Location
Guildhall School of Music and Drama, City of London

Hours
Full-time, 35 hours per week

Salary
£59,060 to £66,670 (including Inner London Weighting and Inner London Supplement) plus £10,000 Market Forces Supplement

About the Role
Guildhall School is a vibrant, international community of musicians, actors and production artists, ranked number one in Arts, Drama & Music by the Complete University Guide 2025 and among the top four worldwide for Music and Performing Arts by the QS World University Rankings 2025. We deliver world-class professional training in partnership with distinguished artists, companies and ensembles, promoting innovation, experimentation and research. We are also a leading UK provider of lifelong learning in the performing arts, offering inspiring training for children, young people, adult learners, and creative and business professionals.

We are seeking an exceptional higher education professional to join Guildhall School as Head of Student Services. This senior leadership role within the Student & Academic Services Directorate is responsible for leading and developing the School’s student services provision. You will ensure students receive effective, inclusive and well-coordinated support throughout their studies, helping them thrive creatively, personally and academically.

Reporting to the Director of Student & Academic Services and Registrar, you will lead a broad range of student-facing services including welfare, disability support, counselling and mental health, accommodation and hardship advice, safeguarding, sexual violence prevention and response, and related areas. You will provide clear strategic and operational leadership and day-to-day oversight, ensuring services are responsive to student needs and aligned with the demands of specialist performing arts education.

The role involves engaging with sector developments, identifying opportunities for innovation, leading change, and representing Guildhall School in discussions about the future of student support.

This is an excellent opportunity to play a visible senior role supporting student wellbeing, inclusion, safeguarding, service quality and regulatory assurance within a distinctive specialist institution. You will work closely with senior colleagues, academic leaders, students, committees and external partners, contributing to effective decision-making, institutional planning and service enhancement. You will lead a team of skilled specialist colleagues who make a direct and meaningful contribution to student support and success.

Experience
Proven leadership in student services within a higher education professional services setting, with a strong track record in student support, wellbeing, disability, safeguarding, student advice and welfare. Experience managing complex cases, leading specialist teams, and driving service improvement, policy development and transformation.

Strong understanding of the UK higher education student services landscape including wellbeing, mental health, disability support, safeguarding, inclusion, equality duties, confidentiality, data protection and regulatory expectations.

Ability to advise senior colleagues on policy, risk and service responses, ensuring approaches are thoughtful, proportionate and aligned with sector developments.

About you
An empathetic, resilient and trusted leader with a collaborative and credible leadership style. Skilled at building strong relationships and navigating complexity. Committed to creating conditions where students can flourish and progress into sustainable and fulfilling futures in the creative industries.

Enjoys working across strategy, people leadership, casework, safeguarding, policy, evidence, partnership working and service improvement.

Qualifications
Relevant higher education qualifications and professional experience in student services leadership are expected. Commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk is essential.