Head of Development

Introducing Jenny Rampling 

Cianne standing in a wooden courthouse looking at the camera

 "I believe in the power of sharing experiences, helping each other to contribute to our goals and making a positive change in our society through supporting, championing and empowering women"

 

We had a great conversation with Jenny on her first day. Here's what she said.

 

What drew you to become part of WHEN?

For me, finding a dream job is about the people and the values an organisation holds rather than the job itself. I first became involved in WHEN in 2020 when I became Chair of the Women’s Staff Network at the University of Cambridge. WHEN provided invaluable support for my role and connected our members through a diverse range of events to other women in higher education.


WHEN is run by phenomenal women supporting each other to improve gender equality. It’s a team effort, linked by shared values and purpose. It is a totally unique organisation that has been developed by women working in higher education, for women working in higher education. There is a deep understanding of the issues that we face and how we can work together to develop solutions to solve them.
I believe in the power of sharing experiences, helping each other to contribute to our goals and to making a positive change in our society through supporting, championing and empowering other women on that journey

 

What are you looking forward to bringing to WHEN?

As Chair of the Women’s Network at Cambridge, I have seen first-hand the impact and support that we can provide women and how this work can contribute to reducing the gender pay gap, creating a more inclusive environment, and increasing diversity at all levels. Through listening, responding and engaging with our member’s needs, our membership increased by 62% in eighteen months with significant growth via all our engagement channels. I loved working with other staff networks and Gender Champions who all shared the same passion and intersectional approach. As a volunteer myself, I fully understood the pressures of juggling work while contributing.

Having worked in the higher education sector for over twenty years at a variety of universities, one of my key strengths as an experienced manager is in driving forward change in both strategic and operational delivery. I have previously led departments in the areas of student services, student recruitment, student advice and business improvements.
Our membership community and volunteers are our most powerful and important asset to achieving our goals. Throughout my career, I have been active in both formal and informal mentoring opportunities to support women in their careers. At Cambridge, I worked with colleagues to established the first Menopause Support Group to create an open community focused on improving support within the workplace.

 

What are you most excited about with this role?

Earlier this year, I had the privilege of being part of the delivery team piloting our new Career Accelerator programme, and have seen first-hand the impact it has had on participants. I will be leading the national rollout and ongoing delivery so I am very excited to speak to more universities about how they can get involved.
I am particularly looking forward to being part of an incredible team of women who continue to inspire me in an environment where we can support each other to achieve amazing things. Under Alice Chilver’s (WHEN’s CEO) visionary leadership, we have clear goals to achieve and we will create a thriving and inclusive membership that allows us to accelerate change in the sector and beyond.

What do you need from the WHEN membership to support you to succeed?

I will be listening to our volunteers and members about their experiences and want to involve as many views as possible to improve our membership offering and programme delivery and ensure we are meeting and responding to participants' needs as we grow.
Thank you for welcoming me into this community and I look forward to meeting you all at our upcoming events. Please also feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn or email me at [email protected] if you would like to discuss bringing our Career Accelerator to your institution.

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