Director of Insight and Planning
University of Brighton

United Kingdom

The University of Brighton is a community of over 17,000 students and 2,000 staff. We were awarded a TEF Silver for our teaching quality rating and a strong research record, factors which contribute to our reputation as a leading modern university.

We are a thriving, multi-campus coastal university delivering innovative career-focused courses at undergraduate and postgraduate degree level and our research and teaching transforms lives and benefits communities worldwide. The university offers a wide range of jobs in both academic and support roles, with competitive salaries and flexible working opportunities.

Our strategy, Distinctively Brighton 2035, provides a bold vision and clear direction towards a university that is both radically transformed and radically relevant. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine what universities can be and what they are for.

Dear Candidate,
Thank you for your interest in the role of Director of Insight and Planning at the University of Brighton.
I joined the University last year, excited by the mission, boldness, ethos and values of an incredibly inclusive and vibrant institution, committed to equity, opportunity, and ‘doing differently’. In the time that I’ve got to know Brighton as their Chief Operating Officer, I can say without hesitation that I’ve felt these qualities play out in authentic terms every day.
This is a particularly important moment in our journey. We have recently launched Distinctively Brighton 2035, an ambitious strategy that sets out a bold vision for our future: to become the first-choice university for enterprise and equity, delivering transformational impact for our students, our organisation and the communities we serve.
At the heart of the strategy is what we call our “North Star”. It challenges us to deliver three things simultaneously: to be distinctive and attractive to students and partners; to achieve equitable and excellent outcomes; and to ensure that what we do is affordable and sustainable to deliver. Achieving all three requires us to think differently about how universities operate.
In simple terms, we must learn how to do things differently – and often with fewer resources than in the past.
This is why the role of Director of Insight and Planning is so pivotal.
Universities have always generated large volumes of data, but the real challenge now is how we turn information into insight and insight into action. If we are to deliver on our strategy, we must ensure that data and evidence do not simply describe what has happened, but actively shape what we do next. Insight must help us unlock innovation in how we deliver education, research and knowledge exchange, enabling us to make confident, informed decisions about where to focus our efforts and how we deploy our resources.
This is also a new role for the University. It brings together two existing teams and areas of work to create a single, integrated Insight and Planning service at the heart of the institution. In doing so, we have a real opportunity to rethink how these capabilities work together and how they support the University’s leadership community.
I am particularly keen that the person appointed approaches their first months in the role with curiosity and openness. While we have a clear sense of the strategic direction we want to take, I expect the new Director to spend time engaging colleagues across the University — listening, understanding and reflecting deeply on how insight and planning can best support our collective ambitions. Working alongside Deans, professional service leaders and the University Executive Board, they will help shape how we define and deliver this new service so that it becomes a genuinely strategic partner to the institution.
Reporting to me and based within the Vice-Chancellor’s Office, the Director will play a central role in strengthening the University’s approach to institutional planning, business intelligence and performance insight. The role works closely with the University Executive Board, supporting decision-making across a wide range of strategic priorities, from student number planning and institutional performance to evaluation, forecasting and the development of a stronger culture of data-led leadership.
This is not simply about maintaining systems or producing reports. It is about creating an environment where great planning happens across the institution, where leaders are confident in using insight to guide their decisions, and where data is translated into practical action that improves outcomes for our students and our communities.
The University of Brighton is a distinctive place. We are deeply connected to our city and region, proud of our diverse and inclusive community, and committed to the idea that higher education should open doors and create opportunity. Our work spans disciplines from the creative industries and the arts to engineering, health sciences, education and business, and we are united by a strong commitment to partnership, innovation and real-world impact.
As Chief Operating Officer, I am particularly interested in how we build an organisation that is confident, agile and capable of delivering on its ambitions. Insight and planning are critical to that goal. Done well, they enable universities not only to understand themselves better, but to move more decisively and creatively in response to change.
We are therefore seeking a leader who is as comfortable engaging with complex data as they are influencing senior colleagues, someone who can combine analytical rigour with strategic perspective and who brings the energy and determination required to help us realise our ambitions.
This role offers a rare opportunity to shape how a university understands itself and how it makes decisions at a moment of genuine institutional transformation. If the prospect of helping to build a new service that places insight and evidence at the centre of institutional leadership excites you, I would be delighted to hear from you.
Thank you for your interest in the University of Brighton. I very much look forward to learning more about your experience and the contribution you could make to our future.
With best wishes,
Tom Rowson
Chief Operating Officer
University of Brighton
More than just an educational institution; we are a community dedicated to transforming lives and shaping futures – We are Distinctively Brighton.
The University has been part of the city of Brighton & Hove since 1859, starting as a school of art in the kitchens of the Royal Pavilion and growing to become today’s diverse and inclusive organisation. We have over 17,000 students and 2,000 staff studying and working at our campuses in Brighton and Eastbourne. The subjects taught here range from all the health professions to engineering, robotics, and computing; psychology and education to illustration, fine art, and fashion; and sport science to pharmacy, biomedicine, and genomics
Our strategy, Distinctively Brighton 2035, provides a bold vision and clear direction towards a university that is both radically transformed and radically relevant. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine what universities can be and what they are for.
Our transformation will ensure that we are not only financially sustainable, but that we reflect and serve the needs of our students, staff, communities and the world. More of the same will not deliver the change required by the university or the world in 2035. A disruptive approach is needed.
We take pride in being of, with and for Brighton & Hove and the region: working in partnership to forge an equitable future that impacts locally and globally impact in our local community and reaching out globally, based on our strong commitment to partnership working. The notion of global challenges runs throughout all our practices, alongside our core values of equity, courage, sustainability, creativity, and partnership, all of which shape how we work and operate.
Equity is our primary value. We are committed to developing and nurturing a diverse community that delivers equitable outcomes across all parts of our university activity, as well as supporting equity through the impact of our activities in local, national and international communities. We currently hold an institutional Athena Swan silver award, and our academic schools all hold bronze or silver awards. We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award, and we were placed at number 14 in Stonewall’s Top 100 Employers List 2024 for leading LGBTQ+ inclusive employers.
In 2023, Brighton was rated ‘Outstanding’ for educational gain in the Teaching Excellence Framework – recognising the transformational impact we have on students’ lives. In REF21 more than 88% of our submitted research rated as having ‘outstanding’ or ‘very considerable’ impact beyond academia. We are in the top 50 universities in the UK (United Kingdom) for graduate prospects – 91.4% of our graduates are in work or further study (Complete University Guide 2024).
Click here to read the Job Description and Person Specification
Remuneration: Competitive and depending on experience, with a generous benefits package, details of which can be found here
All applications must include:
- A full curriculum vitae/resume
- Quoting the relevant role reference number: A041763
- A covering letter highlighting the aspects of the job description and The University of Brighton that particularly attract you to the post (Microsoft Word document)
- Contact details for three referees, these will not be contacted without your permission. (References should validate a minimum period of six years employment)
- A completed Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form (which you will be redirected to once you have submitted your application) *
Right to work checks
If you are successfully shortlisted, our partner, Yoti, will contact you to complete an online right to work check. This is a quick and secure process, ensuring that all necessary legal requirements are met before proceeding further in the recruitment process.
Monitoring
One of Alumni Global’s and the University of Brighton’s objectives is to ensure that its workforce is reflective of the local community and therefore we actively encourage applications from under-represented groups. So that we can successfully achieve these aims, while it is not mandatory we would encourage every applicant to complete the “Equal Opportunities Monitoring form” so that we can measure the effectiveness of our efforts. The Recruiting Manager does not have access to the Monitoring Information Sections of the application form at any stage of the process and the information provided will be kept entirely confidential.
For a confidential discussion on this role please contact:
Owen Francis, Director or Rabiya Ali, Principal Researcher, whose details can be found at the bottom of this microsite.
Candidate adjustment
If you require any reasonable adjustments to be made as part of the recruitment process please can you advise us so that we can ensure this is accommodated
Closing Date: 17th April 2026
Final Interviews: w/c 4th May 2026 - TBC
Please ensure you have made a note of the final interview date(s). We recommend that you bookmark this microsite, as any potential updates regarding the role will be posted online.