University of the Arts London (UAL) is a global leader in creativity, innovation and transformative education. Formed of six renowned Colleges and four Institutes, UAL continues to shape the future of art, design, fashion, communication and performing arts, supported by a diverse and vibrant community of over 20,000 students from more than 130 countries.

As UAL continues to invest significantly in its student experience, the University is now seeking to appoint an exceptional Associate Director: Accommodation, Catering and Retail to provide strategic and commercial leadership across three essential student‑facing service areas.

Reporting to the Director of Estates and working as part of the Estates senior leadership team, the Associate Director will play a pivotal role in shaping and delivering high‑quality, commercially effective services that enhance the experience of students and staff across the University.

A core element of the role is responsibility for UAL’s Accommodation Strategy, ensuring alignment with the University’s wider objectives, student demographics and market trends. You will ensure the delivery of safe, supportive and high‑quality residential environments with a strong focus on duty of care and student wellbeing. The role also includes full operational responsibility for UAL‑owned halls and the oversight of external accommodation partners, ensuring accountability, performance and a consistently high standard of experience across all sites.

The Associate Director also leads UAL’s catering strategy, establishing an operating model informed by higher‑education trends and wider market insights. You will oversee both in‑house teams and contracted partners to deliver safe, healthy, appealing and value‑for‑money food and beverage services. Additionally, you will shape and implement the University’s retail strategy to support academic delivery and enhance the student experience, drawing on sales performance and customer feedback to drive improvements in service quality, satisfaction and profitability.

We are seeking a proactive and collaborative leader with demonstrable experience across the commercial services portfolio, including catering, hospitality, retail and accommodation. The successful candidate will possess exceptional communication skills, remain calm under pressure, and have a proven track record of leading, motivating and developing teams. Strong decision‑making ability, sound judgement, effective problem‑solving skills, and a commitment to continuous improvement are essential. The role also requires high levels of commercial and financial acumen, with the ability to influence budgets, manage resources and drive contractor performance.

This is an exciting opportunity to shape the future of a world‑renowned arts institution and play a key role in enhancing the lived experience of thousands of students across London. The candidate brochure can be viewed here.

To arrange a briefing discussion, please contact our retained advisor James Gregory (james.gregory@mrgglobal.com) at MRG. Applications should consist of a CV and covering letter and should be submitted to james.gregory@mrgglobal.com.

Closing date for applications is 22 March 2026.

UAL is committed to creating diverse and inclusive environments for all staff and students to work and learn – a university where we can be ourselves and reach our full potential. We offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements and Staff Support Networks. We welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds, including race, disability, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion and belief, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, and caring responsibility.