Principal and Vice-Chancellor
- Location
- Global
- Salary
- Competitive
- Hours of work
- Full Time
- Closing date
- 10 November 2025
- Vacancy ID
- IBWJA
Welcome to HWU
A personal message from our Chair of Court
I am delighted to share with you the opportunity to lead Heriot-Watt University as Principal and Vice-Chancellor.
This is an important juncture for the University, as we look to the future with a strong sense of purpose and with a strategy that builds on the University’s distinctive strengths, global footprint and Scottish heritage. Strategy 2035 is an institutional strategy developed through a consultative process across the University during 2024/25, and which sets the purpose and direction of the University for the future.
We place our people – the staff and students of the University – at the heart of everything we do, and it is the people and our values that make the University a great place to work and study.
The University’s heritage is important and defines something essential about our character. We have a shared passion for excellence in research with a focus on real world challenges; we care about transforming lives through global access and inclusion with multi-mode, multi-location access to education and applied learning. With an outstanding record in transnational education and graduate outcomes, the University remains focused on employability as a key driver across its taught provision.
Through Strategy 2035, we are sharpening focus and strengthening our commitment to learning, which is flexible both on campus and online, with an exceptional student experience leading to strong employability outcomes; and to research which addresses and impacts real world challenges such as climate, health, Robotics and related technologies. Strategy 2035 sets two main growth directions. One is in the growth of our ‘Virtual Campus’, delivering flexible, stackable credentials to lifelong learners; the other in Partnerships, recognising that collaboration with industry, business and other partners strengthens the University and adds value to the impact we can have in the world.
We are seeking to appoint someone who is strongly motivated to work for Heriot-Watt University; who has both the passion and drive to lead the University in delivery of Strategy 2035 and the financial and business acumen to manage a complex global operation in challenging times. The person appointed will demonstrate their resilience, capability in building high performing teams, and power to influence and build the University’s reputation across all its communities.
I look forward to discussing the role further with you.
Bruce Pritchard, Chair of Court, Heriot-Watt University
Hear from our Chair and University Secretary
In the following video, Bruce Pritchard, Chair of Court, and Ruth Moir, University Secretary, discuss the role for our new Principal and Vice-Chancellor.
About
Our Heritage and Scottish Roots
Founded in 1821 as the Edinburgh School of Arts, Heriot-Watt was the world’s first Mechanics Institute, born out of the Scottish Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution, with a mission to educate working people for technical and scientific jobs. Our founding mission, and character of the University across the years has been to make education accessible and deliver tangible benefit to industry and society.
Over the years, we have grown from a technical college to a global university with a reputation for excellence in science, engineering, business, and design.
As we look forward, we reflect on our origins and build on this heritage which sets the foundations for our future and Strategy 2035.
Heriot-Watt University today
Heriot-Watt University is a charity registered in Scotland, with a distinctive multinational operation through its campuses in the UK, UAE and Malaysia, as well as through collaborative activity with partners around the world and its Virtual Campus. Heriot-Watt University Malaysia is a Private Higher Education Institution and subsidiary company of the Heriot-Watt Group; Heriot-Watt University Dubai is a branch entity; and Oriam – Scotland’s National Performance Centre for Sport – is also a subsidiary company, along with Heriot-Watt Trading.
A Distinctive University; A Sustainable Future
Growing from these Scottish roots in the 19th century, the University remains renowned for employability, for access and inclusion; and for its applied research impact and global reach. The University has an exceptional track record in transnational education with a globally connected delivery model, enabling students to ‘Go Global’ and learn through global teaching teams across campuses and cultures.
The University’s staff and students are the bedrock of its reputation, and it is their achievements in teaching, learning and research, underpinned by our values as a community, that makes the University what it is today. These values – to Inspire; Belong; Celebrate and Collaborate – help us stay true, with respect for one another; understanding and valuing diversity.
We have an exceptional partnership with our students and, as a university community, we care most about the transformational value of education which is accessible and research which impacts on real world challenges and benefits society.
We are thought leaders in sustainability and see that future prosperity depends on us curating a future with institutional, environmental, economic and human factors in mind. As we look forwards in Strategy 2035, we are sharpening our focus and building on these strengths and characteristics.
Our Institutional Impact Statement is the anchor for our strategy, defining our purpose as follows:
WE ARE FUTURE SHAPERS. Our Purpose is to develop leaders to build an equitable, sustainable, and enriching society. Our community will leverage its global presence and focused expertise to provide applied learning and research to transform lives and address real-world challenges.
Strategy 2035
Our strategy focusses on applied learning for life and employability, with research that addresses real world challenges. We are partners, collaborators, entrepreneurs and innovators. We care about sustainability, about developing and educating people who will lead out and make a difference in the world.
Find out about the University Executive
Read moreRole description
The Role
The Principal and Vice-Chancellor is the chief executive officer of the University, responsible for providing visionary, strategic, and operational leadership across all aspects of the institution. This role demands a dynamic and entrepreneurial leader who can navigate the complexities of higher education while driving innovation, financial sustainability, and global reputation.
Main duties and responsibilities
The Principal and Vice-Chancellor (the Principal) of Heriot-Watt University is the Head of the Institution and Chief Executive Officer, accountable to the governing body – the Court. Working closely with the Chair of Court in a constructive, challenging and mutually supportive way, the Principal is responsible for the management, leadership and successful performance of Heriot-Watt University. The Principal is responsible for shaping and delivering the University’s long-term strategy, ensuring alignment with academic excellence, societal impact, and financial resilience. An inspiring leader, the Principal will lead and build a high performing Executive Team, driving performance and delivering the strategic aims of the University set out in Strategy 2035.
Key responsibilities include:
- Responsibility for the financial and broader performance of the University and is the designated officer in respect of the use of Scottish Funding Council funds and compliance with the Funding Council’s Financial Memorandum.
- Driving the financial sustainability of the University, identifying further opportunities and driving financial strategies for future growth and development of the University, whilst engaging staff and students.
- Building research excellence and quality and standards across the University, ensuring that the reputation of the University is preserved and enhanced.
- Further develop the University’s approach as a leader in delivering institutional and global best practise in sustainability and pathways beyond net-zero.
- Continue to put our students and staff at the heart of our decision making and realise further progress positive student experiences at Heriot-Watt University.
- Have an appreciation for the value of digital skills, including developments in AI, in student and staff experience.
- Promoting and leading an inclusive culture where all staff and students can bring their whole selves to Heriot-Watt University, by further role modelling and sponsoring the University Values across the global footprint.
- Playing a leading role in philanthropy, ensuring that the University mission and purpose is recognised and supported through fundraising.
The Person
- Bring a strong track record of success of leading large, complex and global organisations and to be able to use both the track record and international understanding to help realise the global opportunities for Heriot-Watt University’s five campuses.
- A proven track record of leadership at a senior level within a large, complex and ambitious organisation, ideally with a global footprint and outlook.
- A strong understanding of financial management, income diversification, and organisational performance.
- Passion for operational excellence in the context of running a large global enterprise and delivering Higher Education provision in an increasingly technological driven world.
- A passion for education, skills development and economic development, combined with the ability to anticipate global trends and position the University as a leader in research, teaching, and societal contribution.
- A confident and engaging public speaker with the ability to influence and enhance the profile and impact of the institution.
- Entrepreneurial, results-oriented, and driven by the opportunity to deliver significant positive impact through the University.
- Track record of excellence, whether in education, research, business or public service, and credibility as leader of an academic institution on a global stage.
Substantial strategic leadership experience
- A proven track record of strategic and innovative leadership across a complex organisation of relevant scale.
- Experience of developing and successfully implementing organisational strategy and demonstrable evidence of delivery against those strategic objectives.
- Experience of operating within a multinational organisation and across academic and commercial operations would be beneficial.
Management and leadership skills
Personal Leadership
- Authenticity and drive
- A visible leader who spends time being present with staff and students
- Demonstrated ability to build world-class teams, provide clear focus and empowers accordingly
Establishing and leading a high performing team
- Excellent people and communication skills
- Proven track record of effectively managing and developing senior teams and driving high performance outcomes
- Ability to anticipate the skills required for the future, developing capability accordingly, and ensuring coherence in management processes
Working with Court
- Enables court members to help the organisation grow and be successful, promoting a forward-looking agenda, and supporting strategic thinking
- A strong appreciation of the relationship between management and governance within the University and in establishing positive outcomes
People & Culture Skills
- Ability to role-model a ‘one team’ approach and create a collaborative environment
- Commitment to fostering a positive culture and an environment that enables agility in decision-making and strategic development
- A commitment to strategic workforce planning and development
- The ability to build trust and credibility with all colleagues internally Cultural awareness
Stakeholder Management
- Ability to engage at the highest levels and build effective relationships with government, industry, funding bodies, research councils, and HE bodies as well as with external partners.
- Ability to be a strong and compelling ambassador for Heriot-Watt, communicating and amplifying the University’s distinctiveness.
- Excellent networking skills and ability to participate in fundraising efforts.
Transformation and change
- The ability to lead transformation programmes and implement innovative and creative solutions within the HE sector.
- Ability to adapt and respond decisively to external challenges in a rapidly changing environment.
EDI
- A strong commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and the university’s mission to deliver widening access to higher education.
- A genuine appreciation for the diverse cultures that enrich the Heriot-Watt as an inclusive and global university.
Commercial/ fiscal
- Demonstrable evidence of commercial and financial management and of delivering financial sustainability in a large and complex organisation.
- Experience of business transformation and cultural change.
- Ability to lead and optimise the financial, human and digital assets of the institution.
- An in depth understanding of the knowledge-based economy, intellectual property, spin-out companies, financing and commercialisation thereof.
- Experience in strategic risk management and effective governance.
Sector credibility and awareness
- Ability to establish credibility as the leader of a higher education institution and genuine appreciation for the value that universities generate for students, local communities, and social and economic impact on a national and global scale.
- An understanding of the UK, Scottish and international higher education landscape, including global trends in teaching, research and funding.
How to apply
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Deadline for applications | Monday 10 November 2025 |
| Interviews | January 2026 |
Saxton Bampfylde Ltd is acting as an employment agency advisor to the Heriot-Watt University on this appointment. For further information about the role, please use the Apply button and quote reference IBWJA. Alternatively email Belinda.beck@saxbam.com.
Applications should be received by noon on Monday 10 November 2025.
Equality of Opportunity statement
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 abilities. Equality 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.
Why work for Heriot-Watt
Find out the benefits of working at our global Heriot-Watt University.
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