Higher Education Funding Council for England
JISC Liaison for Central Funders
£61,598 - £70,838 pro rata
Initially a fixed term contract for c. 15month
Part time, c. 0.5/0.6 FTE with flexible hours and days to suit business requirements
Bristol or London based, with significant travel
The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) is responsible for distributing nearly £5 billion a year for teaching and research in universities and colleges in England. Our mission is to work in partnership to promote and fund high-quality, cost-effective teaching and research, meeting the diverse needs of students, the economy and society.
The Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) is currently part of the HEFCE and serves the Higher Education (HE), Further Education (FE) and skills sectors in all four nations of the UK. JISC leads on IT and runs many services in this area for the sectors concerned as well as being a source of expertise for them. JISC will soon become a separate organisation, spearheading new initiatives, though HEFCE and others will continue to provide funding for this vital work.
This is a pivotal role working closely with the organisation that is the nation’s expert body for information and digital technologies in research, teaching and learning. As part of HEFCE’s senior management team, you’ll play a crucial role during the transition and beyond, working in partnership with JISC as the key representative of the various organisations that provide its funding.
Negotiating funders’ priorities with the JISC family, you’ll provide assurance that they’re working to the high standards their funders have come to expect. You’ll act as an observer on the JISC Board and attend assessor meetings, as well as overseeing the organisation’s budget. Shaping transition arrangements, establishing new ways of working with JISC, and dealing with legacy or ongoing issues - from licensing to intellectual property - you’ll be central to the success of JISC’s evolution, funding and future relationship with its funders.
A driven strategic thinker with board level, contract and budget management experience, you will have a proven track record of negotiating differing priorities into a unified vision. We’ll expect you to demonstrate impressive IT expertise. In particular, you’ll bring to the role considerable knowledge of ICT and digital technologies in education. Strong insight to the UK’s higher and further education systems and funding bodies is also vital. Naturally, exceptional communication and negotiation skills are essential, including the ability to explain complex technical matters to non-expert audiences.
If you have these qualities and experience we would very much like to hear from you.
Benefits include 25 days’ annual leave (pro rata), a comprehensive staff development programme, and the opportunity to join the Civil Service Pension scheme.
For further information and to apply please visit our website www.careers.hefce.ac.uk (CVs will not be accepted).
Close date: 5th December 2012 (midnight).
Selection process: 19 December 2012.
