Head of Student Success and Experience

Job Title:Head of Student Success and Experience (Online Campus)

Grade and Salary:Grade 9 - 58225 to 69488

FTE and working pattern:Full Time (1FTE) Open ended

Annual Leave:33 days plus 9 buildings closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday). Use our total rewards calculator: see the value of benefits provided.

Location:This role can be based on our Edinburgh or Dubai campuses minimum 3 days per week on campus up to 2 days per week home working

About our School/Directorate and Team:

Heriot-Watt University has a proud 25-year legacy of delivering world-class online and distance learning. Today over 7000 students from 160 countries study with through our Online Campus - making up more than 25% of our total student body.

We are now entering an ambitious phase of investment and growth for Heriot-Watt Online with a bold 10-year strategy to expand our reach and a world where the nature of work is evolving rapidly we are committed to delivering flexible accessible and career-focused education at scale - empowering individuals and organisations to thrive in times of transformation.

The Head of Student Success and Experience will be a key leader in realising this vision. Joining a dynamic and collaborative team this role will shape and execute strategies that drive sustainable growth harness our global reputation and position Heriot-Watt as a leader in digital education worldwide.

This role can be based on our Edinburgh or Dubai campuses minimum 3 days per week on campus up to 2 days per week home working.

Purpose of Role

The Head of Student Success and Experience (Heriot-Watt Online) will set the vision strategy and execution plan for the Online Campus student success and experience function ensuring a best-in-class experience that enhances student engagement retention and progression and positions Heriot-Watt as a leader in flexible global learning. You will lead expand and oversee the Student Success team dedicated to Online students Graduate Apprentices and Corporate Partners driving initiatives that directly contribute to higher retention completion and graduation rates as well as improved student satisfaction community and belonging.

This senior leadership role demands expert knowledge of global best practices in online student retention pastoral care and success. You will play a critical role in shaping the future of the online campus student experience ensuring we meet the evolving needs of learners employers and partners worldwide. You will play an important role in representing the voice of our learners putting the student at the heart of our decision making.

Main duties include but are not limited to: -

Key Responsibilities

Strategic leadership

• Develop and execute a student success strategy aligned with the Online Campus objectives.
• Drive initiatives to enhance student satisfaction retention and progression across all programmes and portfolios.
• Establish KPIs for student success measuring and improving student outcomes through data-driven decision-making.
• Contribute to annual student number planning and financial planning updating forecasting based on data insights
• Advocate for student experience excellence within the Online Campus Leadership Team and across Heriot-Watt University.

Student experience engagement & retention

• Lead the Student Success team ensuring learners receive high-quality support at scale.
• Create and oversee a proactive data-informed student support model ensuring effective interventions that drive engagement and retention.
• Develop and implement strategies for onboarding induction and digital skills development for learners.
• Develop a community-building strategy and champion initiatives that foster belonging peer-to-peer engagement and student-led networks.
• Collaborate with marketing academic and operational teams to enhance student communications and engagement touchpoints.

Operations and continuous improvement

• Own and refine key student success processes from enrolment through to graduation ensuring seamless coordination across teams (e.g. academic technical operations finance etc.).
• Develop a strong collaborative working relationship with the Head of Marketing and Recruitment (Online Campus) and Head of Registry (Online Campus) jointly reviewing and optimizing the end-to-end student lifecycle processes to ensure a consistent efficient and seamless student experience ensuring excellent student experience and retention.
• Work with the Head of Off-Campus Students to ensure complaint management and escalation pathways support positive student experiences and timely resolution.
• Use data analytics to monitor student engagement patterns identifying and addressing potential risk factors for retention.
• Drive continuous improvement in student support interventions faculty-student interactions and pastoral care models.
• Contribute to and hold an awareness of student policies related to assessment curriculum progression and student support ensuring students are given accurate up to date guidance.
• Use CRM and student records tools as well as the VLE and other platforms to monitor and enhance student engagement and communications.

CRM and systems

• Establish ownership and manage the ideal Student Success tech-stack (CRM SRS emailing platform etc.) to ensure the scale and quality of the student success offering.
• Draw up business cases and get buy-in for systems and tech developments or enhancements needed to deliver on Student Success initiatives and KPIs.
• Ensure the team are properly trained in the use of relevant systems and platforms.
• Draw up process documentation and monitor use of relevant systems and platforms to ensure correct and optimal use.
• Work in partnership with the Head of Registry (Online Campus) to ensure CRM student records and other systems align with academic operations requirements.

Teamwork and collaboration

• Work closely with Recruitment Marketing Digital Education and Registry & Academic Services (RAS) teams to align student success efforts with strategies aimed at improving student recruitment and learning experiences.
• Ensure alignment between Student Recruitment Registry & Academic Services (RAS) and Student Success processes including onboarding enrolment progression and graduation work flows.
• Provide insights into student behaviour and success metrics to inform marketing programme design and institutional strategy.
• Support key institutional initiatives including B2B/Employer partnerships and scholarship programmes.
• Lead the approach to tracking and reporting on student progression and satisfaction metrics.

People management and team leadership

• Recruit develop and lead a high-performing Student Success team ensuring they are equipped with the necessary skills and resources to support students effectively.
• Foster a student-first culture and ensure best practices in online student support are continuously adopted.
• Set and manage the Student Success budget optimising resources while achieving strategic objectives.

Key Skills & Experience

Essential

1. Knowledge of best practices in student lifecycle and experience management.
2. Knowledge of or experience in a higher education setting preferably in an online learning environment.
3. Proven ability to drive measurable improvements in student retention engagement belonging and satisfaction.
4. Expertise in data-driven decision-making using data to inform decision-making.
5. Strong team leadership experience with a track record of managing and growing successful teams.
6. Demonstrated success in cross-functional collaboration working with academic operational and marketing teams to enhance student outcomes.
7. Exceptional communication stakeholder management problem-solving and influencing skills.
8. Demonstrable experience of managing resources workloads and changing priorities for self and others.
9. Demonstrable ability to work within a fast-changing environment.
10. Project management skills including resource management project reporting and budgeting.

Desirable

1. Demonstrable experience of leading and managing change.
2. Track record of achieving results in a high growth environment with a commercial focus.
3. Experience with CRM tools and student success platforms to monitor and enhance student engagement.
4. Understanding of global online education trends and the challenges facing diverse international student populations.
5. Familiarity with B2B student engagement and employer-sponsored learning models.

How to Apply

Please submit via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment system (1) Cover letter describing their interest and suitability for the post; (2) Full CV.

Applications can be submitted up to 23:55(UK time)on29^thMay 2026

About Heriot-Watt University

At Heriot Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team.

Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.

Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected trained promoted appraised and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.

Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our University community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information please see our website and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers .

We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g. part-time working and job share options.

Use our total rewards calculator: to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.