Victoria College of Arts and Design
Head of Student Experience
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Company: Victoria College of Arts and Design
Position: Head of Student Experience
Job Location: Onsite, Canary Wharf, London
Employment Type: Full-Time
Work Schedule: Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Salary Range: £60,000 – £70,000 per annum
Direct Reports: Student Information Team, Student Engagement Team, Student Services, Health and Wellbeing, Careers and Employability & Academic Skills
About VCAD
Victoria College of Arts and Design (VCAD) is an independent higher education provider with campuses in London and Manchester. We deliver programmes in partnership with Arts University Plymouth and are proud to serve a community of mature learners, first-generation students, and individuals balancing study with work and family life.
This is an exciting moment to join a growing institution that places student success at the heart of everything it does.
The Role
The Head of Student Experience is a senior institutional leadership role responsible for shaping, delivering, and continuously improving the student experience at VCAD. You will provide strategic oversight of all student-facing services — including student support, wellbeing, financial guidance, and employability — and will play a key role in ensuring VCAD meets and exceeds its obligations under the OfS's B3 student outcomes conditions and any applicable Access & Participation commitments.
Working closely with the Directors and academic leadership, you will foster a culture of student success, resilience, and belonging, and will ensure that every student — regardless of background or personal circumstance — has the support they need to achieve their potential and progress with confidence.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
- Work closely with the Directors of VCAD, Heads of Department, and professional services colleagues across all campuses to develop and implement a coherent, inclusive, and ambitious Student Experience strategy.
- Contribute to institutional planning, risk management, and regulatory compliance, including the College's preparedness for OfS registration and ongoing compliance with OfS Conditions of Registration — in particular the B3 student outcomes conditions relating to continuation, completion, and progression.
- Lead institutional responses to the National Student Survey (NSS) and other student feedback mechanisms, ensuring insight is translated into meaningful and measurable service improvements.
- Represent the student experience function at Board and senior leadership level, providing data-informed reports and strategic recommendations.
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Student Support and Wellbeing
- Lead the design and delivery of a comprehensive, inclusive, and technology-enhanced student support service that proactively identifies and removes barriers to student success.
- Ensure VCAD's full compliance with all relevant legislation, including the Equality Act 2010, GDPR, and sector guidance relating to student mental health, safeguarding, and disability support.
- Manage, mentor, and professionally develop a diverse team of student support and student success staff, promoting a culture of high performance, empathy, and continuous improvement.
- Oversee the management of student experience budgets and resources, ensuring value for money and appropriate allocation in line with institutional priorities.
Student Retention, Continuation, and Outcomes
- Design and implement data-driven strategies to improve student retention, continuation, completion, and progression outcomes, with particular focus on students from widening participation backgrounds and underrepresented groups.
- Establish robust systems for monitoring individual student progress, enabling early intervention and timely, targeted support for students at risk of disengagement or withdrawal.
- Ensure the accurate and timely collection, analysis, and reporting of student experience data to inform institutional decision-making, statutory data returns, and OfS regulatory reporting.
Student Employability
- Develop and lead a meaningful employability strategy that equips students with the skills, confidence, and professional networks needed to succeed in their chosen fields.
- Build and sustain productive relationships with industry partners, facilitating internship, placement, and graduate employment opportunities relevant to VCAD's subject areas.
- Commission and oversee a programme of employability-focused events, workshops, and individual guidance, including CV support, interview preparation, and enterprise development.
- Monitor the effectiveness of employability provision using Graduate Outcomes and leaver destination data, adjusting the offer in response to labour market intelligence and student need.
Partnerships and External Engagement
- Build and maintain effective relationships with VCAD's academic partner universities, and relevant external agencies and sector bodies.
- Champion VCAD's equality, diversity, and inclusion commitments across all aspects of the student experience, ensuring the College's approach is both legally compliant and genuinely embedded in practice.
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Person Specification
Essential
- Significant experience in a senior student services, student experience, or student affairs leadership role within a UK higher education provider.
- Demonstrable knowledge of the UK HE regulatory environment, including familiarity with OfS Conditions of Registration, B3 student outcomes, and Access & Participation obligations.
- Proven ability to use data and student outcome metrics to drive strategic decision-making and service improvement.
- Strong leadership and people management skills, with experience of building, developing, and motivating diverse teams.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage effectively with students, staff, senior leaders, and external partners.
- Experience managing budgets and delivering value for money in a resource-conscious environment.
- Commitment to widening participation, equality of opportunity, and inclusive practice.
Desirable
- Experience of working within a small or independent HE provider or during a period of significant institutional change or growth.
- Familiarity with HESA statutory data returns and student record systems.
- Experience supporting students with complex needs, including mental health, disability, and financial hardship.
Benefits
- Annual leave (7.2 weeks)
- Workplace pension scheme.
- Company Sick Pay.
- Statutory maternity and paternity pay.
- Employee Assistance Programme (HA Wisdom Wellbeing)
- Virtual GP access (Livi)
- 'Speak Up Service' - confidential support service to report any workplace concerns
- Specialist physical and mental wellbeing support services with 24/7 confidential counselling support (Wisdom)
- Specialist menopause support, including online CBT (Wisdom)
- Financial, legal and medical advice services provided (Wisdom)
- Life & Leadership coaching (Wisdom)
- Financial coaching (MUNNY)
- Discounts and perks, offering savings on shopping, activities and more (Bright Exchange)
- Career development and training opportunities.
- Training and self-development opportunities.
Victoria College of Arts and Design is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment and warmly welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds.
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