People Directorate

Professional Services Career Framework

The Professional Services Career Framework supports a flexible approach to career planning through highlighting abilities, attributes and behaviours that underpin our professional services roles.

What is the Framework?

We recognise that supporting and developing our staff is critical for not only delivering on the University Strategy (and Sub-Strategies) but also to deliver for our students, the wider community and for enhancing impactful and inclusive teams. We want all staff to feel they have a clear personal development plan with clarity on the skills and behaviours required to become a leader.

The Professional Services Career Framework outlines nine core competencies which are pertinent across all Professional Services roles at the university. These are:

1. Adaptability  2. Collaboration  3. Decision Making  4. Business and Organisational Impact

5. Inclusivity  6. Empathy  7. Communication  8. Innovation  9. Autonomy

The competencies have been mapped to each grade outlining a clear expectation and skill set for each level. The framework is designed to support conversations around your career development allowing for self-evaluation, development planning and reflection​. We want all staff to feel they have a clear personal development plan with clarity on the skills and behaviours required to become a leader.

The framework is applicable to all Professional Services Staff at the University irrespective of if you are based within a Directorate or Faculty.

Background

The framework has been established in collaboration with a number of colleagues across the university. Although framed around the Higher Education Role Analysis elements following a comprehensive assessment the framework it has been aligned to the university through a series of interviews, focus groups and pilots.

How to use the framework

The framework is based on serval key principles:

  • Career Development is owned by you and facilitated by your line manager. The framework allows for you to define your own career path within your own timeframe and aspirations. There is no set path that individuals should follow, and the framework encourages by vertical and lateral movement.
  • The specialist nature of many Professional Services roles means that some competencies may be more significant than others. The nine competencies established were commonly found in all Professional Services areas. We encourage you to work with your line manager to establish key competencies for your role.
  • The framework supports performance and career development planning. All career conversations should be recorded via Horizon. You can use the frameworks to understand how to gain the kind of experience you need to progress your longer-term ambitions.
  • The framework is not a replacement for job descriptions or guarantees a promotion. The framework defines behaviours relevant to your role within set grades and provides transparency on leadership.

The Self-Assessment Tool

The Self-Assessment Tool can help you reflect broadly on your career at Greenwich, using the framework to look at the kinds of experiences you might need to progress. In collaboration with a line manager, it will support you in understanding your strengths alongside what competencies are most pertinent to your role. The self-assessment aids both vertical and lateral movement to identify what areas you need to develop to progress your longer-term ambitions.

Documents

Functional Briefs

Additional Resources