The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university.

We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more. Find out more about our benefits (opens in a new window) and join us to become part of something special.

Create a culture of service excellence focused on delivering a world-class student and staff experience. 

The University of Sheffield is a truly special place, with a bold and ambitious future.  A leading global university renowned for the excellence, impact and the distinctiveness of its research-led learning and teaching across a wide range of disciplines, we are home to 30,000 of the brightest students and over 8,000 staff from more than 140 countries around the world.  We want Sheffield to be an international centre of excellence for centuries to come, so we recruit ambitious, creative people from across the globe and we nurture their talent.

Reporting to the Director of Estates & Facilities, you will take full responsibility for developing and implementing key University strategies for our expansive accommodation portfolio which supports student recruitment. In addition, development and implementation of strategies to deliver estates & facilities campus services and commercial activities including wholly owned subsidiaries, all of which support the University’s Strategic Delivery Plan.

The role holder will also be the University of Sheffield strategic lead for the contract and relationship with Catalyst and the Project Co. joint venture. It is a wide-ranging remit where the postholder will have responsibility for a portfolio of commercial activities with budgetary and financial performance in the region of £60-£65m commercial revenue.  You would be accountable for a team of c.500+ multidisciplinary staff within Estates & Facilities and c.150 in the wholly owned subsidiary

UNICUS (where you would be Director of Operations).

In totality, this is one of the largest and most unique roles of its kind in the higher education sector, requiring a combination of commercial ability with a strong service ethos. You will be a leader who is passionate about people and culture with a proven track record in the development of resilient and high functioning teams. This is a post that will suit individuals who can adopt a long-term approach to strategy alongside the rigours of day-to-day world class operations. It will suit leaders with a career history of delivering innovation across a similarly wide range of commercial and hospitality services.

To learn more about the role and opportunity, please visit the candidate brochure at AD of Campus and Commercial Services. 

In order to apply, please submit a comprehensive CV along with a covering letter setting out your interest in the role and details of how you match the required criteria to sally.brockway@mrgglobal.com

To schedule a confidential discussion, please contact our retained advisors Michael Hewlett michael.hewlett@mrgglobal.com or James Gregory james.gregory@mrgglobal.com of The Management Recruitment Group (MRG).

The closing date for applications is midnight on Sunday 20 September 2026.

We build teams of people from different heritages and lifestyles from across the world, whose talent and contributions complement each other to greatest effect. We believe diversity in all its forms delivers greater impact through research, teaching and student experience.

Closing Date : 20/09/2026 

We are a research university with a global reputation for excellence. Our ideas and expertise change the world for the better, making a real difference to society. We know that when people come together with different views, approaches and insights it can lead to richer, more creative and innovative teaching and research and the highest levels of student experience. Our University Vision (www.sheffield.ac.uk/vision) outlines our commitment to building a diverse community of staff and students that recognises and values the abilities, backgrounds, beliefs and ways of living for everyone.