Executive Leadership Opportunities

Liverpool John Moores University

Welcome

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,

Professor Mark Power
Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive

Why LJMU


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:

  • Our commitment to deliver outstanding teaching and learning saw our 2023 NSS results confirm that we are delivering an excellent student experience, with the university scoring above the OfS benchmark in an exceptional 26 out of 27 questions and a completion rate of 74% by our students.
  • LJMU was also awarded a gold rating for student outcomes and silver overall in the national Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023.
  • Alongside our commitment to deliver excellent teaching, LJMU committed over £10 million through a range of initiatives including bursaries, hardship funds and scholarships while also launching a Cost of Living hub to highlight all the support across the university.
  • We also achieved an overall GOOD and one OUTSTANDING in our Ofsted inspection for our degree apprenticeship programmes and primary and secondary education courses.
  • Our target to enhance graduate employment prospects saw our Graduate Outcome Survey highlight that we are above the sector average for high-skilled employment rates for leavers at all levels. We also saw nearly 9,000 students become active users on Unitemps, LJMU’s own on-campus recruitment agency.
  • To engage with our partners in impactful, connected knowledge exchange we officially launched our Forensic Research Institute, our School of Education and our Centre for Educational Leadership.
  • As part of our commitment to strengthen the regional skills base through flexible, responsive, workforce facing education, the university’s partnership with Merseyside Police is now being used as a national model for police training and standards ensuring policing students are prepared to the highest standards for their careers with the force.
  • As we continue to commit to grow our community of international students and partners, of which we currently have over 15,000 international students, studying at 30 partner institutions, we held a Global Collaborative Partner Forum on campus to welcome colleagues from different countries to see LJMU, our facilities and the city.
  • LJMU also extended its ties to Australia in 2023, signing a memorandum of understanding with our first Australian partner, Western Sydney University.

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:

  • Attraction and retention
  • Performance and development
  • Impactful leadership and communications
  • Adaptive culture
  • Health, wellbeing, and safety
  • Diversity and inclusion

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.”

The roles

Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Faculty of Science and Engineering (AQ2465)

Apply now

Pro-Vice-Chancellor, External Engagement and Partnerships (AQ2467)

Apply now

Vice-Chancellor video

LJMU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mark Power explains more about the two roles:

Terms of appointment

Benefits

  • Annual leave: LJMU employees are offered a generous annual leave entitlement of 30 days for full time employees. This is in addition to 8 public holidays and Christmas period shutdown (typically an additional 5 days leave on average p.a.).
  • Pension: access to a generous defined benefit pension scheme comprising of employer pension contributions of 23.68% (TPS, increasing to 28.68% on 1 April 2024) / 17.5% (LGPS). Further information on the pension schemes is available here.
  • Relocation: where applicable, the University offers a relocation package to support new employees who meet the eligibility criteria.
  • Travel: various interest free travel loans for annual season tickets and cycle to work scheme.
  • Health and wellbeing: we offer a wide range of wellbeing support including Employee Assistance Programme, mental health support, annual voluntary dental plan and access to on-site gym facilities for just £40 a year.
  • Community: there are plenty of opportunities to give back to the community through volunteering, supporting our Corporate Charities and getting involved in our staff networks. There is also an opportunity to give to charities through the Payroll Giving scheme.
  • Flexible working: maintain a healthy balance between work and home life with opportunities to work flexibly, where appropriate.
  • Professional development: LJMU is committed to the support and development of its staff. It encourages individuals and teams to embrace opportunities for skill development, self-improvement and knowledge enhancement in order to reach their potential and meet their career ambitions. As part of this commitment, we offer a wide range of engaging and impactful training and development opportunities as well as the chance to take part in special projects/cross-university work and embark upon one-to-one coaching and mentoring.
  • Opportunity to volunteer to work at big events on the university calendar including graduation, clearing and join LJMU on the Liverpool Pride March.
  • In addition to the great benefits above, our close ties to organisations and businesses within the region and further afield means we can offer discounts for many shops, restaurants and services and free or discounted tickets to a range of events.

Working in Liverpool

  • Two hours by train to London.
  • Liverpool is second only to London for the number of museums, theatres, galleries and grade 2 listed heritage buildings.
  • A UNESCO City of Music and recent host of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.
  • One of the UK’s most affordable places to live.
  • Miles of coastline, beaches and countryside minutes from the city.
  • Recently voted the 7th best city in the world according to Timeout Magazine.
  • City Region has a new record growth and sports a £32 billion economy.
  • Best student city in the UK according to StudentCrowd.
  • Liverpool has Purple Flag status which is awarded to places that promote the safety and wellbeing of visitors and local residents.
  • Home to Europe’s largest Chinese arch – 14 metres tall.
  • The most filmed UK city outside of London, from the Batman Movie to Peaky Blinders.

How to apply

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:

  • A full CV.
  • A covering letter (maximum of two pages) outlining how you meet the criteria of the person specification.
  • Please include details of two referees in either your CV or covering letter, though please note that we will not approach your referees without your prior consent and only should you be shortlisted.

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