Aston University
Founded in 1895 and a University since 1966, Aston has long been recognised for its world-class teaching quality and strong links to business and the professions. Located in the centre of Birmingham our green, 40-acre campus houses all the University’s academic, social and accommodation facilities for our community of 20,000 students.
Aston University is an agile and innovative organisation that thrives on collaboration and partnerships with businesses and the community. We are ranked 21st in the United Kingdom in the Guardian University Guide 2025. Our integrated placement year, our applied high-impact research, and our commitment to enhancing the employability and social mobility of our students, all help to make Aston University distinct both nationally and internationally.
Students from over 120 countries choose to study at Aston University – a safe and friendly campus enjoyed by a global, multicultural community. Birmingham is one of the UK’s most diverse cities and home to an unrivalled cultural heritage, top sporting events, music, performing arts and outstanding world cuisine.
We are seeking applications for the PVC and Executive Dean, Engineering and Physical Sciences, who will lead the cross-disciplinary College covering science, engineering and computing disciplines. Through inclusive leadership, innovation and entrepreneurship, you will lead the College’s success in line with the Aston 2030 Strategy.
The successful candidate will implement strategic and operational plans to the highest professional standards within a cross-disciplinary College to create a compelling, high-quality offering for students, businesses and the wider community. Delivery of our Strategy and plans will be achieved through inspiring leadership and effective management of the College’s workforce, which consists of highly skilled, motivated and experienced academic and professional staff.
If this sounds like a role that you can see yourself excelling in, we very much look forward to receiving your application and learning more about how you could contribute to Aston University’s continuing success as a valuable member of Team Aston.
Founded in 1895 and a University since 1966, Aston has long been recognised for its world-class teaching quality and strong links to business and the professions. Located in the centre of Birmingham our green, 40-acre campus houses all the University’s academic, social and accommodation facilities for our community of 20,000 students.
Aston University is an agile and innovative organisation that thrives on collaboration and partnerships with businesses and the community. We are ranked 21st in the United Kingdom in the Guardian University Guide 2025. Our integrated placement year, our applied high-impact research, and our commitment to enhancing the employability and social mobility of our students, all help to make Aston University distinct both nationally and internationally.
Students from over 120 countries choose to study at Aston University – a safe and friendly campus enjoyed by a global, multicultural community. Birmingham is one of the UK’s most diverse cities and home to an unrivalled cultural heritage, top sporting events, music, performing arts and outstanding world cuisine.
The University has been recognised by a number of awards, including University of the Year for Student Success in the Daily Mail University Guide 2025, The Guardian 2020 University of the Year Award and Entrepreneurial University of the Year Award. But most importantly, we are highly regarded by our students at Aston University. In the 2025 Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide we are placed 16th in the UK for ‘Student Experience’ and have received a Gold TEF Award for Student Experience.
We have an award-winning Careers and Placements team, who were named the best University Placement Service in the UK at the 2022 National Undergraduate Employability Awards. Employability is embedded into everything we do at Aston University. We are ranked 16th, in the UK, for career prospects in the 2025 Guardian University Guide. Our staff are committed to doing all they can to meet the needs of students and in assisting them to achieve their career ambitions on graduating.
The 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF) assessments published in May 2022, ranked 79% of Aston University research as ‘world leading’ (4*) or ‘internationally excellent’ (3*). We are building on our world-class research capability to help transform industries, support economic growth, and improve lives. Our research is organised within comprehensive interdisciplinary University Research Institutes and across a wide range of outstanding research centres and research groups. See our our awards and rankings here.
Our 2030 Strategy – Inclusive. Entrepreneurial. Transformational.
In September 2023, following an extensive process of engagement with our community, we were proud to launch our Strategy for 2030.
Through this process explored possible scenarios for our future within our city, our region, and more broadly within the national and international context, and how we navigate the challenges of a changing world. The culmination of this was three things which will define our future, each of which requires strategy and hard work to achieve.
We will be Inclusive. From the beginning, our founder’s dream was that Aston University would be defined not by whom we exclude but by whom we include and how they succeed. Inclusion and diversity: these two essential values go right to the heart of who we are as a university. Each and every one of us here at Aston University is unique, and we are proud of that. We come from different backgrounds and cultures and have different experiences, skills and ideas. We all belong here at Aston University, and in Birmingham, one of the most welcoming, diverse, and inclusive cities on Earth.
We will embrace our innovative past and become a truly Entrepreneurial university. The past two decades have been witness to the most frenzied period of innovation and creativity in the history of the world. We’ve made significant strides in almost every field, driven in particular by science, technology and digital transformation. Connectivity has exponentially multiplied human progress. With the Birmingham Innovation Quarter (B-IQ) here at Aston University we are co-creating an innovation ecosystem of global significance with all the essential ingredients, to enable innovation at scale and pace, attract enterprising talent, and create enterprising graduates – our future leaders of innovation and change.
Thirdly, our vision of Aston is as a Transformational university measured by the positive impact that we achieve for our people, students, businesses, and the communities we serve. Being Transformational means thinking and acting differently beyond the conventional boundaries of today, as we create a more agile and adaptive university, a learning organisation for the future powered by digital innovation.
Vision
Our Vision is to be a leading university of science, technology, and enterprise, measured by the positive transformational impact we achieve for our people, students, businesses, and the communities we serve.
Purpose
Our Purpose is to make our world a better place through education, research, and innovation, by enabling our students to succeed in work and life, and by supporting our communities to thrive economically, socially, and culturally.
Values
Ambition: our ambition drives us to advance and accomplish our goals, strive for excellence, and impact, and create value for our beneficiaries and communities.
Collaboration: we believe in the value of working together for a shared purpose, by engaging and collaborating across our teams and disciplines, as well as with our beneficiaries.
Inclusion: we provide an inclusive, caring, and empowering environment for all and respect and support the values that diversity and inclusion bring to our whole community.
Innovation: we nurture an innovative environment that values new ideas, seeks diverse perspectives, and pursues game-changing innovations that make a positive impact.
Integrity: by valuing honesty, trust, fairness, and ethical behaviour, we always act with integrity and hold ourselves and others accountable
Our Colleges and Schools provide the academic structure for our outstanding educational offer to our students, reflecting our history and providing a platform for us to deliver our Strategy 2030.
College of Business and Social Sciences
College of Engineering and Physical Sciences
College of Health and Life Sciences
OUR STUDENTS – Ready for work and life
Under our Strategy 2030 we have established five key value propositions which we will provide to all our students, which the CSO is central to the delivery of:
Engagement with business and industry is central to all that we do at Aston. Professional practice will be embedded in our courses, while at UG level undergraduate level, all students will undertake an Aston Power Skills stackable module which develops digital skills; build leadership, management, and entrepreneurship skills; and develop an awareness and understanding of environmental sustainability and its implications for professional practice.
We will develop a positive, data-informed approach to health and wellbeing as an important life skill and provide integrated healthcare support through the interconnectedness of the new Aston Health Services Hub and our Sports Centre.
Recognising the unique interests of each student all taught provisions will enable our learners to make choices about what, and how, they study and the nature of their assessment, while our new Block Learning Mode will provide our students with a better-paced learning mode leading to higher rates of success, satisfaction, and retention.
Our Digital Enterprise strategy and next-generation information systems will evolve to support technology-rich learning approaches anywhere at any time, and we will provide contemporary digital tech to all learners, encompassing relevant e-texts and e-links to online learning resources, including the hardware and software required for their programme of study.
We will offer our students career support for life, with students becoming part of Aston for Life, which is a thriving community that offers a unique portfolio of personal and professional development and networking opportunities, insights and support that are essential for work and life, both during study and beyond. We will develop a new Student Services in the Cloud platform (a virtual Student Services Hub) that provides end-to-end engagement and support for our students.
Through our commitment to building graduate outcomes for work and life, learners are encouraged and supported to network and build collaborations within the university and externally, in support of lifelong learning development and greater adaptability to the future of work in a changing world.
Our university is filled with incredible students with inspiring stories of resourcefulness and resilience, and one of those many students is Sophie.
“You must believe in yourself. If you do, then you are the winner”
Sophie’s journey to Aston, where she is one of our first cohort of Nursing students, has certainly not been easy. ‘I’m a fighter. I’ve had to be.’
Growing up in Russia, she loved school and sports. ‘I loved to study, to learn. I was a junior martial arts champion, I got the best grades in school. I had big dreams to be an astronaut and an Olympian.’
All of that changed when, at the age of 12, she was taken out of education. ‘I lived in a region with a very patriarchal culture, where girls were expected to grow into housewives.’ As soon as she turned 15, Sophie was forced to marry. Within the marriage she endured a lot of inequality and violence. Soon she had two children and felt heartbroken about their future ‘I tried to stay strong; I was dreaming about freedom to keep me going’
After many years, Sophie managed to move to the UK with her children ‘I didn’t speak English, I had two children to look after but it was first time I felt free!’
‘It’s been five years since we moved, during these years we have moved so many times. Hostels, rented accommodation, refuges, hotels.’ A safe place to stay was just the start for her though. ‘I had to think of the future.’
Having primary school as her highest level of education, she had to start from scratch in a foreign language. ‘I was learning English whilst doing my GCSEs and A levels, all in this new language during Covid! But after so many years, as someone who dreamed of going to school, I was desperate for education. For some reason I always believed in myself and always proved it with actions. If you believe and act on your beliefs then you are the winner.’ With the basics under her belt, she looked further ahead. ‘I am a caring person, a compassionate person. Nursing seemed the best path to follow. I wanted to make the UK proud of me.’
Were there doubts? ‘I was scared right up until I started the course. I thought “will I be able to support my children and learn at the same time?” But our course leader and all the lecturers are incredible and so supportive, and now the scholarship will help financially too. I am so happy I chose Aston and very grateful to those who help. I believe it all starts from you. Challenges in life should never make you doubt yourself. Instead, embrace your power!’
Looking back, how does she feel about the journey to get here? ‘I wish I could tell younger me that everything is possible. I would say “Promise me, you won’t ever give up!”’
Engaged University: Our Civic Duty
At Aston, we are a proudly civic University, and our regional and civic engagement aligns with our core mission to collaborate and co-produce mutually beneficial activities with the people who live, work and study in the West Midlands. We’re committed to engagement, performance, and our communities in the Midlands and beyond.
A third of our students come from Birmingham, and half come from the wider West Midlands. We inspire school leavers to consider a University education and support them with varied routes to achieve that, with Open Days or access to University through alternative means, including Institute of Technology and Foundation Year or Degree Apprenticeship. 40% of our students work locally once they graduate, helping to reduce skills gaps in the region. Our outward-looking approach puts the needs of the regional economy and our student body first.
We deliver economic growth, productivity enhancement and social impact through five key themes:
Research and knowledge transfer
Degree apprenticeships and work-based learning
Employability and entrepreneurship
Regional and civic engagement
Business engagement
The PVC and Executive Dean, Engineering and Physical Sciences will lead the cross-disciplinary College covering science, engineering and computing disciplines. Through inclusive leadership, innovation and entrepreneurship, they will lead the College’s success in line with the Aston 2030 Strategy. They will implement strategic and operational plans to the highest professional standards within a cross-disciplinary College to create a compelling, high-quality offering for students, businesses and the wider community. Delivery of our Strategy and plans will be achieved through inspiring leadership and effective management of the College’s workforce, which consists of highly skilled, motivated and experienced academic and professional staff.
We are keen to hear from candidates who bring a successful leadership track record of delivery in a senior academic role. Candidates will be able to evidence a personal track record of academic credibility and achievement and have experience of leading and inspiring a diverse staff and student population.
Candidates must have credibility with key beneficiaries, evidenced by success in securing agreements and effective collaborations with relevant external beneficiaries, including industry and technology sector organisations, as well as funders such as EPSRC and Innovate UK. A PhD or equivalent in engineering- and technology-related areas is essential.
Note: The role is underpinned by a continuing substantial professorial role within the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences.
An outstanding individual is sought to provide inclusive leadership and management to enable EPS to achieve further development and significant growth, in line with the Aston 2030 Strategy. Providing innovative leadership, the PVC and Executive Dean will focus the College on further enhancing its reputation for the quality of its dual intensive teaching and research, and engagement with business globally. The post holder is also a key member of the Vice-Chancellor’s Executive Team and will therefore inform and implement University vision and strategy, representing the University’s as well as the College’s interests externally.
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
PERSON SPECIFICATION
All of the following criteria is considered essential.
Education/Qualifications
Experience
Aptitudes and Skills
The size and scope of the university means that the opportunities on offer are as diverse as the people who work here. From a generous annual leave scheme, gym membership and flexible working to opportunities to volunteer in the community, there is something for everyone. For more information please visit the benefit pages on our website: https://www.aston.ac.uk/staff-public/hr/Benefits-and-Rewards
Cycle-to-work scheme
Cycle-to-Work is open to all employees. Through our salary conversion scheme, we’ll make a bicycle available to you for commuting – alongside safety equipment, free of income tax and national insurance.
Employee travel pass scheme
The University has an affiliation to Company Travelwise in Birmingham and an on-going commitment to green transport. As a result, annual travel passes purchased under the Employee Travel Pass Scheme will be available at a discounted price.
Car park scheme
Under the Flexible Benefits Scheme, instead of the car park charges being collected from your net pay, you can exchange an amount of gross salary that is equivalent to the charge. As a result, you will pay less National Insurance, thereby reducing the cost of car park charges.
Low emission car lease scheme
The new Low Emission Car Lease Scheme offers you the opportunity of a new car, benefiting from corporate discounts and savings on Income Tax and National Insurance Contributions. The car scheme will only offer cars with low CO2 emissions (120g/km or less).
Computer share childcare vouchers
The University recognises that employees with children often require flexible pre-school and out-of school childcare in a convenient location. Childcare vouchers allow you to choose your own childcare provider, reduce your childcare costs and help you achieve the work/life balance you need.
Aston gym memberships
The Sir Doug Ellis Woodcock Sports Centre is a fantastic onsite staff facility. Permanent members of staff can choose to pay their membership fee via their monthly/weekly salary or in a one-off lump sum payment. Non-permanent staff can still get Aston staff prices but must pay for the membership in one lump sum.
Charitable giving
We have been looking at ways of promoting charitable giving through the payroll and of providing the most effective way of making tax savings on donations.
There are two ways you can do it:
Citysave Credit Union
Having a regular savings plan means building up a fund of money towards Christmas, a holiday or just for a rainy day. Having it come directly out of your salary means saving has never been easier. In addition, surplus profits the credit union makes are returned to our members in the form of a yearly dividend. Citysave is covered by the FSCS, so your savings up to £75,000 are secure.
Cinema Society Club
You can register with the Cinema Society Club to receive up to 40% off tickets.
Will Writing Service
Aston University has teamed up with Dunham McCarthy, Estate Planning & Will Specialists, to offer Aston employees and their families a free will writing service.
Conference Aston
All staff receive a 15% discount when dining at Conference Aston.
Annual Leave
The annual bookable leave entitlement is 31 days. In addition to the above bookable leave entitlement, a minimum of 13 additional days holiday per year is given as specified Bank and University holidays, the dates of which are circulated annually and are published on the University’s website. Part-time staff are entitled to the same amount of annual leave, including Bank and University Holidays, as full-time staff, on a pro-rata basis to the hours that they work.
Pension
If you are a regularly employed member of staff, you will be enrolled into a pension scheme, the exact scheme will depend upon the grade of the post. Further information is available on our website: Here is the link to the Benefits and Reward page https://www.aston.ac.uk/staff-public/hr/Benefits-and-Rewards
Recognition Vouchers
We designed this scheme to provide managers with the flexibility and autonomy to recognise individuals or whole teams ‘in the moment’ by awarding them with e-vouchers. Typically e-vouchers are given for going above and beyond normal expectations of a job or role: completion of a project, innovative idea or process/product improvement that has had a positive impact for the university, students, staff or the wider community; excellent customer feedback; citizenship where an individual has gone out of their way to help others.
Personal/Professional Development
To equip you with all the skills you need, we offer a comprehensive range of learning and development programmes. Whatever your role and ambitions, we will support you to build your skills set and be your best at work. As well as training, we offer an induction programme for all our new starters. This induction will give you a basic overview of our organisation, along with the chance to meet colleagues from across the University.
Employee Assistance Programme
Open to all staff, the service offers confidential support for a variety of issues such as managing money; having a family; moving house; personal life; retirement; work life; returning to work after a break; family crises; personal crises; healthy choices; illness. Services are available 24/7, 365 days a year.
Relocation Support
Subject to the conditions of the University’s relocation policy, we provide assistance to new employees who have to relocate to take up a position. This policy applies to staff appointed to a position at grade 7 (salary point 25) or above on an open-ended contract or to a fixed term position of two years or more, and who have to relocate their place of residence in order to take up the appointment. Positions which are externally funded fall outside of this policy.
Employment of Ex-Offenders
Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, a person with a criminal record is not required to disclose any spent convictions unless the positions they applying for is listed an exception under the act.
Eligibility to work in the UK
New immigration system for EU/EEA and Swiss Nationals who were not resident in the UK before 31 December 2020.
A new immigration system has been introduced for people arriving in the UK from EEA countries with effect from 1 January 2021. In addition to those who have always required a visa, EU citizens moving to the UK to work will need to get a visa in advance. You can find more information on the following website. Candidates should check their eligibility to enter or remain in the UK in advance of making any job application via the UKVI website: https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas.
Before applying you should ensure that you meet the requirements, including meeting the English Language requirements. If you do not meet the eligibility criteria, any application for a work visa would be unsuccessful.
If you require a visa to work in the UK the most common types of visa are
Skilled Worker Visa: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa and Global Talent Visa. If you are a leader or potential leader in one of the following fields you may be eligible to apply for a Global Talent Visa:
Please click the following link for further information and to check your eligibility for this visa: https://www.gov.uk/global-talent.
Equal Opportunities
Aston University promotes equality and diversity in all aspects of its work. We aim to ensure, through our admissions policies for students, and our staff recruitment and selection processes that we encourage applications from all groups represented in the wider community at a local, national and international level.
The University will endeavour not to discriminate unfairly or illegally, directly or indirectly, against student or potential students, staff or potential staff. This commitment applies to all functions of the University and to any stage of an individual’s career.
An Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form is included within the application form. Data you provide on the Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form will be included in a general database, for statistical monitoring purposes, enabling the University to monitor the effectiveness of its Policy, Codes of Practice and Guidelines on Equal Opportunities in Employment. Individuals will not be identified by name.
Data Protection
Your personal data will be processed in compliance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation ((EU) 2016/679) (“GDPR”). The University’s Data Protection Policy and Privacy Notices, including the Job Applicant Privacy Notice can be found at https://www2.aston.ac.uk/data-protection.
Your application will only be used to inform the selection process, unless you are successful, in which case it will form the basis of your personal record with the University which will be stored in manual and/or electronic files. Information in statistical form on present and former employees is given to appropriate outside bodies.
Full details of our terms and conditions of service and associated policies and procedures are available online: https://www2.aston.ac.uk/staff-public/hr/policies.
Anderson Quigley is acting as an advisor to the University, an executive search process is being carried out by Anderson Quigley in addition to the public advertisement.
The closing date for applications is noon on 19th November.
Applications should consist of:
Should you wish to discuss the role in strict confidence, please contact Kiersten Avery at kiersten.avery@andersonquigley.com or +44 (0)7510 384 735 or Sophie Rees at sophie.rees@andersonquigley.com or +44 (0)7719313982.
www.aston.ac.uk 