Assistant Director, Learning Environments – Academic Services – 15261 – Grade 9 Full-time

Assistant Director, Learning Environments

This is an exceptional and rare leadership opportunity for a technically authoritative, strategically minded professional who is ready to shape the future of learning environments at one of the UK's most ambitious universities. As Assistant Director, Learning Environments, you will provide expert strategic leadership across a bold and high-impact portfolio encompassing AV and media services, learning space design, immersive and emerging technologies, study spaces, and space operations. With direct influence over more than 300 centrally managed teaching and learning spaces, a budget in excess of £1 million per annum, and a talented, diverse team of over 30 professionals, this is a role where your expertise will genuinely matter: shaping the spaces, technologies, and experiences that define how thousands of students learn, discover, and thrive. If you are passionate about innovation, inspired by the power of great learning environments, and ready to lead at the highest level, this is the role for you.

Main Duties

• Strategic Leadership of Learning Spaces & AV Services: Lead the development and implementation of a comprehensive service design and AV strategy across all University teaching, study, and event spaces, ensuring a consistently high-quality, user-focused suite of services across over 300 centrally managed spaces.
• Learning Space Design & Capital Projects: Provide expert leadership and authority on learning space design, including input into new building developments and campus redevelopment projects. Work collaboratively with Estates, ITS, and academic stakeholders to shape the design, specification, and commissioning of innovative, future-ready learning environments.
• Immersive & Emerging Technology: Act as the University's expert authority on immersive and emerging learning technologies (including XR, VR, and lecture capture). Horizon-scan to proactively identify, evaluate, and recommend emerging tools, technologies, and service models that will enhance the quality and innovation of learning spaces and services.
• Standards, Policy & Governance: Devise, maintain, and review a robust framework of standards, policies, and procedures relating to AV, presentation, video conferencing, lecture capture, immersive learning, and study space services, ensuring compliance with relevant legislation, codes of practice, and University policies.
• Strategic Planning & Reporting: Contribute to the development of the Library and Learning Resources directorate's strategic and operational plans. Produce high-quality reports, business cases, and briefings for senior leadership, project boards, and governance committees, using data and expert judgement to inform strategic decision-making.
• People Leadership & Team Development: Lead, motivate, and develop a diverse team of over 30 AV/Media Technologists, learning space designers, and student workers through two direct reports (Service Team Lead and Design Team Lead). Foster a high-performance culture, ensuring the team has the technical expertise, skills, and capacity to deliver excellent services. Provide expert technical guidance and upskilling to support team development.
• Service Quality, Evaluation & Continuous Improvement: Lead the development and implementation of evaluation methodologies to assess the effectiveness and impact of learning space services and projects. Use data, insight, and expert judgement to drive continuous improvement and influence future service and investment decisions.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Partnership: Develop and maintain effective relationships with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders, including the Assistant Director of Digital Education, Head of Portfolio Development, Estates, ITS, academic colleagues, the Library and Learning Resources Senior Leadership Team, and external suppliers and contractors. Engage with senior University leadership, including University Executive Board members and project boards, as required.
• Student & Academic Experience: Ensure that service design and space development decisions are informed by student and academic feedback, usage data, and pedagogical best practice, maintaining a clear and consistent focus on enhancing the quality of the learning and teaching experience across the University.
• Budget & Resource Management: Hold accountability for an annual budget in excess of £1 million, ensuring resources are allocated effectively and efficiently across service delivery, equipment lifecycle, and design projects. Identify financial risks and trends, taking independent action to implement appropriate solutions and ensure delivery on budget.
• Asset & Lifecycle Management: Provide strategic oversight of the lifecycle management of all AV and learning space assets across centrally managed spaces, ensuring timely maintenance, replacement planning, and accurate records of assets, stock, and service activity to support operational and financial planning.
• Supplier & Contract Management: Lead the management of relationships with external installation engineers, maintenance contractors, and technology suppliers, ensuring value for money, quality of delivery, and alignment with University standards and strategic objectives.
• Procurement & Tendering: Lead or contribute to procurement exercises and tendering processes for AV equipment, learning space technology, and associated services, ensuring compliance with University procurement policies and public sector regulations where applicable, and securing best value for the University.
• Risk Management: Identify, assess, and manage operational and strategic risks associated with learning space services, AV infrastructure, and project delivery. Ensure appropriate mitigation plans are in place, escalating risks to senior leadership where necessary, and maintain a proactive approach to risk across all areas of responsibility.
• Business Continuity: Lead the development and maintenance of business continuity plans for critical AV and learning space services, ensuring operational resilience and minimal disruption to teaching and learning activity in the event of service failure or other unforeseen circumstances.
• Equality, Diversity & Inclusion: Champion and embed a culture that promotes equality, values diversity, and fosters inclusion across all aspects of the team's work, in line with the Equality Act 2010 and the University's EDI strategy. Actively challenge unacceptable behaviour and ensure EDI principles are reflected in service design, space design, and people management practices.
• Accessibility & Inclusive Design: Ensure that all learning spaces, AV services, and technologies are designed, procured, and maintained to meet accessibility requirements, supporting an inclusive experience for all students and staff, including those with disabilities, in line with the Equality Act 2010 and relevant accessibility standards.
• Sustainability: Promote and embed sustainable working practices across the team and its services, supporting the University's sustainability agenda through resource-efficient service development and delivery, asset and lifecycle management, including procurement, and space design decisions.
• Any other duties commensurate with the grade.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

Qualifications

• Degree-level education in a relevant discipline such as Audio-Visual Technology, Music Technology, Broadcast Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, Educational Technology, or a related field; or equivalent level qualification; or substantial relevant practical experience gained through a series of progressively more demanding roles.
• Full, clean driving licence, required to support the operational needs of the department including the transportation of AV equipment across sites.

Technical Knowledge & Expertise

• Authoritative knowledge of AV systems and infrastructure, including AV programming platforms (e.g. Extron, QSC), AV-over-IP protocols, Dante audio networking, network architecture and deployment, and the integration of non-traditional networked devices such as switchers, image and audio processors, digital signage, and display systems.
• Strong knowledge of video conferencing platforms and systems (e.g. Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Cisco), including their deployment, management, and integration within teaching and event spaces.
• Demonstrable knowledge of lecture capture systems (e.g. Panopto, Echo360), including their strategic deployment, management, and integration with University teaching infrastructure.
• Knowledge and practical understanding of immersive and emerging learning technologies, including Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Extended Reality (XR), and their application in educational contexts.
• Ability to provide expert technical guidance and upskilling to a large and diverse AV and learning technology team, acting as the authoritative technical reference point for the team. Leadership & Management Experience.
• Significant and demonstrable experience of leading AV, learning technology, or learning space services at a senior level, with a track record of strategic leadership, team development, and service improvement.
• Proven experience of leading, motivating, and managing large and diverse teams, including through periods of change, and of developing high-performance cultures through indirect as well as direct management structures.
• Demonstrable experience of budget management at scale (e.g. in excess of £500,000 per annum), including resource allocation, financial planning, risk identification, and independent decision-making to ensure delivery on budget.
• Experience of procurement and tendering processes, including the management of supplier relationships and contracts, and compliance with public sector or institutional procurement regulations.
• Experience of working in complex organisations, successfully navigating matrix management structures and influencing across organisational boundaries. Stakeholder Engagement & Communication.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to produce high-quality reports, business cases, and briefings for senior leadership and governance audiences, and to adapt communication style effectively for a wide range of stakeholders.
• Proven ability to influence and negotiate with senior stakeholders, including University Executive Board members, academic leaders, and external partners, inspiring confidence and commanding authority across a range of professional contexts.
• Demonstrable experience of active engagement with users of teaching technologies