Founded in 1898, we at the University of East London (UEL) are proud to change lives through education. Our goal is to advance industry 5.0 careers-first education and provide a clear path to the jobs and opportunities of the future. We’re committed to driving diversity in the 5.0 talent pipeline, working in partnership to promote talent wherever it is found and creating a balanced, inclusive, and green future.

If you are seeking a career that combines innovative education with a passion for crafting positive change, look no further than the University of East London. Founded in 1898 to meet the skills needs of the 2nd industrial revolution, we’re now in Year 7 of our ground-breaking 10-year Vision 2028 strategic plan, orchestrated by our Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Amanda Broderick.

But we can't achieve this goal alone. We need forward-thinking, innovative, and curious individuals like you to join our community and help us shape the future. As part of our team, you'll have the opportunity to work with a diverse range of people who share your passion for generating positive change. We’re an inclusive and welcoming community that is constantly moving forward, never satisfied with the status quo.

 If you're ready to join a team that values your outstanding skills and perspectives and is dedicated to making a difference, we invite you to explore a career with us. We are excited to welcome versatile individuals who are committed to advancing their careers while making a positive impact on the world.

About Us

The University of East London’s Health Campus is a pioneering community-focused centre that brings together health education, advanced research, clinical simulation, and public wellbeing initiatives within a state-of-the-art environment. 

Designed to support the development of future healthcare professionals, the campus integrates innovative health technologies, inter-professional learning, and strong partnerships with healthcare providers, schools, care settings, and local communities. 

As part of UEL’s vision to create the UK’s first University Community Health Centre, the Health Campus promotes preventative healthcare, addresses health inequalities, and provides a collaborative space that serves students, staff, healthcare partners, and the wider public.

About the Job

The Project Director will provide strategic leadership, governance and oversight for the delivery of the East London Pupils' Careers Education Consortium (ELPCEC), a major externally funded programme established through the Portal Trust bid. The programme is led by the University of East London in partnership with the London Boroughs of Newham, Tower Hamlets and Hackney and is designed to support young people who are Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET), at risk of becoming NEET, or facing barriers to participation through targeted education, employability, digital and creative skills interventions.

Working across a complex multi-agency landscape, the Project Director will establish effective programme governance arrangements, manage risk and performance, oversee monitoring and evaluation frameworks, and ensure delivery of measurable outcomes relating to educational participation, employability, progression and social impact. The role will be responsible for reporting to funders and governance boards, driving continuous improvement, and developing a sustainable model that supports future growth and investment beyond the initial funding period.

We are seeking an experienced Project Manager to join the Portfolio & Benefits team within the Commercial & Programme Delivery Directorate.

Alongside programme delivery responsibilities, you will contribute to the continued development of project and programme management capability across UEL. As a member of the Portfolio & Benefits team, you will support the enhancement of project management frameworks, governance, methodologies, tools and reporting practices, contributing to the ongoing maturity of the University's project management function.

The Project Director will play a critical role in delivering UEL's civic and social mobility ambitions by creating opportunities for young people across East London, strengthening strategic partnerships, and positioning the University as a leading contributor to addressing educational inequality and improving life chances within local communities.

Key deliverables

• Successful delivery of the Portal Trust-funded programme to agreed scope, budget and timescales.
• Strong governance, reporting and stakeholder engagement arrangements in place across all partner organisations.
• Measurable improvements in participant engagement, progression, skills development and community outcomes.
• Robust monitoring, evaluation and impact reporting frameworks embedded throughout delivery.
• Sustainable partnership model and future funding strategy developed to support long-term programme growth.
• Demonstrable contribution to the Health Campus vision of improving health, wellbeing and opportunities for East London communities

The duties and responsibilities outlined above provide a general overview of the range of tasks that Project Manager at the University of East London may be required to perform. Please note that this job description is not exhaustive, and additional tasks aligned with the role's grade may be assigned as needed. 

Benefits Package

Here at UEL we understand it’s about more than just a salary. It’s about the entire package on offer along with our outstanding work environment and inclusive culture. We know the market rates for this vacancy and will offer a genuinely competitive salary DOE.

https://uel.ac.uk/benefits-professional-services-positions

We care deeply about your wellbeing and our benefits includes: 20% pension (4% from you, 16% from us), 25 days holiday (plus 3 days over Christmas) plus bank holidays, hybrid working for most positions, and we’re always open to consider flexible working arrangements. We have a subsidised gym membership, 3 times base salary life assurance, a cashback healthcare scheme and wide variety of other generous benefits including discounts on: Apple and Samsung products, holidays, clothing, fitness, lifestyle, dining out and weekly shopping.

Equal Opportunities 

As an inclusive, equal-opportunities employer, our Stonewall membership and Athena Swan awards reflect our ongoing dedication to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and we’re committed to closing the "diversity pay gap". We’re proud of the progress we’ve made and honest that there’s more to do. We’re determined to keep moving forward so everyone at UEL can thrive.

So, if you’d like to take your career to the next level with us here at the University of East London and are inspired by our environment and commit to success, we want you to apply today!

Closing Date: 27 Oct 2026

Team: Management Support - UELPS Ltd

Salary: £75,180 to £94,036 per annum inclusive of London Weighting

The University of East London (UEL) is seeking an exceptional Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to help shape the next phase of its development as it looks beyond the conventional boundaries of a single university towards a more global, connected and entrepreneurial education group.

UEL is a modern, inclusive university with a distinctive careers-first mission: creating opportunity, connecting education to employment and ensuring that talent, rather than background, determines what comes next. Under Vision 2028, the University has transformed its student experience, graduate outcomes, enterprise activity and financial resilience, providing a strong platform for its next phase of growth.

Forward to 2040 sets out an ambitious next horizon. UEL intends to evolve into a global, multi-entity education group, with a long-term ambition for turnover exceeding £1bn. Its emerging model will encompass international hubs in India, Egypt and the United States, new routes to market, technology-enabled propositions and commercial partnerships, while retaining the public purpose and inclusive mission at the heart of UEL.

The CFO will be one of the principal architects of this next phase. Reporting to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Group Chief Executive, and working closely with the Vice-Chancellor & President, Board and Executive Leadership Team, they will help build the financial architecture required to support UEL's ambitions: group-wide financial governance, consolidated reporting, investment discipline, capital allocation, commercial insight and scalable systems across an increasingly diverse portfolio.

This is an opportunity to build rather than simply inherit a group finance model. The CFO will combine rigorous financial stewardship with commercial and strategic leadership, protecting UEL's financial resilience while helping to evaluate new markets, investments and partnerships, understand returns and unit economics, and create a finance function capable of supporting sustainable, entrepreneurial growth.

UEL is deliberately looking beyond conventional higher education profiles. Candidates are likely to have operated at CFO or senior Finance Director level in a complex organisation and will bring strong commercial judgement alongside experience of growth, transformation or organisational build. International and/or multi-entity experience will be particularly relevant, as will experience of scaling financial systems and processes and exposure to areas such as corporate development, M&A, partnerships or expansion into new markets.

Cultural contribution will matter as much as technical capability. UEL is collaborative, ambitious and prepared to launch, test, learn and improve. The successful candidate will combine pace and entrepreneurial instinct with financial discipline, constructive challenge and sound judgement, and will be motivated by the opportunity to apply their experience in an institution where commercial ambition sits firmly alongside public purpose.

How to apply

Russell Reynolds Associates is advising the University of East London on this appointment. The closing date for applications is 23:59 GMT on 25 October 2026. To apply, please submit your application through the Russell Reynolds Associates online application portal, quoting reference 2609-063L.

Your application should include:

• a CV setting out your career history, key responsibilities and achievements, including reasons for any gaps within the last two years; and

• a Statement of Suitability of no more than two pages, explaining how your skills, qualities and experience demonstrate your suitability for the role.

Due diligence will be carried out on shortlisted candidates and may include searches of publicly available information, including previous public statements and social media. For an informal and confidential discussion about the role, or if you experience difficulty accessing the online application platform, please contact responses@russellreynolds.com, quoting reference 2609-063L.

Closing Date: 25 Oct 2026

Team: Management Support - UELPS Ltd