Royal College of Art
Academic Planning and Performance Manager
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Academic Planning & Performance Manager
Royal College of Art | Permanent | Full-time | Hybrid working
The Royal College of Art is seeking an experienced and highly capable Academic Planning & Performance Manager to join our Academic Registry team.
This is a key senior professional services role, providing high-quality planning, analysis, reporting and coordination to support institutional decision-making across the College. Working closely with the Academic Registrar and senior academic and professional services colleagues, you will help ensure that planning and performance activity is well coordinated, evidence-informed and aligned with the RCA’s strategic ambitions.
The RCA is a world-leading specialist postgraduate institution of art, design, architecture, communication and creative practice. Operating within a complex and fast-changing higher education environment, robust planning, high-quality evidence and insightful performance reporting are essential to supporting academic, operational and strategic delivery.
About the role
You will coordinate key institutional and academic planning cycles, including student number planning, recruitment and admissions monitoring, academic portfolio planning, quality cycles, student outcomes reporting and performance monitoring.
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You will analyse and interpret quantitative and qualitative data from a range of sources, translating complex information into clear insights, briefings, dashboards, reports and recommendations for senior leaders and committees.
A key element of the role will be developing and maintaining planning models and analytical tools, including scenario modelling and options analysis to support student number planning, admissions and enrolment monitoring, programme viability, portfolio planning and resource considerations.
You will provide trusted planning and performance advice to the Academic Registrar, PVC Education and Student Success, Deans, Heads of Programme and senior professional service colleagues, providing constructive challenge and helping colleagues understand trends, risks and implications.
You will work collaboratively across Academic Registry, Schools and professional services including Finance, Recruitment, Technical Services, Data and Insight and Strategy, supporting joined-up planning and performance activity across the College.
About you:
You will have significant experience in planning, performance reporting, data analysis, academic administration, governance, business planning or strategy support, ideally within higher education or another complex organisation.
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You will have strong analytical and numerical skills, advanced Excel capability and experience producing high-quality reports, briefings, dashboards or committee papers for senior audiences. You will be confident engaging with senior stakeholders, able to influence and advise colleagues, provide constructive challenge and translate complex information into clear, practical and actionable insight.
An understanding of the UK higher education environment, including governance, assurance, quality, student outcomes, regulatory expectations and institutional performance, is essential.
This is an exciting opportunity to take on a role with significant institutional influence, helping to connect data, planning and performance with strategic priorities at one of the world’s leading specialist postgraduate universities.
Please see Information pack for further details of this exciting new role.
Closing for applications: 11.59pm, 14 September 2026 with interviews expected to take place 24 September 2026
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