Sharon Jones

BSc (Hons) MSc LLM

Sharon is an experienced higher education consultant with a long-standing career in quality assurance, institutional transformation, and regulatory engagement across the UK, Ireland, and internationally. She has worked with a wide range of providers—from research-intensive universities to specialist and post-92 institutions—supporting them through complex change programmes, including mergers, partnerships, curriculum reform, and international expansion.

Her work is grounded in a deep understanding of the higher education policy and regulatory landscape, particularly in relation to quality and standards. She has held senior leadership roles the University of Brighton, University of Sussex and University College Cork, where she has advised on national and institutional strategies for quality enhancement, governance, and student experience.

In her consultancy practice Sharon has worked with Queen’s University, Belfast, University of Leeds and latterly with City St George’s university on major change initiatives focusing on leading and managing the execution of complex projects to improve efficiency and enhance the student experience.

Sharon’s approach is grounded in human-centred design and qualitative research methods, including systems mapping and interpretative phenomenological analysis. She has facilitated workshops and focus groups with academic and professional staff, students, and senior leaders, and is particularly skilled at drawing out the nuanced perspectives that shape institutional responses to regulation and change.

She has led the development of quality frameworks in new university startups and complex partnerships including, the founding academic and quality framework for the University of the Highlands and Islands and more recently the Kent Medway Medical School and the merger between City University and St George’s University. She has facilitated stakeholder workshops, and produced sector-facing insight reports in collaboration with organisations such as Advance HE and the UK QAA.

Her current research explores how institutional mindsets shape responses to innovation and change.

She can be reached via the link below.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharon-jones-director-kee-jones-ltd