Jim Andrews became the University’s Chief Operating Officer and University Secretary in September. Before joining Sussex, Jim held executive roles in the Higher Education sector and the NHS.

We spoke with Jim to learn more about him and what drew him to Sussex.

I love seeing people develop. It was something that I really enjoyed from early on in my career; that great feeling when someone you work with, mentor or support secures a new role or achieves a key objective. That’s why working in Higher Education - where our core purpose is to support education, learning and development - is what I enjoy. My favourite time of year is always graduation, where we can share the celebrations with students.

I began working life as a chef, gardener, receptionist and shop assistant whilst at school and university. I started my full-time career working in HR in the NHS and spent 11 years working across primary, secondary and tertiary care and the Department of Health. My final NHS role was as director of strategy and organisational development for a large mental health and learning disability trust. I then joined Bournemouth University in 2010, initially as Director of HR, moving to Chief Operating Officer in 2012, where I was responsible for professional services and major organisational transformation projects. For my final 18 months at Bournemouth, I was also responsible for the leadership of the four faculties. After leaving Bournemouth in 2024 I worked at the University of Bedfordshire, leading a period of organisational change. 

Sussex has an incredible reputation in the sector and the moment I saw the role being advertised, I wanted to know more about the organisation. Everyone I spoke to was so positive about the University, the new strategy and the opportunities, but also realistic about the challenges in the sector and at Sussex. 

I enjoy roles that enable me to get involved in lots of different things, make connections between different areas of an organisation and balance long term development with operational challenges. I really feel that the COO and University Secretary role is the best job in an organisation as it enables me to do all of these things. I get to work with come incredible people across Faculties and Professional Services and help students with their journey through their time at Sussex. 

Outside of work, most of my time is spent focusing on my family and sport. I have three very active children and have spent many hours watching and supporting their training and matches, especially around netball courts and football pitches. I love all forms of motor sport, attending as many football matches as I can, and have recently taken up golf again, with mixed results. Whenever I have time, I also love travelling around in my 1974 VW camper van.