Welcome from the Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive
Thank you for your interest in the university and the two new roles we have created at executive leadership level.
As the university aligns itself to deliver on the plans outlined in our strategy 2030, we have created two new senior roles to help us to drive forward the thematic imperatives around our civic agenda and our disciplines in science, engineering and technology.
We have a well articulated agenda in both of these areas and with an identified Pro-Vice-Chancellor leadership position in each arena we can make the step change we need to move the university forward.
Our executive leadership function comprises a small and coherent team working together to support and encourage the university community to be innovative and to embrace challenge.
We are a home-grown city-based university, with our roots firmly established in the communities we serve. Our students and their endeavours are at the heart of everything we do, every decision we make and every achievement we celebrate. Our staff are committed, caring and dedicated and the university is moving forward at pace.
This is an extraordinary time to join a university that has celebrated 200 years of being relevant, aspirational – and always ahead of our time.
I would encourage you to speak to our recruitment advisors in the first instance to see if this is the university for you.
Thank you,
Student focused, inclusive, courageous and caring about our community – welcome to LJMU.
Since 1823 we’ve been the university for the people of Liverpool, raising people up, championing change and working in partnership with people and organisations to make a difference, while always placing our students at the heart of everything we do. It’s why we’re one of the largest and well-established universities in the UK.
Now, 200 years later our influence goes far beyond our city. It’s over 28,000 students studying with us on campus or at one of our 30 institutional partners across the globe. The thousands of people who will have access to the world’s largest telescope, making a career exploring the universe, feel within touching distance. The young girl in Nepal who knows our name as our research projects help to address the stigma of period shame.
It’s our graduates that go on to win Grammys, use their investigative journalistic skills to expose injustice, or win an Olympic medal and then return to the lecture theatres of our buildings, to teach what they know about sport science, to the next generation.
And while we strive to make a difference across the globe, our deep bond between the city we call home is the reason we provide free legal and business advice, from our campus clinics, to the people of the city. Why our nursing, teaching and policing degree apprenticeships provide vital skills and graduates to our schools, hospitals and employers. Why our spirit of adventure and innovation aims to give back to local communities and reach those individuals, who a path into higher education never seemed possible.
Making a difference is what a university should be about. But LJMU isn’t just any university, it’s a place where our students, staff, alumni, partners and community belong.
About our university
We can trace our roots back to the Industrial Revolution and the establishment of the Liverpool Mechanics’ Institute in 1823. Early lectures and classes covered the arts, humanities and philosophy, as well as technology and engineering and the science of medicine and physiology. Back then we pioneered opportunities for female students in pharmacy and physical education.
Today LJMU continues to champion inclusivity and diversity. In 2024, we achieved Athena Swan Silver accreditation for our commitment to supporting and transforming gender equality. We’ve received Race Equality Charter Bronze for our work eliminating racial inequalities and developing an inclusive culture and we’ve recently submitted to the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, for the first time, demonstrating our commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and highlighting our research and practices on the ongoing journey towards a more sustainable, prosperous future for local communities and the whole planet.
When it comes to Research and Knowledge Exchange, LJMU is ranked 49th out of 129 Higher Education Institutions in the UK for ‘research power’ and we have world-leading research in every faculty. In the latest REF 2021 result we have more than doubled the amount of research that is judged to be world-leading or internationally-excellent.
Our Bicentenary year came to a close at the end of 2023, a year in which we celebrated our proud heritage and the achievements of the people at LJMU, who make it the unique university that it is today.
Not only did we celebrate 200 years, we had a wealth of achievements across our student experience, place and partnership and research and knowledge exchange portfolio, meeting several key performance indicators of our 2030 Strategy:
Making a difference to our communities
Through our place within local communities, the Liverpool City Region and beyond, LJMU is committed to working in partnership with people and organisations to make a difference.
From the earliest origins of the university, we’ve had a deep bond between ourselves and the city and region we call home.
We have, throughout our history, sought to work in partnership to address the social, structural and economic conditions of Liverpool and its wider city region. This goal remains the driving force behind our work now: to make a difference at home and further afield.
We have a distinct place, as an anchor institution and active partner, in our city and region. We share a spirit of adventure and innovation with local communities striving to make a difference and put something back, helping to solve the problems of the 21st century.
Making a difference is what a university should be about. It is what we are about. It is who we are. It is Liverpool John Moores University and our place in Liverpool and beyond.
Our People
We recognise LJMU is already a great place to work but by 2030 LJMU will feel even better from a staff perspective.
As we work towards the LJMU 2030 strategy, our People Plan highlights our commitment to our staff with six key strategic themes:
Our vision when it comes to our people
By 2030, the university will be more diverse and inclusive no matter which part of LJMU you work in. The culture will support every employee to be comfortable to be their true selves at work. It will continue to be a safe place where health and wellbeing is a priority, and innovation is the norm. Our teams will be adaptive to change, and performance and agility will go hand in hand.
Our values will be truly embedded and autonomous teams will be trusted and empowered to lead and deliver. We will regularly hear of people having courageous conversations and challenging the status quo in order to continuously improve the student experience, impactful research, and ways of working. People in leadership roles will be highly visible and accessible to their teams and create a supportive, inclusive environment where all team members receive key university updates by having regular face to face time with their leaders to encourage multi way dialogue.
Leaders will be clear about performance expectations by setting SMART objectives, having regular reviews to assess progress, and providing timely feedback to teams that supports individuals to achieve their goals.
Career pathways will be understood with good quality development plans so that everyone has the tools to reach their full potential, and staff will feel truly valued and engaged.
Business continuity will be supported by robust succession plans throughout the university which will allow us to develop our future leaders at LJMU. In turn we will see the student experience, research, and innovation improve significantly because the strategic skills gaps will have closed.
All teaching delivery will be excellent, students will learn from engaging and inspirational academic staff, and all technical and professional services staff will understand how their role impacts the student experience and really enjoy contributing to the LJMU vision, and ultimately our university’s success in the city, the region, nationally, and globally.
LJMU will be one of the best universities to work for because everyone will be proud to work here.
Staff will celebrate LJMU on their own channels and we will become the employer of choice in both Higher Education, and the Liverpool City Region.
What our staff and students say
“The staff at LJMU are simply incredible. They always greet you with a smile and make you feel part of a special community.”
“Love the environment and the people.”
“Supportive and inclusive learning environment always facilitated.”
“I really credit the university on their constant effort to include everyone.”
“They’re so engaged in advocating for minority groups in all settings across the university and beyond. They are always implementing new ideas to make people feel safe and welcome.”
LJMU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mark Power explains more about the two roles:
Benefits
Working in Liverpool
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 Thursday 28th March 2024.
Applications should consist of:
Should you wish to discuss the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Faculty of Science and Engineering role in strict confidence, please contact Sophie Rees on +44 (0)7719 313 982, sophie.rees@andersonquigley.com or Elliott Rae on +44 (0)7584 078 534, elliott.rae@andersonquigley.com.
Should you wish to discuss the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, External Engagement and Partnerships role, please contact Aino Betts on +44 (0)7743 934 723, aino.betts@andersonquigley.com or Elliott Rae on +44 (0)7584 078 534, elliott.rae@andersonquigley.com.