This is a rare opportunity to join University of the Arts London in one of its most influential leadership positions. As University Secretary, you will play a central role in shaping the governance, integrity and long term success of one of the world's leading creative universities.
UAL is the UK's largest specialist art and design university, home to more than 20,000 students from over 130 countries across six globally recognised Colleges. At a time of significant change across Higher Education, effective governance, robust assurance and confident institutional leadership have never been more important.
Jointly accountable to the Vice-Chancellor and the Chair of the Court of Governors, you will act as Secretary to the Court of Governors and trusted adviser to the University's most senior leaders. You will provide authoritative guidance on governance, constitutional matters and regulatory compliance, ensuring the University continues to operate with transparency, accountability and confidence while enabling innovation and strategic ambition.
Leading the University's Governance, Legal and Compliance functions, you will oversee institutional governance frameworks, risk management, internal audit and regulatory assurance. As Senior Information Risk Owner, you will also provide strategic leadership on information governance, freedom of speech, Prevent and wider statutory responsibilities, ensuring the University remains resilient within an increasingly complex regulatory landscape.
This is an opportunity to influence the future direction of an internationally renowned institution whose graduates, staff and research continue to shape the creative industries, public policy and society around the world.
You will be an accomplished governance leader with significant experience operating at executive level within a large, complex and highly regulated organisation. Whether your background has been gained within Higher Education or another similarly regulated sector, you will bring exceptional judgement, credibility and the ability to advise confidently on governance, constitutional and regulatory matters.
You will have extensive experience supporting governing bodies, boards or trustees and will be recognised for your ability to build trusted relationships with senior executives, board members and external stakeholders. You will combine strategic insight with operational excellence, ensuring robust governance frameworks while enabling effective and timely decision making.
An outstanding communicator and influential adviser, you will be able to navigate complex issues with diplomacy, integrity and confidence. You will be motivated by public service, committed to the highest standards of governance and excited by the opportunity to help shape the future of one of the world's leading creative universities.
University of the Arts London (UAL) generates and inspires the creativity the world needs for a better future. Since 1842, our colleges have been defining creative education. With curiosity, imagination and intent we make work which creates lasting change for people and our planet. London is core to who we are, a place where we meet and share ideas with people from different backgrounds and cultures.
Our creative network influences learning, culture, industry and society on a global scale. Our academics and practitioners deliver creative education and inspire new ways of thinking through research and innovation. We work with students at every level from pre-degree and short courses to postgraduate and online learning, enabling them to build the careers they want. Together, we are a community of makers, thinkers, pioneers and storytellers redesigning the future.
As a University, we are ranked second in the world for Art and Design. We are formed of 6 Colleges with unique histories and identities: Camberwell College of Arts, Central Saint Martins, Chelsea College of Arts, London College of Communication, London College of Fashion and Wimbledon College of Arts. UAL also has 4 Institutes, 5 Research Centres, 1 Pre-Degree School and 2 subsidiary companies delivering specialist activities.
We are a global University, welcoming over 22,000 students and 6,000 staff from 130 countries. We aim to be a university where people can be themselves and feel supported to reach their full potential. That’s why we are proud to hold a Bronze Award from the Race Equality Charter (REC), are members of the Business Disability Forum and Employers for Carers, and maintain our status as a Disability Confident Scheme and Living Wage employer.
We operate a fair and open anonymous selection process. Thus, you will need to create an account and submit an application through our job board. As part of this, you will need to provide a supporting statement/answer some competency questions to demonstrate your suitability. Our recruitment process involves: Application, Shortlisting, Interview and Assessment, Offer, Onboarding.
We understand the benefits of using AI in work. But, if you are thinking of using it to submit an application, we ask you to think about what value it adds. AI tools tend to lack the personal touch and authenticity we value in candidates. We encourage you to showcase your unique knowledge and skills using your own voice.
If we receive a high volume of applications, the closing day date might close early. We aim to communicate any changes to the closing date with at least 24 hours’ notice. If you have any general questions or have accessibility needs, please refer to our Contact us page.
Candidates are advised to submit applications early.
