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We have been transforming lives for decades. What began as Northampton Technical College, more than 100 years ago, has evolved into one of the country’s youngest universities, where we have now been degree-awarding for over 20 years. As the only seat of Higher Education in our county, our place as the University for Northampton is critical, where we contribute more than £300m, annually, to the local economy, supporting thousands of jobs and helping to drive sustainable growth. Our beautiful Waterside Campus, which opened in 2018, is home to more than 14,000 students and 2,600 colleagues. Click here to read our strategy, take a virtual campus tour and learn more about us.
Proud of our roots and history, we are now looking forward with confidence and purpose, and this role is critical to our success. As a key member of the University’s Leadership Team and reporting to the Deputy Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer, this pivotal role shapes how we present ourselves to the world, how we communicate and engage with our stakeholder communities, how we pique the interest of prospective students at home and abroad: maintaining and growing our student pipeline, and how we maximise the potential of our transnational education partnerships; all of which is essential to the University delivering on its strategic ambitions. This role is responsible for optimising the University’s brand, marketing, strategic communications, external relations activities, plus driving forward our critical income streams of home and international student recruitment, and our international partnerships, leveraging the strengths and assets of the University to grow our profile regionally, nationally and internationally, and effectively engaging with our communities and stakeholders.
You will bring board-level and international experience of brand development, communications, engagement and public affairs, multi-channel campaign delivery, along with a deep understanding of the student psyche and journey. Equally important is being a great colleague to your leadership team peers, and demonstrating a commitment to the mission, values and spirit of the University of Northampton, and everything we stand for. Joining us at this time, offers the chance to be part of a forward-thinking and student-centred institution, where you will help shape the external face of a university that is redefining what it means to be a critical and influential part of Northamptonshire’s civic fabric. We really look forward to hearing from you!
Our Strategy is a clear commitment to social impact, academic excellence and inclusive growth. Developed through wide consultation with staff and students, the strategy sets out four core values: inclusivity, aspiration, sustainability and trust, which guide all that we do.
Our purpose is to create meaningful social impact, locally and globally. We aim to transform lives through education, research, enterprise and strong partnerships with our communities and stakeholders. Our priorities reflect this ambition.
We are investing in our people, developing a vibrant, inclusive working culture that nurtures talent and supports wellbeing. For students, we are enhancing every aspect of the university experience, academically, socially and personally, to ensure they thrive and succeed.
Our approach to learning and teaching is shaped by what students will need in the future. We emphasise active, inclusive, research-informed education that builds knowledge, skills and social awareness. Our academic community is supported to innovate and collaborate, ensuring excellent outcomes.
Research is integral to our identity. We are focused on growing a high-quality research environment that delivers positive change and responds to the needs of society. Interdisciplinary collaboration and support for emerging researchers are central to this vision.
Foundational to our success are our campus and civic role, our modern ways of working, and our approach to finance and sustainability. We are committed to ensuring our systems, processes and investments support our people and priorities, making Northampton a university with purpose, resilience and impact.
Job Title: Director of Marketing, External Affairs & Student Recruitment
Responsible to: Deputy Vice Chancellor & Chief Operating Officer
Reporting to the Deputy Vice Chancellor & Chief Operating Officer and as a member of the University Leadership Team, the Director of Marketing, External Affairs & Student Recruitment will provide inspirational strategic and operational leadership to deliver the University’s marketing, external affairs, student recruitment and global engagement strategy and operations, supporting the organisational strategy and enhancing the University’s reputation and profile.
This role of is key to the University’s ongoing financial viability, performance, growth, differentiation and purpose. Operating with credibility, experience and confidence, the post holder will lead the following business areas, including:
Through the Deputy Director: Marketing & Student Recruitment:
Through the Associate Director of Communications & External Affairs:
Through the Interim Director of Global Engagement:
Qualifications
Skills, Knowledge and Experience
Personal Qualities
Essential:
The University recognises that growing its economic, social and environmental impact is a journey, and the University’s social impact report represents the first time that the University has sought to holistically capture and monetise our economic, social and environmental impact across these four key commitments. The report demonstrates the University of Northampton’s impact across these commitments, namely:
At the University of Northampton, we are dedicated to fostering a vibrant, ethical, and sustainable environment for work, study, and living, where equality, diversity, and inclusion are deeply valued.
Our Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) team, part of the Equality and Access Team within the Vice Chancellor’s Office, drives our commitment to these principles. Through our Strategic Equality Plan, we outline our vision and values, striving to be an inclusive organisation.
We go beyond meeting statutory requirements, aiming to bring about meaningful cultural change. The EDI team ensures that fairness is at the core of everything we do, encompassing age, disability, ethnicity, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion and belief, sexual orientation, and sex (gender).
The University of Northampton is an economic engine and a force for social change for the county, the region, and the UK.
return on investment, for every £1 spent running the University, £4 is returned to the economy
GVA injected into the UK economy during 2023/24 thanks to UON, an increase of 8% from 2018/19 when the Covid pandemic hit
jobs supported by UON across the UK during 2023/24
GVA generated for Northamptonshire during 2023/24, an increase of 14% in real terms after accounting for inflation from 2018/19 and the pandemic
jobs supported in Northamptonshire during 2023/24
of estimated unemployment costs avoided over a 40-year period thanks to the intake of undergraduates from deprived areas during 2023/24
of graduates entered full-time employment in the education and health sectors, compared to the sector total of 38%
GVA achieved via collaboration with businesses by sharing the research and expertise at UON through Knowledge Transfer, work placements, and other services for business
The University’s EMS is externally accredited by Investors in the Environment (IiE). For the academic year 2024/2025, we have received the Green Award accreditation, the highest accolade possible.
Our mission is to support aspiration, create equal opportunities, and deliver impact. We are committed to ensuring that you have a positive experience working with us by providing a supportive, inclusive, and caring environment.
All of our job opportunities include a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that offers many features rarely found in the private sector, including:
For professional services staff, the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) is the main pension scheme. Key features include:
We offer individual health insurance coverage, with the option to extend to your partner and/or family at your own cost.
As an educational institution, we value career and personal development highly. We support our staff through:
We prioritise health and wellbeing as a cornerstone of the staff and student experience. Our Waterside Wellbeing Community brings together teams to support and promote physical and mental wellbeing. Highlights include:
We want you to thrive in a way that supports both UON’s mission and your personal circumstances. Our Smarter Working approach enables increased flexibility and autonomy, where appropriate.
We also offer a comprehensive suite of family-friendly policies, including:
We are deeply committed to sustainability and environmental responsibility. Key environmental credentials include:
We have a growing, welcoming and diverse population living in Northampton. Perfectly situated just off the M1 in the East Midlands, we are within easy reach of London and Birmingham but don’t suffer the stresses and strains of big city life. We are proud to be England’s largest town and part of the newly created West Northants region.
We are surrounded by beautiful countryside and iconic stately homes in a county often described as the ‘Rose of the Shires.’ The area celebrates wonderful history and heritage; we have a great story to tell. Populated since the Bronze Age, we gained prestigious charter status back in medieval times and became a vibrant commercial trading centre.
We grew in stature during the industrial revolution due to our proximity to the iconic Grand Union Canal. In the late 1960’s, we were given a ‘new town’ designation and welcomed a wealth of new communities displaced in the post war overspill from London. Today we are the largest settlement within the new unitary authority of West Northants, with a population of 225,100 and bordered by the vibrant towns of Brackley, Towcester and Daventry.
West Northants is a great place to grow your business, and working in Northampton is a fantastic way to expand your career. Northampton and broader West Northants has a vibrant business community which combines big name employers including financial services giant Barclays and iconic Danish brewer Carlsberg with a burgeoning community of growing SME’s, micro SME’s and start-ups.
The fast transport links to London and Birmingham via train and road have allowed businesses to stay accessible but still maintain significantly cheaper commuting and living costs. Northampton is also within the East Midlands ‘Golden Triangle for Logistics’ where the number of business properties used for warehouses, logistics and transport has almost doubled in the last decade.
Northampton is also home to a number of exceptional anchor institutions – organisations with a key stake in our area, including: The University of Northampton, Northampton College Group, St Andrew’s Hospital and national health support charity St Andrews Healthcare.
Northampton’s strong community spirit and commitment to fairness and equality has led to a number of charitable and non-profit organisations choosing the town as a base. The Lewis Foundation provides gifts and support to patients on oncology wards across the Midlands, and was awarded the British Citizens’ Award in 2020. The Good Loaf gives employment and training to vulnerable women in Northampton, whilst producing delicious fresh bread daily.
The University will be supported in this appointment process by the executive search firm Perrett Laver. Perrett Laver will support the Search Committee in the discharge of its duties, both to assist in the assessment of candidates against the requirements for the role and to identify the widest possible field of qualified candidates.
Applications should comprise a full curriculum vitae along with a covering letter of application addressing the role and person specification.
To find out more about this role, including details of how to apply, please visit https://PLusPortal.PerrettLaver.com quoting reference 7990/1.
For informal enquiries, please contact Thomas Cameron on [email protected].
The closing date for applications is 09:00 GMT on Monday 6th April 2026. The shortlist of candidates will be determined on week commencing 13th April 2026. Shortlisted candidates will be selected to attend the final interview on Wednesday 6th May at the University.
If you require any reasonable adjustments to assist you in the selection process, please advise us of these so that we can make appropriate arrangements.
The University of Northampton is committed to providing a vibrant, ethical and sustainable work, study and living environment that values equality, diversity and inclusion. This commitment, along with our legal and moral obligations, provides an inclusive environment for staff, students and the public who may be affected by our activities.
Together @ UON confirms our commitment to equality and inclusion, underpinned by our belief in taking action. We are dedicated to creating an environment that celebrates equality and harnesses the power of diversity.
Together @ UON demonstrates our pledge to our staff, students and partners to nurture and develop an environment where equality and inclusion can thrive whilst we Transform Lives and Inspire Change.
Protecting your personal data is of the utmost importance to Perrett Laver and we take this responsibility very seriously. Any information obtained by our trading divisions is held and processed in accordance with the relevant data protection legislation. The data you provide us with is securely stored on our computerised database and transferred to our clients for the purposes of presenting you as a candidate and/or considering your suitability for a role you have registered interest in.
As defined under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Perrett Laver is a Data Controller and a Data Processor, and our legal basis for processing your personal data is ‘Legitimate Interests’. You have the right to object to us processing your data in this way. For more information about this, your rights, and our approach to Data Protection and Privacy, please visit our website.
James is a Consultant in the UK Higher Education sector.
Starting his career in teaching, his experience of senior level executive search includes appointing senior leaders across not-for-profit, public institutions, health and higher education environments within professional services, academic services and non-executive boards. His clients have included the University of Bristol, Queen Mary University of London, University of Essex, University of Law and cross-sector organisations such as Barts Life Sciences.
James holds a BA in Geography from the University of Birmingham and a PGCE from the University of Cambridge.
Sukhpal Uppal is a Consultant in the Higher Education sector.
His senior level executive search experience covers a range of appointments across governance, communications, marketing, human resources, and academic and research leadership. This includes a number of Vice-Chancellor appointments at, among others, Durham University, the University of Lincoln, and the University of Birmingham.
Sukhpal holds a First Class Honours degree in French and Spanish from University College London and speaks fluent French and Spanish.
