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Thank you for your interest in the position of Deputy President and Registrar. This position is of immense importance as we look to deliver our new Strategic Plan (2025-2030). We are proud to be a values-led research-intensive learning organisation. Equality, diversity, inclusion are at our heart, and we aspire to excellence, creativity and impact in all we do.
Having had an interim Deputy President and Registrar in place for over a year, and with my appointment as President in September 2025, the time is now right to appoint to the substantive Deputy President and Registrar position.
As the Chief Academic Officer, the Deputy President and Registrar is the most senior position within this university community after the President and is responsible for the oversight and integration of the academic strategy and business across our four Colleges and 18 Schools. They are also required to manage multiple external and internal stakeholders in a very dynamic and demanding environment.
Through your membership of the University Management Team, you will continue to develop and refine our implementation plans, building on a strong foundation but also responding to fast-emerging agendas. The duties associated with the position have been reconfigured to place emphasis on project delivery and leadership of a new Organisational Transformation Office.
This senior leadership role comes with a significant and influential portfolio. The successful candidate will have held a senior academic position, coupled with significant management experience, including leading transformative positive change. As such, we are looking for ambitious candidates with exceptional people skills to lead, develop and motivate diverse teams.
Yours faithfully,
Professor David J Burn,
President
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Established in 1845, University of Galway is a research-intensive institution ranked among the top 2% of universities in the world. Comprised of four colleges, 18 schools and six research institutes, the University is home to over 20,000 students, including over 3,000 international students from 120 countries around the world.
As a bilingual university, we have campuses along Ireland’s western and northwestern Atlantic seaboard, from Shannon College in Clare and our teaching centres in Donegal to medical academies in four counties, offsite research centres, and our main campus in Galway city-proudly serving as a global university rooted in a dynamic Atlantic coastal region.
Our main campus located in the centre of Galway city runs for several kilometres along the west bank of the Corrib River, offering students, staff and visitors a unique sense of being immersed in nature while only a short walk from the thriving cultural heartbeat of the west of Ireland.
The campus offers first-class sporting and outdoor facilities, and is also considered one of the most biodiverse landscapes of any third level institution in Ireland.
In May 2025, following widespread consultation, the University published Of Galway, For the World, our strategic plan for the period 2025-2030. It reaffirms our mission to be a research-intensive university where we nurture talent and generate knowledge for the world. The strategy outlines a vision to empower our people to create global impact through our distinctive research, exceptional education and transformative student experiences.
A further section entitled Key Enablers expresses our ambition to create a Supportive Environment for our people, enhance the Effectiveness of Communications, ensure we continue to build upon our Sustainability Leadership, and the importance of Global Engagement to our ongoing success. ‘Building for the Future’ outlines the University’s plans for campus development in the years ahead.
You can read the strategic plan in full at: www.universityofgalway.ie/strategy2030
The University Management Team (UMT) is responsible for the executive day-to-day management of the University. The UMT is led by the President who is the Head and Chief Officer of the University. Our University President, Professor David J. Burn, was appointed in September 2025 for a 7-year term. You can read more about Professor Burn at: www.universityofgalway.ie/president
Acting under the President, the members of the University Management Team (UMT) each have specific leadership responsibilities for delivery of the University’s objectives in education, research and management of the organisation. You can see the full UMT membership in the organisational chart in this document.
Find out more about the University’s Governance and Management structures at: www.universityofgalway.ie/governance/the-kube-the-governance-hub
EU Research Awards since 2020
spent on research activity last year
European University member, Coimbra Network of European Universities
Athena Swan School Awards
A research-intensive university where we nurture talent and generate knowledge for the world.
To empower our people to create global impact through our distinctive
research, exceptional education and transformative student experiences.
The University provides teaching through four Colleges and 18 Schools up to PhD level, for primary and postgraduate Degrees and for a wide variety of Diplomas, Certificates and, more recently, Micro-credentials. 67 separate programmes of study are offered for undergraduate students, with over 160 taught programmes at postgraduate level and opportunities for research postgraduate degrees in over 140 programmes. The University also provides a programme of Adult Learning and Professional Development and conducts a number of Summer Schools.
The University has displayed considerable dynamism in the development of programmes to meet the evolving needs of society. Initiated through funding from the Human Capital Initiative, our Designing Futures programme is transforming how our students learn and develop skills, through success coaching, transdisciplinary modules and entrepreneurship programmes.
The University is also playing a key role in the delivery of the HCI Multicampus Micro-credentials project, which supports the development of micro-credentials across the IUA Universities, and which provides upskilling and reskilling opportunities to those in employment and those seeking to enhance their employability. Meanwhile, through our membership of the ENLIGHT network of European universities, we are developing greater opportunities for student mobility and cross-border collaboration on academic programmes and research.
Find out more: www.universityofgalway.ie/courses
The University is counted among the Top 300 in the world, according to QS World University Rankings, due in most part to the reputation and impact of our research community. Together, we achieved over €110m in EU research funding during the Horizon 2020 programme period 2014-2020. We are now firmly focused on the 2021-2027 programme cycle, with ambitions to achieve in excess of €150m of EU research funding, including through Horizon Europe. In 2024, the University had a record €87m annual spend in research, across a breadth of research areas.
The global impact of our research and innovation is evident in the scale of our international research collaborations with over 6,000 institutions in over 180 countries since 2020. We also work closely with a wide range of academic and research funding partners in Ireland, including but not limited to Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland (formerly Science Foundation Ireland and the Irish Research Council), the Royal Irish Academy, the Health Research Board and Enterprise Ireland, as well as internationally, for example, EU funding agencies including the European Research Council, as well as the UN, Wellcome and the (US) National Institutes of Health.
The University is host to CÚRAM, the national (Research Ireland-funded) research centre in medical devices, co-host of the Insight national (Research Ireland-funded) research centre for data analytics, and a partner institution in a number of other national research centres across the areas of IT, life and physical sciences, renewable energy and natural resources.
A key strategic priority of our Strategic Plan 2025-2030 is to be a global leader in our distinctive areas of research excellence, engaging partners nationally and internationally and harnessing regional strengths, while driving emerging areas of ambition. Our research leverages the unique character of our place, coalescing around four research pillars, through which we deliver University of Galway’s distinctive research impact;
Our research pillars are supported by six research institutes that enable the highest quality interdisciplinary research and facilitate extensive collaboration nationally and internationally:
These research institutes are the engines for multi-disciplinary research discovery and impact across our research pillars. Over the next five years, they will transform the scale of international research leadership and innovation undertaken by the University, building critical mass, excellence and global engagement. Externally facing, our research institutes provide a clear point of access for research partners and stakeholders who want to join our mission. Find out more: www.universityofgalway.ie/our-research
Global Galway
Research & Innovation at University of Galway
Research at University of Galway: Pioneering Research with Global Impact
A University serving its region, while leading nationally, with global impact
Excellent Educational experience: More than a University, a place to thrive
The University’s commitment to the Irish language was first set out in the University College Galway Act 1929 and this was reiterated in the University College Galway (Amendment) Act 2006, which states that one of the principle aims of the University is “the provision of education … through the medium of the Irish language”.
Irish language programmes are delivered primarily through the Discipline of Irish and through Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, our Irish language academy, which has three centres located in the Gaeltacht. In 2021, the University published its first Irish Language Strategy and appointed its first Irish Language Officer. We are in the process of developing the next Irish Language Strategy for the years ahead.
Find out more: www.universityofgalway.ie/gaeilgebheo
Sustainability is one of the University’s core values and we are recognised as a leader in the transition to a sustainable future. We are committed to the SDGs at an institutional level on multiple levels:
For the past four years we have been ranked First in Ireland in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings for our progress on the SDGs, and we are currently ranked among the Top 5 in the European Union. In 2023, we established a new Sustainability Office to lead the implementation of our Sustainability Strategy and to embed sustainability across our curriculum and operations.
Through the work of the University’s Sustainability Office, the Community and University Sustainability Partnership, colleagues in Buildings and Estates and other university operations, and our Student Societies, we have advanced understanding and action on the urgent need for sustainability, using a Learn-Live-Lead model. Since 2006, we have achieved over 50% reduction in energy usage, exceeding our targets. In 2021, we established our carbon footprint, and we are actively working towards achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Find out more: www.universityofgalway.ie/sustainability
The University will be supported in this appointment process by the executive search firm Perrett Laver and enquiries can be made directly to Chris McCann. Applications should consist of a full curriculum vitae detailing academic and professional qualifications and experience. CVs should be accompanied by a covering letter describing briefly how candidates meet the criteria outlined in the job description, why the appointment is of interest and what they believe they can bring to the role.
Completed applications should be uploaded at www.perrettlaver.com/candidates, quoting reference 8269. The closing date for applications will be 5pm GMT, Friday 13th March 2026.
Candidates who are longlisted by the Committee will be invited to first round interview with Perrett Laver in late March/early April. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for formal interviews with the Selection Committee in May.The appointment will be made subject to satisfactory references and the formal interview process may include additional assessments such as psychometric assessments.
As Global Senior Partner, Sinéad is responsible for the long-term strategic development of Perrett Laver alongside the acceleration of its commercial growth.
During her ten years at Perrett Laver, Sinéad established and led the firm’s operations in Amsterdam and Dublin, while continuing to grow Perrett Laver’s Research, Technology and Innovation, and Higher Education practices across Europe.
Sinéad’s experience at Perrett Laver includes advising on senior executive and non-executive appointments for universities, public and privately funded research institutes, as well as research-oriented charities and non-profits.
Sinéad holds an honours degree in Natural Science from Trinity College Dublin and a PhD in Neuroscience from University College Cork.
Michelle is a Managing Partner.
Michelle works in Perrett Laver’s Dublin office. She is a Partner, former Head of the Project Management team and has worked across a number of Perrett Laver’s global Offices including London, Chicago and Hong Kong. She works with organisations across our Global Higher Education, Sport, Social Impact and Health sectors.
As one of Ireland’s most diverse regions, home to the largest Gaeltacht in the country, Galway has an energy that far exceeds its size. A bohemian city steeped in history, with a “contemporary vibe” (The Lonely Planet Guide), Galway offers a rare combination of academic excellence, cultural vibrancy and natural beauty.
Sitting on the Atlantic edge of Europe, the city has solidified its reputation as a hub for culture and innovation. Students enjoy an active campus life in Galway, alongside a buzzing local food culture and a year-round roster of immersive festivals. Venture outside of the city on a day trip, and you will discover untouched beaches, ancient ruins and rugged mountains. The cost of living in Galway is considerably less than in Dublin with rent prices on average 25% cheaper in Galway city than in Dublin (Daft 2022 Q4 Rental Report). Our university campus sits at the heart of the city, with bus routes connecting to other areas across the city and surrounding towns.
Learn more about Life in Galway
