The question
The Vice Provost needed someone to set up and run a central services function across HR, Finance, IT and Procurement, following an operating model designed by a management consultancy. No university had done this before, so the sector could not supply the candidate, and the search had to stay confidential.
The approach
Discovery with the Vice Provost, Chief People Officer and transformation team to define the role and write the brief. We mapped the roughly 80 people in the UK who had launched business services functions across support functions, targeted 20, produced a longlist and worked with the interview panel on the assessment criteria. Candidates signed NDAs before receiving the brief.
The outcome
A shortlist of five, an appointment, and a programme that went live. The university continues to use re:find for senior executive roles.