Academic Director (Business Management)

Birmingham | £54,949 per annum

Employer: University of Wales Trinity Saint David
Sector/Specialism: Education & Training

- ABOUT US -
The Institute of Inner City Learning (IICL) is one of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David’s four Institutes with campuses in Birmingham and London.

The IICL has multiple intakes per annum, delivers continuous learning, teaching and recruitment cycles and operates in an intensely competitive inner-city and multicultural HE environment. The Institute
currently has approx. 4,000 non-residential students on Certificates of Higher Education, Honours degrees, Masters and Doctoral programmes, some of which are also taught at weekends.

-THE ROLE-
The Academic Directors’ focus on academic leadership and curriculum development, together with the day-to-day management of academic staff, curriculum delivery and the effective and efficient deployment of resources. Each post holder will work closely with the Provost/Head of Institute, Executive Dean of London Campus, Dean of Birmingham Campus, Assistant Dean Quality and Enhancement (ADQE), other Assistant Deans, as well as the IICL’s existing team of two Academic Directors, based across the Institute to oversee and develop the Birmingham/London campuses’ academic portfolios to ensure all campuses operate within a cohesive and consistent academic development plan and framework. The post holders will have an in-depth understanding of the student learning experience and will lead on developing the learning, teaching and other scholarly activity across the Birmingham and London campuses’ named programmes.

The post holders will be members of the Birmingham and London Campus Management Teams respectively, will liaise with the University’s Senior Management Team, and contribute to the development and implementation of UWTSD’s strategic plans, to learning and teaching and enhancement, to research and widening access strategies. In conjunction with the Executive Dean of London Campus, Dean of Birmingham Campus and IICL Assistant Deans, the post holders will jointly manage the academic provision at the Birmingham and London Campuses respectively in a cross-disciplinary manner, ensuring consistency of delivery of the Institute’s business management related academic programmes in Birmingham and London.

As members of Birmingham Campus and London Campus management teams respectively, the post holders will deputise for Senior Managers as appropriate. The postholders will support the delivery of weekend provision in Birmingham and London and be required on campus during some weekends.

-MAIN DUTIES-
• Provide strategic and proactive leadership for named academic programmes and programme boards;
• Enhance and develop the Institute’s reputation as a provider of high-quality Higher Education programmes within the Insitute;
• Develop a strong, popular and sustainable curriculum, with the aim of increasing the Institute’s student enrolment, retention and employment targets;
• Work closely with the Provost/Head of Institute, IICL Senior Management and others (as appropriate) to initiate and develop interdisciplinary programmes across UWTSD’s other academic Institutes;
• Be an exemplar to and command respect from the Academic Team on learning, teaching and/or other scholarly activity;
• Provide leadership and line management to all Programme Managers within respective portfolios to ensure consistency and high-quality student experience and satisfaction across the Institute;
• Support the Institute’s ADQE and others to manage all quality assurance aspects of the portfolio, including auditing, data analysis and reporting;
• Work with IICL HR Business Partner (HRBP) to line manage academic staff and the human resource life cycle, including recruitment, selection, induction, well-being, general development and performance management of all academic related staff within their specific portfolios;
• Support the Executive Officer Finance and Resource (IICL) and contribute to the effective management of the Institute’s budgets;
• Enhance the Birmingham and London campuses’ standing within their respective business communities;
• Develop, in collaboration with the Academic Directors Team (ADT) and UWTSD’s Central Home Recruitment Unit and others as appropriate an effective marketing strategy for the Institute’s generic and campus based academic portfolios;
• Liaise with the Executive Director of Immigration and Visa Compliance to expand the Institute’s international links and ensure compliance with all aspects of attendance monitoring and management of international students in accordance with UKVI regulations;
• As a member of the ADT, the postholders will work closely with the Academic Office, Doctoral College and Research, Innovation and Enterprise Services and others as required to ensure that the Institute contributes constructively to the University’s Strategic Plan for Research and Commercialisation;
• Ensure representation of the Institute’s campus portfolios within the University and at external events and committees as appropriate;
• Support Senior Management and Campus Operations Managers in the discharge of compliance issues such as health and safety, data protection and freedom of information;
• Foster productive joint working relationships with other Institutes and professional departments, within the Institute’s agreed framework, criteria and plans;
• Any other duty approved by the Provost/Head of Institute commensurate with the level of the post.

- REQUIREMENTS -
You should have:
• A Doctoral qualification in at least one of the following disciplines: Business Management, Health & Social Care and/or Computing
• Evidence of current knowledge and understanding of the key drivers of the UK HE sector and the ability to ensure that these are reflected within the academic portfolio
• Proven and demonstrable experience in the design and development of curriculum content and learning and teaching practice
• Proven experience of quality assurance and quality enhancement, including compliance with the regulatory framework, audit, analysis and reporting requirements
• Proven experience and ability to analyse and present data as part of the effective decision-making and planning process
• Demonstrable experience of managing and motivating a diverse and multicultural team including full-time, fractional, and fixed term/hourly paid academics
• Proven knowledge of effective resource and budget management including action planning and working under pressure to meet conflicting demands
• Experience of working in an evolving environment and enabling others to be resilient, flexible and embrace change
• Previous experience at managerial level of contributing to the development of learning and teaching strategy at UK HE level
• Experience of collaborating and engaging with HE related external organisations, locally, regionally and internationally
• Demonstrable IT/technology skills for efficient and effective working

Please view the Job Description for further details, where you will also find a list of the essential and desirable ‘Person Specification’ criteria.

- BENEFITS -
• Annual leave entitlement is 35 days’ annual leave per year, plus 8 bank holidays and 4 University closure days

Our employees get access to a great pay and benefits package in recognition of their valued contribution including:
• Pension scheme membership from USS to provide benefits for you and your family
• Travel schemes, including the cycle to work scheme and season

- HOW TO APPLY -
Please click the ‘Apply Now’ button to start your application. Each page of your application will be saved when you click ‘Next’ or ‘Previous’.

Please note, this application process does not include the option to submit a CV. Therefore, your application will be assessed based on your answers to the application questions only and, in particular, your Supporting Statement.

Closing date: 11th December 2022, 11:59 pm