Head of Policy Assurance & Compliance (Governance)

The Governance and Records Management Department supports the University's governing bodies and senior leadership by ensuring effective corporate governance, regulatory compliance, and decision-making processes. This includes providing secretariat support to the Court and its committees, advising on governance best practice, and ensuring compliance with relevant legal and regulatory frameworks.
The department also has a key role in supporting the University's compliance obligations, including alignment with expectations from the Scottish Funding Council and other regulatory and statutory bodies. This involves oversight of policies, assurance processes, and reporting arrangements to demonstrate accountability and good governance.
Alongside its governance role, the department leads on information governance and records management, ensuring that information is created, handled, retained, and disposed of in line with legal requirements and best practice. This includes responsibility for Freedom of Information, data protection coordination, records management frameworks, and institutional policies.
It also oversees the University's archives and heritage collections, supporting the preservation of institutional memory and providing access to historical records where appropriate.
Overall, the function provides an integrated approach to governance, compliance, and information stewardship, enabling the University to operate effectively, manage risk, and maintain public trust.

The starting salary for this position will be in the range £60,209 to £62,016 per annum. For exceptional candidates a higher salary up to the top of the grade (currently £67,765 per annum) may be available.
This post is full time and will involve working 35 hours per week on a working pattern as agreed with your line manager.
The workplace pension scheme provided to workers at grade five and below is the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). This is a qualifying pension scheme, which means it meets or exceeds the government's standards. Full information about the scheme can be found on the Highland Council's Pension Fund website
The workplace pension scheme we provide to workers at grade six and above is the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS). This is a qualifying pension scheme, which means it meets or exceeds the government's standards. Full information on the scheme can be found at
Full-time posts carry a total of 42 days leave per annum (pro rata for part-time posts). It is practice that, with the exception of a Christmas and New Year closure, leave may be taken at any time of year, subject to the requirements of the post and department and with the permission of your line manager.
Recruitment Process
When completing the application form please ensure that you clearly evidence how you meet the selection criteria identified on the relevant person specification.
The deadline for submitting your application is Sunday 31st May 2026 at 11.59pm.
Shortlisting will take place the week commencing Monday 1st June 2026
Interviews will be held by in person or by videoconferencing on 8th June 2026
If you have any queries regarding our recruitment and selection process, or if you would like to request any reasonable adjustments to either the recruitment process or the prospective job, please contact the as soon as possible.
Interviews will be held 8th June 2026.