Deputy Head of Student Registry (Job Number: 26000838)
Student and Academic Services Directorate
Grade 8: - £47,389 - £56,535 per annum
Open-Ended/Permanent - Full Time
Contracted Hours per Week: 35
Closing Date: 08-Jul-2026, 5:59:00 PM
Disclosure and Barring Service Requirement: Not Applicable.
The University
At Durham University we are proud of our people. A globally outstanding centre of educational excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, a unique and historic setting – Durham is a university like no other. We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things professionally and personally.
Across the University we have a huge variety of roles and career opportunities, which together make us a large and successful community, which is a key hub of activity within our region and nationally.
We would be thrilled if you would consider joining our thriving University. Further information about the University can be found here.
Find out more about the benefits of working at the University and what it is like to live and work in the Durham area on our Why Join Us? - Information Page.
The Role and the Department
The Deputy Head of Student Registry is part of the Deputy Head Management Team in Student Registry, with shared responsibility for managing the teams within the department. The Deputy Head Management Team deliver high quality services; continuous improvement, business resilience and take responsibility for staffing, processes, policies and procedures.
The Team contributes to the management and planning of Student Registry services through policy development and application, driving service improvement and ensuring compliance with legislative frameworks.
The postholder will have direct management responsibility for team(s) within Student Registry. The Student Registry portfolio includes:
student records and registration
student data returns to statutory bodies
timetabling
exams and assessment, publication of results and degree verification
provision of student award and status documentation, including transcripts and parchments (certificates)
face to face student advice via the Student Advisers desk in the Palatine Centre
management information related to student data.
Postholder team responsibilities within the Student Registry portfolio may change over time according to business needs.
Student Registry is part of the Student and Academic Services Directorate. The Directorate provides a professional administrative support service to staff, students and potential students of Durham University.
The Academic Registrar is the head of the Directorate and is responsible to the Chief Operating Officer for its management. The following services fall under the remit of the Directorate:
All of the services are based on the Mountjoy Site in Durham City.
The Student and Academic Services Directorate operates a hybrid working model with the opportunity to split working at home and in the office.
Further information about the role and the responsibilities is at the bottom of this job description.
Working at Durham
A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University:
- You’ll receive 30 days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year – a total of 42 days per year. The University closes between Christmas and New Year.
- We offer a generous pension scheme, and as a new member of staff you will be automatically enrolled into the University Superannuation Scheme (USS).
- No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered. We have ample parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies. You can also take advantage of our cost-effective and environmentally friendly Tusker Car Benefit Scheme, allowing you to lease a brand-new electric or hybrid vehicle with savings on tax and National Insurance.
- We have a genuine commitment to developing our colleagues professionally and personally. There is a comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications and routes to develop your career in the University. All staff have dedicated annual time to concentrate on their personal development opportunities.
- We provide wide-ranging health and wellbeing support including discounted membership for our state-of-the-art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme.
- Our on-site nursery is rated Outstanding by Ofsted, and you can access holiday camps for children aged 5-16.
- Our family-friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers).
- We offer all staff the opportunity to take part in volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community.
- You can access exclusive discounts via our benefits portal including money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, eating out and days out at various attractions.
- Various salary sacrifice schemes are also available to help you take advantage of tax savings on benefits.
- If you are moving to Durham, you may be eligible for help with removal costs, and we have a dedicated team who can help you with the practicalities such as house hunting and schools. If you need a visa, we cover most visa costs and offer an interest-free loan scheme to pay for dependant visas.
Discover more about our total rewards and benefits package here.
Durham University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion
Our collective aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and we believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work. As a University equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University’s Strategy and a central part of everything we do. We also live by our values and our Staff Code of Conduct. At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive.
We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force including people with disabilities, women and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. If you have taken time out of your career, and you feel it relevant, let us know about it in your application. If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role.
What you need to demonstrate when you apply/Person Specification
When you apply it is important that you let us know what skills/experience you have from a similar role and/or what skills/experience you have which would make you right for this role. Further information about the role and responsibilities is at the end of this job description. Where a criteria has an asterisk* next to it, it may be given additional weighting when your application is considered.
Your application should cover the following criteria:
Essential Criteria
Qualifications/Experience
1. Educated to degree level (or equivalent experience).
2. Professional practitioner with specialist knowledge and expertise to influence service delivery, events and activities within the organisation.
3. Experience of providing specialist advice and guidance to a range of customers and colleagues, including more senior colleagues.
4. Experience of participating in internal or external networks to share and discuss good practice, develop strong and productive working relationships and positively influence the University’s reputation.
5. Experience of implementing policies and procedures and supporting service improvements.
6. Track record of management and development experience and/or an enhanced management qualification applied across a large service team or teams.
7. Experience of managing service delivery in a customer service environment.
8. Experience of successfully managing change projects including business process re-engineering.
Skills/Abilities/Knowledge
9. Excellent spoken and written communication skills.
10. The ability to develop effective working relationships, both internally and externally
11. Advanced IT skills including the ability to manipulate large data sets using Microsoft Excel and Access.
12. Excellent analytical and problem solving skills, including the ability to interpret large/complex data sets.
13. The ability to manage complex, institution-wide processes involving both you own team and colleagues in other departments.
14. Committed to continuing professional development to maintain professional recognition.
15. Extensive knowledge and experience of ensuring compliance with regulatory and organisational policy and guidelines.
16. Ability to contribute to planning at operational and strategic levels.
17. Ability to solve problems and decide on and plan appropriate solutions.
Desirable criteria
18. Experience of scheduling activities within an education setting or relevant related experience.
19. Working knowledge of a corporate IT system such as the Banner Student Record system, Technology One timetabling/exam scheduling software or related systems.
How to apply
To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification above. It will be at the discretion of the recruiting panel as to whether they will also consider any desirable criteria, but we would urge candidates to provide evidence for all criteria. Please don’t forget to check if there is any weighted criteria (see above).
While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview.
Submitting your application
We prefer to receive applications online. We will update you about your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to make sure you have not missed any of our updates.
What you need to submit
- A CV: and
- A supporting statement which outlines how you meet all of the criteria within the Person Specification presented in a grid format.
Contact details
For a chat about the role or any further information please contact Peter Fieldhouse (
[email protected])
Typical Role Requirements
Service Delivery/Development
- Contribute to equality, diversity and inclusion, and the University’s values.
- Develop and apply an in-depth understanding of university policy and external developments.
- Ensure that policy and regulatory standards are met by the Student Registry teams, business processes and student systems.
- Use your professional knowledge and experience to resolve problems, review and develop business processes, develop systems and provide subject matter expertise and advice.
- Use your managerial and leadership expertise to identify priorities and shape Student Registry business processes and services in line with internal and external requirements.
- Look for ways to continually improve services and take a lead role in the development and implementation of assigned policies, processes and standards related to Student Registry services.
- Initiate and manage business process reviews to improve the services provided by Student Registry.
- Ensure data (commercially sensitive and/or personal) is appropriately stored and managed.
- Manage quality and regulatory audits of systems and procedures.
- Support the welfare, wellbeing and employment of your staff by providing professional guidance.
Planning and Organisation
- Contribute to the development of operational plans relevant to Student Registry.
- Oversee the analysis of data about the service levels provided by your area and make recommendations for improvement in reports to senior managers and committees.
- Allocate and monitor designated budgets, expenditure and resources.
Team Development
- Manage and develop the people, performance and resources of Student Registry team(s) to ensure that a customer-focused service is provided.
- Help shape the skills and expertise needed to deliver a professional service by recruiting, inducting and training team members and structuring the team in a way that will best meet operational and strategic priorities.
- Ensure that your team(s) can deliver the required services by devolving and delegating responsibilities to appropriate team members.
- Carry out regular performance reviews to provide feedback on objectives and expectations and identify any development needs.
- Handle most HR issues and support the welfare and wellbeing of your team, referring more complex issues to specialist services or more senior managers.
Communication/Liaison
- Use your professional knowledge to identify and recommend priorities for long-term business plans.
- Provide professional guidance and advice when managing Student Registry services.
- Design creative and innovative communications to promote and increase engagement relating to Student Registry services.
- Influence University policy, standards and governance by leading operational business meetings, working groups and sub-committees.
- Create strong working relationships, including internal and external networks, using your networks to increase your knowledge and skills, swap information with peers and positively influence the University’s reputation.
- Represent Student Registry, the directorate and the University at promotional events.
- Identify opportunities to develop and increase participation in special interest groups.
- Any other reasonable duties.
Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement Privacy Notices - Durham University which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.
When appointing to this role the University must ensure that it meets any applicable immigration requirements, including salary thresholds which are applicable to some visas.
