UK.
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