Director Of Quality And Institutional Effectiveness

Purpose of Position:

The Director of Quality and Institutional Effectiveness (QIE) leads the strategic development and operational delivery of quality assurance and enhancement activities across the College.

Reporting to the Registrar, this role is central to ensuring the institution meets its obligations under the Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) statutory framework and adheres to national and European standards for higher education quality. This role supports effective institutional decision-making by overseeing data-driven initiatives that enhance programme quality, the quality of the NCI learner experience and organizational effectiveness. The Director will promote a culture of continuous quality improvement, academic excellence, and institutional accountability.

Key Relationships

• Reports to the Registrar.
• NCI President
• Deans of Schools
• Collaborates with NCIs Senior Management Team members.
• Primary liaison with QQI and peer reviewers.
• Supports Academic Council and related QA committees.

Key Responsibilities 

• Lead on QQI action plans, relationships, engagement and reporting, including annual reporting (AQRs) and responses to cyclical institutional reviews (CINNTE).
• Oversight of NCIs Programme Lifecycle Management structure, including internal and external programme validation, annual monitoring, revalidation and/or retirement processes.
• Lead the development, implementation and management of NCIs quality assurance and enhancement policies and procedures, ensuring alignment with QQI and ESG standards, as appropriate.
• Lead strategic quality enhancement initiatives across academic and support units including overseeing the cyclical review of administrative/support services.
• Promote a culture of evidence-based decision-making by managing the collection, analysis, and reporting of programme quality data.
• Advise senior leadership on institutional effectiveness and quality assurance strategies.
• Support academic governance, risk and planning processes overseen by NCI’s Academic Council and its sub-committees.
• Serve as primary liaison with QQI and other regulatory agencies.
• Collect, analyze, and report on key academic quality metrics.
• Provide staff training and promote student-centred institutional policies and practices. 

Essential Qualifications and Experience and Core Competencies

The successful candidate for the role of Director of Quality and Institutional Effectiveness will possess the following:

Qualifications and Experience

• A Level 9 or higher qualification (e.g., Master’s or Doctorate) in a relevant discipline is essential.
• A minimum of 5 years’ experience in quality assurance, higher education administration, academic governance, or a related field.
• Proven success in internal and/or external quality assurance processes at the programme, school, or institutional level.
• Demonstrated ability to facilitate evidence-based, data-informed decision-making that enhances academic quality and institutional effectiveness.
• Significant experience using data analysis and reporting tools to support strategic planning and programme evaluation.
• Proven ability to build trust and collaborate effectively across institutional teams and with external stakeholders to achieve shared objectives.
• Active participation in professional quality assurance networks or forums is desirable.
• Excellent leadership, communication, organisational, and project management skills.

Core Competencies

• Strategic Leadership and Vision: Shapes and delivers strategic initiatives aligned with national and institutional priorities; fosters a culture of continuous improvement and academic excellence.
• Quality Assurance and Regulatory Expertise: Expert knowledge of the QQI statutory framework and European Standards and Guidelines (ESG); demonstrated success in developing and implementing robust QA systems.
• Institutional Effectiveness and Data-Informed Practice: Leads initiatives that promote data-informed planning, evaluation, and quality enhancement; synthesises complex data into actionable insights.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Influence: Builds effective partnerships with internal and external stakeholders, including regulatory agencies; acts as a trusted advisor to senior leadership and governance bodies.
• Governance and Policy Development: Advises and supports academic governance structures; develops institutional policies that align with legal and regulatory requirements.
• Project and Change Management: Successfully leads strategic and cross-functional quality enhancement initiatives; skilled in managing change and institutional reviews.
• Analytical and Technological Proficiency: Strong command of data systems and tools; communicates insights clearly to support strategic decisions and quality assurance.
• Communication and Capacity Building: Communicates persuasively across all levels of the institution; designs and delivers training to embed a quality-focused culture.

Desirable Experience

• Knowledge of the Athena Swan Charter and experience promoting gender equality, diversity, and equity.

Conditions of Service

Tenure: Permanent contract of employment.

Salary: Executive 3 Salary Band €93,182 - €124,863.

Pension: Defined Contribution Pension Scheme.

Probation: Subject to a six-month probationary period.

Location: Based at Mayor Street Lower, International Financial Services Centre, Dublin 1.

Working Hours: Minimum of 35 hours per week (five-day week), with potential evening and weekend work as required.

Annual Leave: The annual leave allowance is 27 days.

National College of Ireland is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace where all individuals are valued and respected. We encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds and provide equal opportunities for everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, age, religion, or any other protected grounds.

To Apply:

Please apply with a CV and cover letter both in PDF format ONLY, quoting reference number: 000782 to: recruitment-cdolan@ncirl.ie by 5:00 pm, 26th May 2025 or visit our website on Director of Quality and Institutional · National College of Ireland

Note: The functions and responsibilities assigned to Director of Quality and Institutional Effectiveness are based on the current stated role and objectives of the College. These functions and responsibilities may alter in line with any change in the role and objectives of the College.

The successful applicant will be subject to Garda Vetting and must not have any convictions under the Sex Offenders Act 2001.

The Importance of Confidentiality

We would like to assure you that protecting confidentiality is our number one priority. You can expect that all enquires, applications and all aspects of the proceedings are treated as strictly confidential and are not disclosed to anyone, outside those directly involved in that aspect of the process.

Candidates' Obligations

In submitting a completed Curriculum Vitae and supporting documentation, candidates are declaring:

• That all the particulars furnished in their application are true and correct without omission and that they are aware of the qualifications and particulars for this position.
• That to the best of their knowledge that there is nothing in relation to their conduct, character or personal background of any nature that would adversely affect the position of trust in which they would be placed by virtue of this appointment.
• Their irrevocable consent to NCI making such enquiries as deemed necessary in respect of their suitability for the post in respect of which their application is made.
• Their acceptance and confirmation of the entitlement of NCI, as appropriate to, reject their application, or to terminate their employment (in the event of a contract of employment having been entered into on foot of this competition) if they have omitted to furnish NCI with any information relevant to their application or their continued employment or where they have made any false statement or misrepresentation relevant to this application or their continuing employment with the College. #

Candidates should note that they may be required to submit documentary evidence in support of any particulars given by them in their application for the post.

Data Protection Acts 1988 to 2018 and the Freedom of Information Acts 1997 to 2014 as amended

Data collected for the purposes of recruitment activities

NCI conducts recruitment processes to fill vacancies within the college. When applying for these competitions applicants are asked to submit a range of documents, e.g., a completed application form, CV and/or a personal statement or cover letter. For the purposes of recruitment activities, we will not collect any personal data that we do not need to assess your candidature for a role with us.

Legal Basis for Processing

NCI ’s legal basis for the processing of this data is a combination of individual consent, contractual necessity and legal obligations.

Withdrawal of Consent

Applicants can withdraw their consent for the processing of their personal data at any time by notifying the College. It is important to note that withdrawal of consent prior to the completion of the process will be considered as a withdrawal of the application.

What we do with your data

People who are directly employed by NCI and are based in Ireland process all the personal data collected for both recruitment and HR purposes.

Shortlisting

HR draft up the shortlisting documents and provide the initial screening to determine if a person meets the essential criteria of the competition. A shortlisting panel is generally made up of two senior grade staff members from the relevant department for which the role is being recruited.

Sharing of your data

Where you have been successfully shortlisted for a post, each interview panel member will be furnished with a copy of the relevant information of those who will be attending interview in order that they can review applications in advance of the interview process. All such information will be returned to NCI and shredded following the competition process. Some of the interview panel will be external interviewers, who are not employees of NCI but are engaged for the purpose and are strictly subject to the rules and policies of the College.

Access

Applicants can request and receive access to their data at any time and can request and receive a copy of this data, in electronic/transferable format.

Erasure

Applicants can request the data held be erased. In this case, the application for a position is considered withdrawn.

Rectification

Applicants can have any incorrect information corrected.

Objection / Withdraw

Applications can object to this information being processed and/or can request to withdraw from the application process

Complain

Applicants can make a complaint to our internal Information Governance and Data Protection Officer

NCI Information Governance and Data Protection Officer

National College of Ireland, Mayor Street, IFSC, Dublin 1

Tel (Direct): + 353 1 4498 523 ; Tel (Reception): + 353 1 4498 500

And/or make a complaint to the relevant authority

Data Protection Commission, 21 Fitzwilliam Square South, Dublin 2, D02 RD28

Tel: +353 (0) 761 104 800

National College of Ireland is an equal opportunities employer and is a Member of the Athena SWAN Charter. NCI is committed to serving our diverse community and welcomes applications from underrepresented groups.