Change your career, change lives

The Open University is the UK’s largest university, a world leader in flexible part-time education combining a mission to widen access to higher education with research excellence, transforming lives through education. Find out more about us and our mission by watching this short video (you will be taken to YouTube by clicking this link).

About the Role

This is an exciting opportunity to lead the development and delivery of the University’s records management function at a pivotal time. The Records Manager will play a central role in embedding modern, efficient, and compliant records practices across the OU, helping shape how the University manages its physical and digital records for the future. The role includes leading the design, improvement, and promotion of consistent records lifecycle processes, and supporting the responsible adoption of emerging technologies—such as AI‑driven classification, intelligent search, and automated retention—to enhance recordkeeping capability. Working within the Knowledge and Information Management team, you will influence and shape service development, engage widely across faculties and directorates, and support the OU in meeting statutory, regulatory, and operational requirements.

Take a tour of our Open University Library Building by watching this short video. 

Key Responsibilities

Strategy, Service Development & Emerging Technologies:

• Shape and develop the OU’s records management service, ensuring alignment with organisational needs and regulatory requirements.
• Lead work to modernise records practices, including the adoption of AI‑enabled tools for classification, metadata enrichment, automated retention, and improved search and retrieval
• Contribute to KIM strategy, policies, retention schedules, and standards, ensuring they remain relevant in a digital and AI‑enhanced operating environment.

Operational Leadership:

• Oversee day‑to‑day delivery of records management services, ensuring consistency, quality, and customer‑focused support.
• Lead the development, review, and implementation of records lifecycle processes including creation, capture, storage, access, retention, and disposal.
• Support and advise business areas on recordkeeping best practice, ensuring compliance and efficient working.

Information Governance, Compliance & Risk:

• Provide expert advice on records management legislation, standards, and good practice, including digital preservation considerations.
• Support information risk management activities, including risks relating to digital records, automated tools, and AI‑generated content.
• Prepare operational reports, compliance insights, and audits.

Systems, M365 & SharePoint:

• Work closely with IT, Digital, and business areas to optimise the use of M365 and SharePoint as core recordkeeping platforms.
• Help design and maintain structures, metadata models, and retention configurations within M365 to support compliant, user‑friendly recordkeeping.
• Promote and support the adoption of M365 and SharePoint capabilities including retention labels, sensitivity labels, automated governance features, and AI‑driven search improvements.

Stakeholder Engagement & Training:

• Work closely with the Information Rights and Information Security teams to develop a Records Management function.
• Build strong relationships with business areas, helping them adopt better recordkeeping and understand their responsibilities.
• Develop and deliver training, guidance, and communications to build confidence and capability across the OU.

About You

Essential criteria:

• Proven experience in records management within a complex organisation.
• Demonstrable understanding of records management principles, retention scheduling, metadata, data protection and digital recordkeeping practices.
• Experience working with M365 and/or SharePoint for information management.
• Ability to design and improve records processes and influence cultural change.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills.
• Demonstrable organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Awareness of emerging digital and AI opportunities and risks in knowledge and information management, including responsible and compliant use.

Desirable criteria:

• Experience working in higher education, public sector, or similarly complex environments.
• Knowledge of information security and digital preservation.
• Experience supporting audits and policy development.

Support with your application

If you have any questions, or need support or adjustments relating to your application, the recruitment process, or the role, please contact us on 01908 541111 or email careers@open.ac.uk quoting the advert reference number.

What's in it for you?

At The Open University, we offer a range of benefits to recognise and reward great work, alongside policies and flexible working that contribute towards a great work life balance. Get all the details of what benefits we offer by visiting our Staff Benefits page (clicking this link will open a new window).

Flexible working

We are open to discussions about flexible working. Whether it’s a job share, part time, compressed hours or another working arrangement. Please reach out to us to discuss what works best for you.

Working Location: It is anticipated that a hybrid working pattern can be adopted for this role, where the successful candidate can work from home and the office. However, as this role is contractually aligned to our Milton Keynes Office, it is expected that some attendance in the office will be required when necessary and in response to business needs. We’d expect this to be 1 day per month (on a rota basis) as well as other ad hoc on campus meetings as and when required. Full-time working based from our Milton Keynes site is also supported if this is preferred by the candidate.  Expenses associated with travel to our Milton Keynes site are not reimbursable.

Next steps in the Recruitment process

Interviews are likely to take place on 23rd July 2026.

Early closing date notification

While most roles will remain open until the advertised closing date, applications may be reviewed on an ongoing basis. In some cases, vacancies may close earlier if a sufficient number of suitable applications have been received and equality impacts have been appropriately considered. All roles will remain advertised for a minimum of one week before any early closure is implemented.

If you have started an application or were in the process of applying when the advert closed, we encourage you to get in touch. We are committed to understanding individual circumstances and can offer further support where needed, including reasonable adjustments for applicants with protected characteristics.

How to apply

To apply for this role, please submit the following documents:

• CV
• A Supporting Statement of up to 1000 words. You should set out in your statement why you are interested in the role and provide examples of where your skills and experience meet the essential criteria for this role as detailed above.

You can view your progress and application communications when you are logged into our recruitment system.  Please check your spam/junk folders if you do not receive associated email updates.