Shape the Future. Lead with Purpose. Govern for Impact.

Welcome, and thank you for your interest in the role of Chair of Council at the University of Nottingham.

Nottingham is a university with extraordinary talent, global reach and deep civic responsibility. Our institution is proud of its world‑class research and its life‑changing impact on students and communities. It has a global presence, one university across three campuses the UK, China and Malaysia. We operate within a genuinely international community with a shared sense of purpose.

And yet we are in a sector in dynamic flux. Like many universities, Nottingham is navigating significant financial pressures and structural change and is using that challenge to develop an ambitious long‑term strategy to bring renewed clarity, confidence and ambition.

At this pivotal moment, we are seeking an exceptional leader to join us in shaping Nottingham’s future.

Council will play a vital role in guiding the University through this period. As the University’s governing body, Council sets the overall strategic direction, oversees governance and performance and ensures the effective conduct of the University’s affairs. It works alongside the University’s broader governance structure, including Senate, which upholds academic authority and oversees academic standards and quality. Council is the guardian of our culture and values.

Thus Council enables strong decision‑making whilst providing appropriate checks and balances across the institution. This is especially important as we work together on the Future Nottingham transformation programme, which will help shape the University’s direction, strengthen strategic alignment, and support the changes required for long‑term sustainability and success.

At this moment of transformation, we are seeking a Chair who brings experience of leading complex organisations through change, someone with the vision to set long‑term direction, the ability to unite diverse stakeholders around a shared purpose and the communication and trust‑building skills essential for a global university. Most importantly, we are looking for a Chair who believes deeply in Nottingham’s mission, its purpose, its values and its potential, and who is committed to stewarding that mission and acting as a confident and compelling ambassador across our global community.

For the right individual, this is an opportunity to play a key role in shaping the University’s future and contributing to its continued impact on students, communities and the wider world. In short to Shape the Future. Lead with Purpose. Govern for Impact.

Thank you once again for your interest, and I warmly encourage you to explore this opportunity further.

Sonya Leydecker
Deputy Chair of Council
University of Nottingham