Job Title: Head of Learner Support and Experience

Reporting to: Director of Global Engagement

Location: Griffith College Dublin Campus, with travel to Limerick & Cork as required

Job Type: Full Time/Permanent (Subject to 6-month probation period)

Learner Support and Experience

Griffith College places the learner at the centre of its activities, helping them solve problems early, succeed in their studies, and feel part of a welcoming community on every campus. Clear, easy-to-find services and consistent induction make it simple to know who to contact, with tailored help for international learners and those with additional needs. Using learner feedback and real-time data, the College quickly and fairly improves services to support equal access in Dublin, Cork, and Limerick. The College aspires to develop enhanced supports and experiences to boost progression, completion, and employability, while reflecting the College’s values and responsible, sustainable decision-making.

Role Summary:

Griffith College, Ireland’s largest private higher education institution, is looking to appoint an experienced Head of Learner Support and Experience. The successful candidate will provide strategic leadership, coordination, and enhancement of Griffith College’s learner support and experience framework, ensuring a relevant, high-quality experience for all Griffith College learners. This role will help develop, inform, refresh, and shape both learner support and the learner experience at Griffith College. They will seek to deliver a consistent learner-centred support experience across all College campuses and study modes.

They will work with key internal and external stakeholders to help deliver appropriate services that meet learner needs across our varied learner groups:

Full-time Irish, EU and non-EU learners
Part-time Irish, EU and non-EU learners (on residency visas)
Blended Irish, EU and non-EU learners (on residency visas)
Fully online Irish, EU and non-EU learners (on residency visas)
An increasing number of overseas-based EU and non-EU learners on articulation pathways leading to a qualification at Griffith College in Ireland
An increasing number of overseas-based EU and non-EU learners on transnational qualifications leading to a Griffith College/QQI award in their home country.

This is a new position within the organisation, and the successful candidate will be expected to align and coordinate the College’s learner support and experience services into a cohesive unit.

Scope of Responsibility:

The Head of Learner Support and Experience is a varied role that impacts all facets of the College’s operations across all campuses. The following areas of the College operation are within the scope of the role:

Induction (pre-arrival, arrival, ongoing; undergraduate / postgraduate / apprentices / advanced entry / transnational / blended / online)
Communications strategy and branding for Learner Support Services
Learner Engagement (retention, progression, case management coordination)
Pastoral/wellbeing services: design, resourcing, governance, and campus deployment
Counselling operations contracted to external providers (coordination and quality monitoring)
Student Activities and campus life programming
Transnational learner support and engagement
Careers & Employability Office alignment and cross-campus presence
Data, analytics, and “closing the loop” feedback processes; annual services review
Graduation (event support, coordination, graduate surveys)

In addition, the Head of Learner Support and Experience will work closely with other College units as strategic partners to ensure an integrated approach to learner support and experience across the College:

Digital Learning Supports
Faculty and support offices
Global Engagement Office
Learning Support (disability/neurological/learning differences)
Library liaison for student skills workshops and academic integration support
Students’ Union collaboration, mentorship and learner voice mechanisms

Key Responsibilities

Strategy and Governance

Develop and implement a college-wide learner experience strategy and service standards
Establish and chair the Learner Experience and Success Committee
Coordinate cross-functional policy alignment for learner supports, ensuring clarity of roles and boundaries

Pastoral/Wellbeing Services

Design a professionally led pastoral/wellbeing model, including sufficient resourcing for Cork and Limerick campuses.
Implement referral and escalation pathways, including delivering staff guidance to reduce inappropriate case handling by non-specialists.

Communications and Branding

Lead a multi-channel communication strategy to tailor messaging by campus and cohort.
Refresh learner support services branding to ensure visibility via the Learner Hub on Griffith.ie and on‑campus touchpoints.

Induction and Integration

Oversee pre-arrival, arrival, and year-round induction across all cohorts and campuses, including part-time, blended, online and transnational learners.
Integrate international onboarding with ongoing support by aligning with the Global Engagement Office objectives.
Engage with the faculties and the Griffith Institute of Languages to ensure adequate academic English language support is available to all learners.

Careers & Employability

Enhance campus parity of careers support
Strengthen mentoring, employer engagement, and workshop reach
Support and encourage strategies that foster graduate employment opportunities

Data, Analytics, and Feedback

Enhance data-informed decision-making and support service levels
Standardise service availability, engagement options, response times, and equity indicators
Lead annual services review using consistent templates to inform resourcing and continuous improvement
Support and formalise “closing the loop” mechanisms and publish improvements arising from learner feedback

Quality, Compliance, and Transnational and Collaborative Partner Parity

Ensure equivalent learner supports for transnational and collaborative partner learners
Support commitments related to QQI, CINNTE, TrustEd Ireland and other quality marks and actively contribute to consolidated QA of collaborations

Stakeholder Engagement, Student Activities and Learner Voice

Support learner participation in governance beyond the Students' Union
Support the development of structures for diverse learner representation
Maintain strong external links with advocacy groups and community partners in support of learner wellbeing and inclusion
Mentor and guide the elected Student Union officers and assist in the development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the Students' Union
Coordinate student activities and community engagement to foster belonging and cross-campus cohesion

Budgeting and Resource Management

Propose and manage budgets for communications, pastoral/wellbeing services, and cross-campus initiatives.
Develop business cases for additional staffing/resources based on utilisation and impact data, as needed.

Qualifications and Experience

Applications are invited from suitable candidates who fulfil the following criteria:

Bachelor’s degree and a relevant postgraduate qualification (e.g., Education, Student Affairs, Management, Psychology, Public Administration, etc.)
7+ years’ leadership experience in higher education learner services or learner experience roles within a multi-campus or complex environment
Demonstrable success in building pastoral and wellbeing services and establishing effective referral and escalation frameworks
Proven experience in designing and delivering campus-wide induction and communications strategies
Strong data literacy; experience deploying dashboards and using analytics to inform resourcing and service enhancement
Track record of cross-functional leadership with academic, professional service units, and student bodies

In addition to the above, the following is highly desirable:

Knowledge of the independent Irish higher education context and international learner integration
Familiarity with TrustEd Ireland and quality assurance frameworks for partnerships and collaborations
Experience with CRM and Student Information Systems
Change management and branding/communications expertise
Experience aligning careers services with industry engagement and employability outcomes

About Griffith College

Established in 1974, Griffith College is Ireland’s largest independent higher education institution with campuses in Dublin, Cork, and Limerick. The main campus is located on seven acres within a mile of St. Stephen’s Green on Dublin’s South Circular Road. Griffith College has a national and expanding international reputation for learner success. The College has earned an esteemed, award-winning reputation for providing learners with first-class lectures and excellent learning materials. Griffith College offers internationally recognised undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes, complemented by a wide range of professional, short-term, and corporate training solutions - at Griffith College, there is something for everyone. Currently, over 8,000 learners are studying at the College, with its programmes accredited by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) and/or other professional bodies and accreditation agencies. Click the link for more information. http://www.griffith.ie/

Our Vision

To be recognised among the leading, innovative, and socially enterprising of Ireland’s universities.

Why work for Griffith College?

Competitive salary package.
Access to a health cash plan for self and family through salary sacrifice
Bike to work scheme.

Opportunity for continued training development, and support.

Free parking facilities.*
On-site subsidised restaurant.*
On-site Gym.
Stunning historical premises.
Vibrant multidisciplinary and multicultural learning environment.

Innovative and agile place to work.

Welcoming environment committed to learner and staff development.
*Dublin campus on South Circular Road.

This job description is not to be regarded as exclusive or exhaustive. It is intended as an outline of proposed areas of activity and will be amended in the light of the changing environment within the Faculty and the College.

Griffith College is an equal opportunities employer. Candidates must be eligible to work full-time for any employer in Ireland. We thank everyone for their applications; however, only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

Head of Learner Support and Experience

Benefits

Job Description