Thank you for your interest in the position of Chief Executive of the Russell Group. This is a pivotal moment for our organisation and for the higher education sector more broadly. We are seeking an outstanding leader who can guide the group through a changing political landscape, strengthen our voice, and ensure that the impact of our universities is fully understood and valued.

The Russell Group plays a unique role as the advocate for 24 UK research-intensive universities. Our members have a global reputation for high-quality research and education, making significant contributions to economic growth, innovation, culture and society. But the environment in which we operate is challenging: the higher education sector is under financial pressure, the political landscape is shifting, and public attitudes towards universities are mixed. It is vital that we are able to demonstrate to government, policymakers and the wider public the value that our institutions bring to the UK and beyond.

While the Russell Group must speak with a clear and authoritative voice on behalf of research-intensive universities, we must also work with others across the sector to deliver for the country as a whole. As Chief Executive, you will be expected to preserve and strengthen our constructive relationship with groups such as Universities UK, ensuring that our advocacy is both distinctive and collaborative. This requires a leader who can navigate complexity, striking the right balance between championing the interests of our members and contributing to a strong voice for the sector.

You will lead a talented and dedicated staff team, whose expertise underpins the Russell Group’s reputation for high-quality policy work and advocacy. Valuing, supporting and empowering this team will be an important part of your success in the role.

We are looking for a Chief Executive with political acumen, excellent judgement and a collaborative style. You will need to build trust and confidence with our members, represent the Russell Group effectively at the highest levels of government and public life, and ensure that the organisation continues to deliver impact.

If you share our passion for the vital role of research-intensive universities and believe you can lead the Russell Group in the next stage of its journey, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Yours sincerely, 

The Russell Group represents 24 research-intensive universities located in every region and nation of the UK.  

Our universities share the ambition to change the world for the better. They do this by harnessing academic excellence at scale and with purpose across their research, innovation and education activities. Our universities have a global reputation for high quality research and education which generates significant export earnings for the UK. They use their extensive international industry and academic networks to generate prosperity and improve lives across the UK and around the world.  

From achieving net zero, to reducing social inequalities and addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals; from harnessing the power of AI safely, to improving the NHS and finding new cures and treatments, these are but a few examples of the wide-ranging social, economic, cultural, health and environmental impacts Russell Group universities are working to deliver.  

Our aim is to support and enable our member universities to:  

• Transform how we understand the world – creating, curating and disseminating knowledge for the betterment of society. 
• Advance world-changing research and innovation – generating and translating excellent, globally-recognised research across a breadth of disciplines to enable new discoveries and innovative solutions to address the challenges facing the UK and the world. 
• Nurture talent and develop high-level skills – providing high-quality education, training and experience for an increasingly diverse community of students and staff to strengthen the skilled workforce needed in regions and nations across the UK now and for the future. 
• Leverage their reach for local and global benefit – using international connections and presence to support investment, jobs and vibrant local ecosystems across the whole of the UK, where the knowledge, skills and partnerships our universities develop involve and benefit their local communities and beyond. 

Our Mission  

• To advance and champion the positive economic, societal and cultural impacts of UK research-intensive universities through collaboration and advocacy.  

Our Vision  

• As the voice of the UK’s major research-intensive universities, the Russell Group will enhance the impact of our members by being regarded as a trusted organisation with a reputation for high-quality, evidence-based outputs that show thought leadership across a range of higher education and research policy issues. 

Our Values  

The organisation and its staff have collectively agreed the following set of values that underpin all aspects of our work:  

• Proactive and forward-thinking 
  • We seek to make impactful change through the work we do, by being proactive, forward-thinking and providing credible and creative solutions that have real influence.
• Autonomy, trust and ownership  
  • We want to get the very best out of people, supporting them to reach their full potential by fostering expertise across the team, with individuals given appropriate responsibility and opportunities to drive their work and their development. We support staff to take appropriate risks, recognising this is part of their development.
• Collaboration  
  • We are a team, where everyone has an integral role to play. We work together and we support one another, ensuring that everyone has a voice and is listened to. We strive to be inclusive and respectful, championing equality and diversity. We collaborate constructively with our members as well as with external stakeholders.
• Excellence  
  • We operate with integrity, honesty and rigour, ensuring our work is evidence based and of high quality. We evaluate the effectiveness of our work as part of our commitment to excellence.

The Russell Group was originally founded in 1994 and was incorporated as a Company Limited by Guarantee in 2007. It is wholly owned by its 24 university members.  

Our Board is made up of the leaders of our 24 Russell Group universities. They meet regularly and provide guidance and direction to our policy development, as well as directly supporting our engagement activities.  

Professor Chris Day (Vice-Chancellor and President of Newcastle University) has been Chair of the Russell Group since 2023. Professor Shearer West (Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leeds) is Deputy Chair, also since 2023. 

The following organogram shows our internal structure:

This appointment is a permanent position, offering a competitive salary which will be negotiated with the successful candidate.  

Our offices are based in the heart of Westminster, but we have a hybrid office and home working policy where staff may choose to work from home up to three days a week, subject to work priorities.  Our Chief Executive will be expected to travel across the UK on a regular basis and internationally on occasion. 

As well as a competitive salary, our Chief Executive employment package includes many progressive policies including the following:  

• 30 days of annual leave 
• Discretionary closure days at Easter and Christmas holidays (in addition to Public Holidays)  
• Membership of the USS pension scheme  
• Progressive Family Leave policies (including 18 weeks of Maternity Leave at full pay; and 4 weeks of Paternity Leave at full pay)  
• Interest-free travelcard loans  
• Cycle scheme  
• Subsidised canteen (in our office building) 

Anderson Quigley is acting as an advisor to the Russell Group. An executive search process is being carried out by Anderson Quigley in addition to the public advertisement. 

The closing date for applications is noon on Monday 29 September 2025. 

Applications should consist of: 

• A full CV. 
• A covering letter outlining your motivation and details of how you meet the experience criteria of the person specification.
• Please include details of two referees in your CV/letter, though please note that we will not approach your referees without your prior consent and only should you be successful. 

Should you wish to discuss further details about the role in strict confidence, please get in touch with  Ed Pritchard +44(0)7980 817 927 (ed.pritchard@andersonquigley.com), Elliott Rae +44(0)7584 078 534 (Elliott.rae@andersonquigley.com)  or Aino Betts +44(0) 7743 934 723 (aino.betts@andersonquigley.com).  

Panel

Professor Chris Day CBE as Chair of the Russell Group will Chair the Appointment’s Panel, whose members are: 

• Professor Charlie Jeffery CBE, University of York 
• Professor Sir Peter Mathieson , University of Edinburgh 
• Professor Lisa Roberts, University of Exeter 
• Professor Adam Tickell, University of Birmingham 
• Professor Evelyn Welch MBE, University of Bristol 
• Professor Shearer West CBE, University of Leeds and Deputy Chair of the Russell Group