Head of Community Projects (Maternity cover until December 2026)

Department: Community Projects

Location: Joseph Priestley Building

Salary: £62,364 to £70,564 per annum (Maternity cover role)

Post Type: Full Time

Closing Date: 23.59 hours GMT on Monday 12 January 2026

Reference: E125002

Birmingham City University is a large university, with over 31,000 students from over 100 countries. A large and diverse institution based in the heart of Birmingham with a focus on practice-based learning. Our Strategy 2030 Rooted in Birmingham and Reaching Beyond underpins our desire to deliver excellent applied research and high community impact.

The Head of Community Projects role is key to connecting us into the Birmingham and West Midlands for skills based projects and creating socio-economic impact. Reporting to the Director of Engagement, the role will lead BCU’s skills and community strategy, overseeing a team of Project Managers and support staff to deliver high-impact projects aligned with regional priorities in skills, employability, and community engagement.

The role involves working collaboratively across the University with senior leaders in Schools and professional services, while also maintaining strategic relationships with external stakeholders including Mayoral and Local Authorities, third sector organisations, other HE and FE institutions, and industry. You’ll respond to national and regional strategies by identifying funding opportunities, leveraging internal and external expertise, and developing initiatives that drive meaningful impact in the community.

The post holder will co-lead the implementation of a new internal process for the delivery of community projects, creating a shared understanding of priorities, activities, and direction across the University. You’ll also be responsible for centralising and reporting community activity and impact, demonstrating value to internal and external stakeholders.

The role will also play a key role in embedding community engagement into the student experience and curriculum, working with academic colleagues to ensure community-based learning and real-world impact are central to our teaching approach.

You will have extensive project management experience with a track record of delivering major projects. Including experience of designing community projects and working with a range of internal and external partners. You will have extensive experience of impact analysis, measuring the real-terms value of projects and forecasting ongoing impact, along with knowledge of the community and skills funding landscape and national and regional skills and employability strategies, investment plans and economic growth plans.

You will have significant experience of senior stakeholder engagement, with clear negotiation and influencing skills, coupled with tact and diplomacy.

The appointed candidate will normally be employed through our subsidiary company BCU Support Services Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Birmingham City University. Appointees with prior LGPS membership who wish to enter the LGPS scheme will be able to do so and will be employed by Birmingham City University directly.

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and to an environment that supports lawful free speech and academic freedom. We will continuously review and improve our policies, practices, and procedures to ensure that we are promoting these in all aspects of our operations. We believe that by working together, combining our many different backgrounds and life experiences, we will empower each other to reach our full potential.