Career

About || Experience || Career || Testimonials || References || Memberships || Personal

A full Curriculum Vitae is available on request, describing in full the activities performed and responsibilities exercised for each of the roles recorded below

tecsar ltd. January 2013 onwards

Providing consultancy to, and delivering projects for, Universities and Colleges. Please see examples of engagements undertaken thus far.

University of Edinburgh. August 1998 to December 2012

Head of Student Admissions and Curricula Systems (SACS), Academic Registry

January 2011 to December 2012  

[Director/Deputy Academic Registrar level]

Please see Advert and Further Particulars for detailed information about the role.

Led the teams responsible for

(i) delivery of a programme of major institutional projects (business processes delivered in tandem with software)  that underpin the University's student administration, admissions processing and curricula management business;

(ii) enhancements and bug fixes to existing delivered software including management of supplier upgrades and software updates;

(iii) managing and supporting a large range of live systems/services (bespoke and packaged software, principally Tribal's SITS:Vision) delivering core business processes to applicants, students and staff;

(iv) owning a range of core University activities (e.g. HESA Student and KIS returns, UKBA interactions, University's Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study).

Activity in delivering projects included: business case development and benefits identification; scoping; programme and project management; user consultation, business process analysis and re-design, business process change requirements, integration and regression testing, user acceptance testing management, user and support documentation, training and communications; change management. Technical development was undertaken by IT colleagues (internal or supplier). SACS acts as the interface between key stakeholders/end users and IT, with the Head acting as the overall systems owner on behalf of the University.

Responsible for 28 staff and a budget of over £1.5m.

Head of Business Assurance, Testing and Support, EUCLID Project

August 2006 to December 2010    

[Grade 09]

The EUCLID Project was a major institutional project to transform student administration. Its aim was to deliver radical improvements to the way in which the University interacted with students and supported academic staff, delivered through far-reaching business change facilitated by investment in technology. Tribal’s SITS:Vision student information system was procured and implemented.

The Systems Group transferred from the Registry to the EUCLID Project Department. In addition to responsibilities for legacy systems (see below) and ensuring their continuity, assumed a variety of responsibilities during the Project, including supporting the live systems.

Head of Systems, Registry

[Grade AA5]

August 2004 to July 2006 

Promotion through regrading. Re-organisation of business area and assumption of responsibility for additional business functions and systems.

Student Systems Project Manager and Head of Systems Development and Data Management, Registry

June 1999 to July 2004  

[Grade AA4: Assistant Secretary]

Promotion following assumption of additional responsibilities as Student Systems Project Manager.

Responsible for programme and project management (business and technical resources) of  developments to the Registry-related systems, as well as retaining all existing responsibilities.

Head of Systems Development and Data Management, Registry

August 1998 to May 1999   

[Grade AA3: Senior Administrative Officer]

Moray House merged with the University of Edinburgh with effect from 1 August 1998; hence a new appointment and promotion at merger.

Responsible for the business-side of development of corporate Registry systems, for managing the data in them, and for some of the major Registry activities (e.g. matriculation, HESA returns).

Moray House Institute of Education. June 1995 – July 1998

Moray House was Scotland’s leading teacher training institution with c1800 FTE students. It merged with the University of Edinburgh on 1 August 1998.

Registry Manager

June 1995 to July 1998

As a small institution, gained invaluable practical experience across the whole breadth of student administration. Responsible for the full range of Registry processes, from application admission, to enrolment and payment, on programme administration, Boards of Examiners management, graduation, statutory returns (SFC Early Statistics, HESA, GTC etc), student record development, business processes and so on.

Scottish Tourist Board. June 1989 to January 1995

Following a review of tourism by the Secretary of State for Scotland, it was decided that a third of staff posts within the Scottish Tourist Board should be relocated, my own position included. Despite being offered a promotion, I elected not to move and accepted the offer of voluntary redundancy.

Started with low level tasks, undertaking administration wholly on paper – working on huge A0 sheets, recording activity manually and using a typing pool to produce letters for the membership. Something called a PC arrived in the office. Over time, undertook what I now know to be business analysis, requirements definition and testing in delivering business processes through software - but without any training and with no literature i.e. I had to work out the principles and practice myself through evolution and self-reflection.

Administration Officer, Quality Assurance Schemes

June 1989 to January 1995             

Specified and implemented information systems to support the business requirements of the department. Co-ordinated and supervised the administration of annual inspection and assessment of over 6000 accommodation establishments by 18 assessors. Particular, sole responsibility for British Graded Holiday Parks Assessment Scheme as Chief Inspector, Caravan Parks. Drafted and presented numerous policy papers and ad hoc reports; undertook research projects, collected results, prepared statistics, interpreted and disseminated findings. Wrote copy, designed, edited and managed the production of the majority of print and promotional material relating to departmental activities. Forward planning of departmental activities and in development and implementation of policy. Recruitment, training, development and management of 10 staff.

Financial and Membership Controller, Grading and Classification

June 1988 to June 1989          

Budget projections and oversight, costings, control and expenditure monitoring. Collection, monitoring and credit control of income. Management fee invoicing. Management of relationship with the membership (c6500); Development of IT systems to support finance and membership processes.

Clerical Officer, Grading and Classification

July 1987 to May 1988  

          Routine clerical and other low level tasks within an office environment. Paper administration before the arrival of           computers!