At Birmingham City University, we are a diverse and inclusive learning community of over 31,400 students from more than 120 countries. We aim to become an exemplar anchor institution, creating and sharing knowledge for a better and more inclusive society. We are committed to providing a transformational educational experience, supporting world-class research, and fostering a collaborative and supportive working environment for our staff.

Recognised as one of the UK’s Top 250 employers (Financial Times & Statista), we pride ourselves on being a place where colleagues feel valued, supported, and able to grow their careers while contributing to the success of our students and communities.

Our student demographic reflects the rich cultural and ethnic diversity of Birmingham itself, with a significant proportion of students from minoritised ethnic backgrounds and the majority of our home students coming from the West Midlands. This diversity is a strength, and it calls for a workforce that is equipped to challenge deficit narratives and thinking — those assumptions that position students from underrepresented groups as lacking rather than recognising their assets, strengths and potential.

By embracing this perspective, we aim to create an environment where all students and colleagues can thrive, and where our work contributes positively to the social, cultural and economic life of Birmingham and beyond.

Role Summary

We are seeking a Director of Growth, Enterprise and Engagement to lead Birmingham City University’s (BCU) Growth, Enterprise and Engagement directorate, driving income diversification, strategic partnerships and innovation to support the University’s Strategy 2030 ambitions.

In this role, you will shape and deliver the University’s growth into new markets, build high-value partnerships across industry, enterprise, the public sector and communities, and champion BCU’s regional leadership and influence, positioning the University and STEAMhouse as key drivers of innovation and prosperity across the West Midlands and beyond. You will lead a team of innovation and business development professionals, working closely with academic leaders and professional services colleagues to strengthen employer engagement, improve student employability, grow external income, support entrepreneurship and expand knowledge exchange activity.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver the directorate’s strategy for growth, income diversification, enterprise and external engagement, with clear targets and measurable outcomes.
• Lead BCU’s regional engagement and representation through strategic bodies, partnerships and alliances spanning industry, enterprise, the public sector and communities, including the Knowledge Quarter, West Midlands Combined Authority, Birmingham City Council, University Alliances, City Partnership Board and West Midlands Growth Company, strengthening the University’s influence and contribution to regional growth and prosperity.
• Build and sustain high-value strategic partnerships with employers, businesses, regional government, civic and cultural organisations, universities and community partners, translating relationships into tangible institutional benefit.
• Position STEAMhouse, its innovation activities, products and services as a leading driver of business growth, innovation and regional prosperity, growing income through external funding, commercial products and services, occupancy and other opportunities to strengthen BCU’s knowledge exchange performance.
• Lead and develop teams delivering business development, innovation, knowledge exchange, Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs), apprenticeships, entrepreneurship, consultancy and continuing professional development.
• Work collaboratively with academic and professional services leaders to embed employer partnerships into the curriculum, enhance student employability and deliver meaningful impact for businesses and communities.

Essential Requirements

• Significant experience leading an enterprise, business development or external engagement function within a large, complex organisation.
• A strong track record of developing strategic relationships, securing partnerships and generating income through internal and external stakeholder engagement.
• Experience leading and developing senior teams, providing strategic direction and delivering results through others.
• Strong understanding of the UK industrial landscape and experience working with key sectors to deliver innovation services and business growth.
• Experience supporting or delivering growth in areas such as business incubation, entrepreneurship and innovation services.
• Demonstrable ability to develop and deliver strategic plans, set targets and measure outcomes, impact and performance.
• Ability to work collaboratively with academic and professional services leaders to translate strategic priorities into effective partnership activity.
• Excellent communication, influencing and negotiation skills, with the credibility to engage and build relationships across academic, business and public sector environments.

Desirable Requirements

• Experience working in or with the higher education sector.
• Understanding of the policy context for skills, innovation and economic growth.
• Experience leading institutional engagement with employers across multiple levels, disciplines and areas of activity.

Further Information

If you are excited by the opportunity to shape BCU’s growth ambitions, strengthen its partnerships and help drive prosperity, innovation and opportunity across the region and beyond, we would love to hear from you.

Informal queries regarding the role are very welcome and should be directed to Nelia Naude at nelia.naude@bcu.ac.uk.

Internal candidates are requested to follow the expression of interest process.

Why not explore our campuses using our interactive map: Interactive Map | Birmingham City University

Why work for us

• Work–life balance – Generous leave and hybrid working (role dependent).
• Career development – Opportunities to grow, develop and progress your career.
• Reward and wellbeing – Competitive pay, pension, wellbeing support and staff benefits.
• Inclusive culture – A supportive, diverse environment where everyone belongs.

Visa Sponsorship 

This role may be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa route, subject to meeting the relevant criteria. For further information, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa

Closing Date: 26 Nov 2026

Department: Management

Salary: £92,593 to £104,762 per annum
Permanent

At Birmingham City University, we are a diverse and inclusive learning community of over 31,400 students from more than 120 countries. We aim to become an exemplar anchor institution, creating and sharing knowledge for a better and more inclusive society. We are committed to providing a transformational educational experience, supporting world-class research, and fostering a collaborative and supportive working environment for our staff.

Recognised as one of the UK’s Top 250 employers (Financial Times & Statista), we pride ourselves on being a place where colleagues feel valued, supported, and able to grow their careers while contributing to the success of our students and communities.

Our student demographic reflects the rich cultural and ethnic diversity of Birmingham itself, with a significant proportion of students from minoritised ethnic backgrounds and the majority of our home students coming from the West Midlands. This diversity is a strength, and it calls for a workforce that is equipped to challenge deficit narratives and thinking — those assumptions that position students from underrepresented groups as lacking rather than recognising their assets, strengths and potential.

By embracing this perspective, we aim to create an environment where all students and colleagues can thrive, and where our work contributes positively to the social, cultural and economic life of Birmingham and beyond.

Role Summary

We are seeking an Associate Director of Apprenticeship Development to lead the growth and development of Birmingham City University’s apprenticeship provision, working closely with academic Schools and Professional Services colleagues to support the University’s strategic ambitions.

In this role, you will drive significant and sustainable growth in apprenticeship student numbers and income, developing strategic employer partnerships and aligning BCU’s provision with local and regional workforce needs. You will lead a team of Business Development professionals, working with employers, academic colleagues and external stakeholders to develop new opportunities, expand higher and degree apprenticeships, and strengthen BCU’s contribution to the regional economy.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver a University-wide strategy for apprenticeship growth, increasing student recruitment, revenue and employer engagement across academic disciplines.
• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with public and private sector employers, identifying business opportunities, developing proposals and supporting employers to make effective use of apprenticeship levy funding.
• Lead and develop the Business Development team, setting targets, monitoring performance and ensuring delivery against agreed recruitment, income and growth objectives.
• Work collaboratively with academic Schools, apprenticeship leads, Marketing and other Professional Services colleagues to develop employer-responsive curricula, recruitment plans and learner pathways aligned with workforce needs.
• Use workforce intelligence and skills gap analysis to identify future demand and inform the development of apprenticeship provision.
• Ensure new apprenticeship programmes meet appropriate compliance and quality standards, including successful End-Point Assessment outcomes.
• Report on apprenticeship performance, income and impact to senior leaders and relevant committees.

Essential Requirements

• Proven experience of sustainably growing apprenticeship provision, student numbers and revenue.
• Experience leading business development within a large, complex organisation, including managing teams and delivering results through others.
• A strong track record of developing strategic partnerships with public and private sector organisations to generate commercial income and business growth.
• Experience developing proposals and programmes of work in response to business needs, including competitive costings and commercial opportunities.
• Demonstrable success in meeting and exceeding performance targets, income targets and KPIs within challenging timescales.
• Experience of apprenticeship levy funding, apprenticeship sales targets and working with businesses to develop employment-focused curricula.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement, influencing, negotiation and communication skills, with the ability to build effective relationships with senior leaders and external partners.
• Strong strategic planning and target-setting skills, with a focus on measurable outcomes and impact.

Desirable Requirements

• Understanding of workforce planning principles and their relationship to regional skills needs and Strategic Economic Plans.
• Knowledge of the UK policy and political frameworks relating to workforce development, higher education and apprenticeships.
• Understanding of higher education marketing and student recruitment.

Further Information

If you are excited by the opportunity to lead apprenticeship growth at BCU, develop impactful employer partnerships and help address the skills needs of businesses and communities across the region, we would love to hear from you.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Andy Aftelak, Dean of Academic Performance, at Andrew.Aftelak@bcu.ac.uk.

Internal candidates are requested to follow the expression of interest process.

Why not explore our campuses using our interactive map: Interactive Map | Birmingham City University

Why work for us

• Work–life balance – Generous leave and hybrid working (role dependent).
• Career development – Opportunities to grow, develop and progress your career.
• Reward and wellbeing – Competitive pay, pension, wellbeing support and staff benefits.
• Inclusive culture – A supportive, diverse environment where everyone belongs.

Visa Sponsorship 

This role may be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa route, subject to meeting the relevant criteria. For further information, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa

Closing Date: 26 Nov 2026

Department: Management

Salary: £70,564 to £79,840 per annum
Permanent

At Birmingham City University, we are a diverse and inclusive learning community of over 31,400 students from more than 120 countries. We aim to become an exemplar anchor institution, creating and sharing knowledge for a better and more inclusive society. We are committed to providing a transformational educational experience, supporting world-class research, and fostering a collaborative and supportive working environment for our staff.

Recognised as one of the UK’s Top 250 employers (Financial Times & Statista), we pride ourselves on being a place where colleagues feel valued, supported, and able to grow their careers while contributing to the success of our students and communities.

Our student demographic reflects the rich cultural and ethnic diversity of Birmingham itself, with a significant proportion of students from minoritised ethnic backgrounds and the majority of our home students coming from the West Midlands. This diversity is a strength, and it calls for a workforce that is equipped to challenge deficit narratives and thinking — those assumptions that position students from underrepresented groups as lacking rather than recognising their assets, strengths and potential.

By embracing this perspective, we aim to create an environment where all students and colleagues can thrive, and where our work contributes positively to the social, cultural and economic life of Birmingham and beyond.

Role Summary

We are seeking an Associate Director of STEAMhouse Services to lead the development and growth of STEAMhouse’s entrepreneurship, incubation and business services at Birmingham City University (BCU).

In this role, you will drive student entrepreneurship, support emerging businesses and generate sustainable income through STEAMhouse products, services and workspace occupancy. You will lead the STEAM Futures and STEAM Growth teams, working in partnership with students, academic Schools, industry and colleagues across the Growth, Engagement and Enterprise Directorate to position STEAMhouse as a key driver of innovation, business growth and prosperity across the region.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver a strategy for STEAMhouse Services, supporting student entrepreneurs, business incubation and income generation through products, services and workspace occupancy.
• Identify and develop strategic partnerships with businesses, industry, public sector organisations and community partners to support entrepreneurship, innovation and commercial growth.
• Set and deliver ambitious income and engagement targets across STEAMhouse products and services, consultancy, professional certification, lifelong learning and workspace membership, contributing to BCU’s Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF) performance.
• Lead and develop the STEAM Futures and STEAM Growth teams, providing strategic direction and working collaboratively with academic Schools and professional services colleagues.
• Support the integration of entrepreneurship into the curriculum and extracurricular activities, helping to strengthen student enterprise and graduate employability.
• Build relationships with senior industry leaders and external stakeholders, promoting STEAMhouse and BCU as leading partners for business engagement, innovation and regional prosperity.

Essential Requirements

• Experience leading a business development or innovation services function, with an emphasis on internal entrepreneurship, within a large, complex organisation.
• A strong track record of developing strategic relationships, securing internal and external partnerships, and generating income.
• Experience managing teams and delivering results through others.
• Strong understanding of the UK industrial landscape and experience working with key sectors to deliver innovation services.
• Experience delivering or supporting growth in business incubation, entrepreneurship or innovation services.
• Demonstrable skills in strategic planning, target setting and delivering measurable outcomes and impact.
• Ability to work collaboratively with academic and professional services leaders to translate strategic ambitions into effective partnerships and activity.
• Excellent communication, influencing and negotiation skills, with the credibility to engage effectively across academic, business and industry settings.

Desirable Requirements

• Experience working in or with the higher education sector.
• Understanding of the policy context for skills, innovation and economic growth.
• Experience leading institutional engagement with employers across multiple levels and disciplines.

Further Information

If you are excited by the opportunity to grow STEAMhouse’s impact, support the next generation of entrepreneurs and help drive innovation, business growth and prosperity across the region, we would love to hear from you.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Andy Aftelak, Dean of Academic Performance, at Andrew.Aftelak@bcu.ac.uk.

Internal candidates are requested to follow the expression of interest process.

Why not explore our campuses using our interactive map: Interactive Map | Birmingham City University

Why work for us

• Work–life balance – Generous leave and hybrid working (role dependent).
• Career development – Opportunities to grow, develop and progress your career.
• Reward and wellbeing – Competitive pay, pension, wellbeing support and staff benefits.
• Inclusive culture – A supportive, diverse environment where everyone belongs.

Visa Sponsorship 

This role may be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa route, subject to meeting the relevant criteria. For further information, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa

Closing Date: 26 Nov 2026

Department: Management

Salary: £70,564 to £79,840 per annum
Permanent