Deputy Academic Registrar: Quality & Standards

Deputy Academic Registrar: Quality & Standards

Job Number

This role will be located on campus at Bangor. Through our Dynamic Working framework, there will also be the option to spend some time working remotely (although remaining in the UK) to support work life balance, which will be discussed further with candidates at interview. Applications will also be considered to carry out this role on a part-time or job share basis.

Applications will only be accepted via our on-line recruitment website, jobs.bangor.ac.uk. However, in cases of access issues due to disability, paper application forms are available by telephoning 01248 383865.

Closing date for applications: Friday 4th September 2026.

Committed To Equal Opportunities.

Overview

The Directorate of Student and Academic Services brings together key professional services that support the student journey and enhance the academic experience at Bangor University. The Directorate comprises three main areas:

• Registry,which oversees student administration and business support, and leads on quality assurance, academic enhancement, and curriculum management.
• Student Life,which encompasses a wide range of student-facing services including Wellbeing and Inclusivity, Library Collections, Residential Life, Student Success (covering Teaching, Learning and Language Support, Careers, and Student Advice), and the Student Experience team.
• Campus Services,responsible for the University’s day-to-day operational environment, including Facilities, Catering, Sport, the Nursery, the Security and Response Team and the Management Centre.

Together, these services work in close partnership with academic colleagues and other professional service directorates to provide a supportive, inclusive and high-quality environment in which students can thrive.

Purpose of the Job

The Deputy Academic Registrar: Quality & Standards will play a critical role in ensuring academic excellence and supporting student success. This position requires a strategic thinker with a deep understanding of quality assurance and enhancement and a commitment to fostering an inclusive academic environment.

The role holder will lead the development, implementation, and enhancement of quality assurance processes across the university. This role involves overseeing academic standards, supporting teaching and learning initiatives, oversight of CELT including delivery of the CELT conference. The successful candidate will collaborate with academic departments and other professional services to foster a culture of continuous improvement.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Specific Responsibilities of the Role

• Ensure compliance with national and international quality assurance frameworks, including CMA, ESG and QAA requirements and best practices.
• Lead the development, implementation and continuous improvement of quality assurance and curriculum management processes, adopting agile and sprint methodologies where appropriate.
• Oversee quality assurance for collaborative and transnational education (TNE) partnerships, including franchise, validation and joint/dual awards, ensuring compliance with QAA and sector requirements across all locations.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to develop, monitor and implement action plans and enhancement initiatives, including work with Executive leads on the institutional enhancement framework.
• Represent the University in external quality assurance and accreditation processes, overseeing preparations for reviews and audits and ensuring required documentation and evidence are submitted.
• Provide expert guidance on quality and standards in line with sector requirements, updating relevant regulations, codes of practice and guidance as required.
• Oversee the Centre for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching, leading the strategic development of CPD workshops and the annual conference to promote best practice in teaching, curriculum design and assessment.
• Lead the development of resources and training to support effective teaching and learning practices.
• Oversee the redevelopment of materials and delivery of training and support on quality assurance processes and standards, alongside relevant CPD opportunities for staff.
• Ensure efficient and effective servicing of committees, delivery groups and meetings through the training and development of Directorate staff.
• Work with Registry colleagues to support complex casework, implement new systems and procedures, and maintain regulations, policies and procedures in line with sector best practice.
• Undertake other duties appropriate to the grade as required by line management.

Core Responsibilities

Strategic Vision and Leadership

• Develop and communicate a clear strategic vision for the service, setting and monitoring KPIs to align initiatives with institutional goals and student needs.
• Demonstrate strong leadership by motivating and empowering teams to sustain high performance, particularly during periods of change or increased demand.

Communication and Influence

• Use excellent written and verbal communication skills to engage effectively with academic staff, professional services, students and external bodies.
• Present complex information clearly and persuasively, maintaining confidentiality where required, to influence decision-making and promote collaboration across professional services and academic areas in support of a cohesive, student-centred service.

Operational Oversight and Planning

• Demonstrate expertise in strategically managing a service area, including resource and budget management, priority setting, operational oversight, and service development, implementation and evaluation.
• Develop, implement and improve workflows and systems across services to enhance effectiveness and ensure compliance with regulations, policies and sector standards.
• Effectively line manage teams, implement succession planning through staff development, and address poor performance using appropriate policies and support mechanisms.

Other Duties and Responsibilities

Problem Solving and Data-led Decision-Making

• Analyse complex data to assess service performance, identify trends and inform strategic decision-making.
• Apply strong critical thinking, problem-solving and decision-making skills to resolve complex issues, balancing university policies with individual needs, particularly in sensitive or reputationally sensitive cases.
• Prepare reports for university committees and delivery groups that identify trends, monitor performance, evaluate impact and provide evidence-based recommendations for improvement.

Resilience and Adaptability

• Successfully manage multiple priorities and challenges in a dynamic environment, ensuring service performance is maintained, particularly during peak periods.
• Maintain expert knowledge and adapt to evolving regulatory, institutional and student needs to ensure services remain relevant and effective.

Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration

• Develop strategic relationships with internal and external stakeholders, leading or contributing significantly to regional and national professional networks.
• Lead engagement with academic departments and professional services to ensure strategic and operational alignment of service requirements and working practices.
• Understand the needs of diverse student populations and apply equality, diversity and inclusion principles to policy development and oversight of working practices, ensuring equitable support.

Compliance & Risk

• Develop, implement, and proactively oversee relevant policies and procedures ensuring the service complies with relevant regulatory standards and institutional requirements.
• Become the recognised authority in expertise for the assigned service area, by developing and maintaining sound knowledge of sector best practice, regulations and legal obligations.
• Proactively identify, assess, and manage risks within the service, ensuring effective risk mitigation strategies are in place and regularly reviewed.

Student-Centred Service Focus

• Lead collaborative working with Undeb Bangor in relation to the role, to strategically plan promote and develop an excellent student experience.
• Proactively identify and implement solutions to enhance service effectiveness and student satisfaction, securing senior buy-in as required.

Other

• The post holder will be expected to participate in performance review and developmental activities.
• The post holder will be expected to comply with the University equal opportunities policies, Dignity at Work and Study Policy and the University’s Welsh Language Policy and the Welsh Language Standards.
• The post holder has a general and legal duty of care in relation to health, safety and wellbeing and must take all reasonable steps to ensure a safe and healthy working environment for themselves and for other members of staff, students and visitors affected by their actions or inactions. The post holder is also required to comply with all applicable health and safety policies, procedures and risk assessments.
• The post holder must comply with relevant legal and financial policies and procedures and be aware of their responsibilities in terms of the legal requirements of their post.
• Please note that there may be a requirement to travel to prospective or current collaborative partners as part of this role, as well as a requirement to occasionally work during unsociable hours to remotely attend Examination Boards/Joint Programme Boards/Boards of studies at overseas partners.

Person Specification

Qualifications/Training

Essential

• Educated to postgraduate level, or equivalent and/or possess equivalent professional experience.

Experience/Knowledge

Essential

• Senior level HE experience of playing a significant role in a relevant registry function supporting students and academic staff.
• In depth knowledge of the structure, management and operation of quality assurance procedures in a higher education setting.
• Experience of preparing reports, briefings and recommendations for senior managers, committees or governance bodies.
• Demonstrable knowledge and experience of adhering to quality assurance expectations, including the QAA UK Quality Code.
• Demonstrable understanding of quality assurance oversight for collaborative and/or transnational education (TNE) academic partnerships.

Desirable

• Experience of successful change management, service improvement and the introduction of new systems and processes.
• Experience of leading projects and contribution to institutional initiatives involving multiple stakeholders.
• Demonstrable experience of managing staff, leading teams and supporting the professional development of colleagues.
• Experience of the use and management of information systems and a high degree of computer literacy.

Skills/Abilities

Essential

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to build professional and effective working relationships with staff at all levels within the institution and with external partners.
• Excellent organisational skills.
• An ability to respond to situations as they arise and prioritise workloads of self and other staff in response to changing circumstances.
• An ability to work under pressure and to use initiative to solve problems and implement solutions in a timely manner.
• A methodical approach with a keen eye for detail and accuracy.
• An ability to work independently or as part of a team.

Other

Desirable

• The ability to speak Welsh fluently and carry out tasks such as writing emails in Welsh to a variety of audiences is desirable for this post.

General

The University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds. We strive to develop a workforce from all sections of the community regardless of sex, gender identity, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, trans identity, relationship status, religion or belief, caring responsibilities, or age. We promote and facilitate the use of the Welsh language through our progressive Welsh Language Policy. We comply with the Welsh Language Standards and are committed to equality of opportunity. You are welcome to apply for any job in English or Welsh and all applications submitted will be treated equally.

We are a member of Advance HE's Athena SWAN Gender Equality charter and hold a Silver award in recognition of our commitment to and progress towards gender equality within the University's policies, practices, and culture. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer.

All members of staff have a duty to ensure their actions are in line with the overall environmental aims of the University and minimise their environmental impact.

All offers are made subject to proof of eligibility to work in the UK and receipt of satisfactory references.

We have a legal responsibility to ensure that you have the right to work in the UK before you can start working for us.  When you apply for this post you will be required to explain the basis upon which you believe you will able to live and work in the UK legally on the commencement date of the role should your application be successful.   If you do not have the right to work freely in any position in the UK already, any offer of employment we will make to you will be subject to you obtaining a right to work visa.   The following link provides information on the various visa routes into employment and the eligibility requirements (including switching visa status where permissible) https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas.   If you are successful in your application we will discuss visa options with you at the time of making the offer of employment.  

Please note that, in the event of applications being received from candidates on the University's Redeployment Register with a reasonable skills match to the post specification, these applicants will be given prior consideration.