Head of Employability

Placed On: 24th March 2026

Closes: 6th April 2026

Job Ref: SMU12630

Careers & Employability Services brings together the Careers Service, Placement team, and Centre for Workplace Learning to prepare our students for life after University, building on the University’s impressive graduate employment outcomes to date.

The department provides careers support and guidance, entrepreneurship programmes, internships, accredited work placement modules, programme-specific career development learning and extra-curricular employability initiatives for all students and programmes across the University, with the aim of achieving graduate level employment (or further study) for our students.

Providing strategic leadership to the Careers & Employability department, you will build links with employers, and work with colleagues across the University to ensure employability skills that are effectively embedded in the curriculum are identified; furthermore, you will develop programmes and activities to enable all students to develop the insights, understanding, skills, and professional development required to pursue graduate level career options and make well-informed decisions for their futures.

You will stay aware of trends in the labour market; monitor graduate outcomes and interpret these appropriately in reports.

The commercial and innovative thinking will be an important aspect of this role. This might include a focus on providing a range of experiential learning opportunities, for students, for example including micro-internships, and the leverage of the University’s alumni community.

This role will lead the employability strategy and implementation for the University’s proposed Dubai campus.

What you will bring to this role:

• significant experience working in a Careers or Employability function or a management training department, ideally in a higher education setting.
• a good understanding of graduate employability, the graduate labour market, and the needs of employers.
• experience of leading a multi-functional team;
• highly developed negotiation and inter-personal skills with the ability to collaborate and influence at all levels;
• strong problem-solving skills;
• experience building external relationships, particularly with employers; and
• an understanding of innovative pedagogy, curriculum development and quality assurance requirements in learning and teaching.
• experience of, and/or insight into the international careers and employability landscape, including UK HEIs' international campus provision.

Closing Date: 6 April at 23:00

Interview Date: TBC

Overview

As the University builds on its proud heritage, we are looking for exceptional people to help shape our future. We provide a high-quality professional environment, inspired by our distinctive ethos and Catholic mission and values. Our values of excellence, generosity of spirit, inclusiveness and respect inspire us to create an academic community in which everybody is welcomed and which puts the student at the centre of all our endeavours.

St Mary’s University is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. Learn more about our EDI initiatives and work as a Disability Confident employer. Please view our detailed access guide by following the link: St. Mary's University | AccessAble.

Candidates must be able to demonstrate their eligibility to work in the UK in accordance with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006. St Mary’s University is holding a work visa sponsorship licence however we will not always be able to guarantee a Skilled Worker Visa sponsorship. To avoid disappointment, please ensure you meet the requirements of the Points Based System before applying as we will not be able to provide advice on individual cases. Skilled Worker visa: Overview - GOV.UK