Thank you for your interest in the Faculty of Arts, Design and Media (ADM) at Birmingham City University.
With over 25,500 students from c.100 countries, 3,200 staff, and an annual income of c.£246m, Birmingham City University is an ambitious, exciting, and diverse place to study. We put students at the heart of everything we do, giving them the best opportunities for future success. The University has an enviable reputation for providing quality, student-focused education in a professional and friendly environment. Our superb courses, state-of-the-art facilities, first-rate staff and focus on practical skills and professional relevance is producing some of the country’s most employable graduates. Located in the heart of a vibrant Birmingham, we are proud of how we represent and positively impact this wonderful city, and with Sir Lenny Henry as our Chancellor, we are truly the University for Birmingham.
ADM has over 5,500 students enrolled on courses in music, theatre, writing, media, digital technology, art, design, jewellery and architecture and is one of Britain’s leading providers of talented professionals to the cultural and creative industries. We believe that creativity thrives on careful nurturing and rich experience. The rewards are there to see. Last year our students won or were short-listed for no fewer than 28 national or international prizes.
We are currently recruiting two roles on the Faculty Executive; our Head of the Birmingham Institute of Jewellery, Fashion and Textiles and our Associate Dean for Research, Innovation and Enterprise.
These are wonderful high-profile leadership opportunities. They will be challenging, the sector is changing rapidly, yet Birmingham City and ADM are ideally placed to respond to those challenges. If you would like to contribute your expertise, creativity and energy to this wonderful institution, we would be delighted to hear from you.
About the University
Our University has a well-deserved reputation as a vibrant and successful institution. The investment of over £340 million into the estate has created a truly astonishing environment for students and staff, in the heart of our city. Birmingham itself, with its five universities and 85,000 students, is the ‘youngest city in Europe’ with under-20s accounting for 29% of its population. With 50% of our students from a BAME background, we are proud of how we represent and positively impact this wonderful city and, with Sir Lenny Henry as our Chancellor, we are truly the University for Birmingham.
The University focuses on practice-led, knowledge-based learning, providing access to cutting-edge facilities and real-world experience. We benefit from around 50 professional accreditations and have a well-established reputation for delivering in-company training and development programmes.
Our teaching staff come from and maintain their links with industry, ensuring students are given an insight into the latest thinking. We are constantly looking for new ways to enhance the learning experience, with inspiring visiting lecturers and learning environments that are designed to replicate the workplaces our learners aim to enter. We even give students the chance to gain work experience in real roles around the University, through our student employment scheme.
The work undertaken by our research staff and students is not only enriching our courses, it is literally shaping the world. In the Research Excellence Framework 2014, which measures universities’ research performance, 90% of Birmingham City University’s total submission was judged to have delivered ‘outstanding’ or ‘very considerable’ impact externally.
The University has a reputation for widening participation and working with local communities. We welcome a broad mix of cultures and nationalities, and over half of our 26,900 students come from the city or the surrounding area. There are also over 2,600 international and EU students from around 80 countries who are attracted by the social and ethnic mix of the University’s student population.
We have been pioneering vocational education in the city since 1843, through a series of predecessor institutions. Having achieved University status in 1992, we changed our name to Birmingham City University in 2007, reflecting our commitment to, and pride in, our home city.
Our History
Birmingham City University was established in 1992. However, our predecessor institutions have played a prominent educational role in Birmingham for over 170 years.
Our roots go back to the 19th Century when a number of institutions specialising in applied knowledge were established in the city. Birmingham School of Art was founded in 1843, joined in 1888 by the School of Jewellery, aiming to raise the level of commercial design.
Similarly, Birmingham College of Commerce had been founded in 1899 to provide an advanced and specialist curriculum useful to local businesses. Birmingham School of Music was originally part of the Birmingham Midland Institute, one of the initiatives of the radical and liberal enlightenment in the city of the mid-19th Century.
In 1971, these colleges joined with the South and North Birmingham Technical Colleges to form the new City of Birmingham Polytechnic, one of many such institutions set up to focus on professional and vocational study. In 1975, the city council introduced three further colleges into the Polytechnic, integrating Anstey College of Physical Education, Bordesley College of Education and the City of Birmingham College of Education. Bournville College of Art became part of the Polytechnic in 1988, merging with the Faculty of Art and Design to create Birmingham Institute of Art and Design.
Birmingham Polytechnic was granted university status in 1992 as the University of Central England in Birmingham. In the following decade, the University experienced considerable growth in student numbers and the curriculum broadened to include health-related professional qualifications. Birmingham and Solihull College of Nursing and Midwifery and West Midlands School of Radiography became part of the University in 1995, and the University is now the host institution for the training of health professionals for the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine.
In May 2005, Birmingham School of Acting merged with UCE Birmingham. Formerly known as Birmingham School of Speech and Drama, it had been founded in 1936 to provide opportunities for drama and speech training for all sections of the community. These courses subsequently moved alongside our music courses in an enlarged Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, following the granting of a Royal title by Her Majesty The Queen in 2017.
The University today
Since 2011, the University has undertaken a £340 million investment in its estates and facilities to create a campus fit for the future. The City Centre Campus has seen three major new developments – the Parkside Building for Design and Media students opened in 2013; the Curzon Building, which houses Business, Law and Social Science courses as well as new library, IT and student support facilities opened in 2015; and our new music building for the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, opened in 2017.
A new extension to our City South Campus to house our new Sport, Education and Life Science courses, together with existing Education programmes, was opened in 2018. The acquisition of an additional property nearby in 2020 provided further teaching space for Health-related courses and coincided with the launch of a new suite of nursing degree apprenticeships which are intended to help tackle workforce shortages in the sector.
Work is almost complete on the latest phase of our STEAMhouse project – the £60 million transformation of the 121-year-old Belmont Works, next to our City Centre Campus, into an innovation centre where artists, academics and industry can collaborate with each other. STEAM is an interdisciplinary way of thinking that combines Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics, aimed at finding the most innovative solutions to today’s challenges.
The University joined forces with education charity IntoUniversity to develop a new £1.2 million education hub in Kingstanding. It is aimed at supporting more young people into higher education through a series of after-school classes, aspiration-building workshops and a mentoring programme with University students and corporate professionals. The hub was officially opened by Chancellor Sir Lenny Henry, and continued to operate virtually during the Covid-19 pandemic.
March 2020 saw the opening of a landmark new research centre aimed at examining diversity across the UK’s media. The Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity looks at representation across the industry including journalism, acting, film, TV and radio in both on-screen and behind-the-scenes roles, and is conducting new research and analysis on the subject.
Our staff and student community is defined by our core values, which outline who we are as a University and how we will work with each other.
Our core values are:
Excellence, People focused, Partnership working and Fairness and integrity.
Our mission
“To transform the prospects of individuals, employers and society through excellence in practice-based education, research and knowledge exchange.”
Our vision
“To be the leading university for creative and professional practice inspired by innovation and enquiry.”
We define our role and place in higher education through four characteristics which underpin what we do and how we do it:
Practice
We focus on practice so all students have Practice Intelligence (the capability to learn from experience and apply it to all future practice).
All courses include practice, practical experience and learning through practice; we command credibility and respect from the professions and our curriculum anticipates their changing needs.
Our research and knowledge development are applied to practice.
Creativity and enterprise
We promote the value and application of creativity and enterprise skills in all areas of our staff and students’ work.
Creativity and enterprise skills and capabilities will be distinguishing features of all Birmingham City University graduates.
Student Engagement
We seek high levels of student engagement so our students have a sense of ‘ownership’ in their University.
Our focus is student success and we believe they have a major role to play in shaping what the University does to ensure this.
Click here to view our Core Values Framework.
Birmingham Institute of Jewellery, Fashion and Textiles brings together two internationally-renowned schools, with almost 130 years of heritage. Over four sites, the institute’s cutting-edge workshops and facilities create a dynamic culture for innovation and research.
Whether worn, carried on the body, or part of the environment, our students design and make award winning objects and artefacts through old and new technologies. Together we produce graduates with the knowledge and technical skills to carve rewarding careers in industry.
The Queen’s Anniversary Award-winning School of Jewellery is the largest in Europe, with excellent facilities and expertise to develop our students’ careers in this exciting specialist sector. Based in the heart of Birmingham’s thriving Jewellery Quarter, where much of the jewellery made in Britain is still produced today, its location gives students maximum industry exposure before graduation and the chance to work on live projects while they study.
The Vittoria Street building’s historical facade conceals a contemporary environment including workshops, a specialist library, an atrium gallery and exhibition space. Our courses cover all aspects of jewellery, silversmithing, horology and gemmology, using a variety of precious and non-precious metals, gems and experimental materials. Our students also benefit from an enviable range of cutting-edge equipment and technology which is used in industry today.
The School of Fashion and Design is a globally renowned provider of fashion and textiles education, with a history dating back to the 19th Century, renowned for its students’ achievements, innovative research and partnerships with industry.
Our courses address the global fashion and textiles industries within a genuinely creative, collaborative and international student community. All of our staff come from an industry background and bring a wealth of skills, knowledge and experience, as well as access to the latest thinking, creativity and professional networks. Our extensive range of modern workshops and facilities gives students the space and resources they need to define what design means to them.
The Institute sits within the Faculty of Arts, Design and Media, one of the largest providers of creative education in the UK that is also home to Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, together with courses in Architecture, Visual Communication, Media and English, and the Creative Arts.
Purpose
To provide effective strategic leadership and management of the Institute. Deliver a positive contribution to the Faculty Executive Team and promote, develop and enhance provision within the School/Institute in line with the Faculty strategic and operational plans and the University strategic plan.
Roles and responsibilites
Leadership and team building
Managing people
Managing resources
Policy and planning
Student learning experience
Collaborative working, networking and liaison
Corporate responsibilities
Expertise and experience requirements
Able to demonstrate:
Special requirements
Able to undertake duties at different premises including any University campus as required.
National and international travel may be necessary in order to attend conferences and events and effectively represent the University in key professional networks.
Expected to work outside of normal office hours as required.
All academic staff are expected to engage in activities associated with promotion, marketing and public outreach of the subject area.
Expectations of all staff
Professional standards
All staff employed by Birmingham City University are expected to exhibit high professional standards which promote and demonstrate the University’s core values of Excellence, People Focused, Partnership Working, Fairness and Integrity.
In addition, Heads are expected to be an active ambassador for the University and proactively identify ways to enhance the University’s collective reputation.
Equal Opportunities
All staff are expected to understand and enact the University’s commitment to ensuring equality and diversity in all activities. This commitment is enshrined in the Equality Statement and core values.
Dignity at work
Every member of staff has a responsibility to ensure colleagues are treated with dignity and respect.
The University is committed to creating a work environment for all staff that is free from harassment, intimidation and any other forms of bullying at work, where everyone is treated with dignity, respect and professional courtesy.
Health and safety
The arrangements for meeting the University’s health and safety objectives are contained in the Birmingham City University Health and Safety Policy. This includes the responsibilities of key staff and procedures covering the main activities of the University.
All staff are expected to take reasonable care of themselves and those that may be affected by their actions.
Dress code
The University does not operate a formal dress code for its employees, other than for those who are provided with uniform and/or protective clothing. However, employees must ensure that their dress is professional, reasonably smart and appropriate for the situation in which they are working. All staff should ensure that they present a professional image and one that reflects sensitivity to customer perceptions. This may reflect their ethnicity and lifestyle, but should not be provocative or cause offence to those with whom they have contact.
Citizenship
All staff are expected to adhere to good citizenship, being generous with help and support to others, collaborating with colleagues and working for the benefit of the University as a whole. In particular working to provide a positive student experience and achieving excellence in all the University’s activities.
This job description indicates the expectations of staff at Head level. Each Faculty may have a number of Heads with responsibilities for different portfolios which may include:
One or more portfolio areas may be combined into a single job.
Guidance on typical areas of responsibility and specific knowledge, experience and expertise required for each is provided in the Head Portfolio Descriptions. These may be revised and updated from time to time in line with the University’s strategic aims. Individual objectives and achievement targets will be agreed between PVC Executive Deans of Faculty and reviewed regularly.
With reasonable notice and support, the University can expect and require a member of staff at this level to undertake any of the activities detailed above. You will be expected to perform at this level within a reasonable period following promotion. Job descriptions are not exhaustive and you may be required to undertake other duties of a similar level and responsibility.
Specific responsibilities in relation to research
Additional expertise and experience requirements
In addition, the following specialist expertise, skills and experience is desirable:
The posts are offered on a full time, permanent basis.
The salaries will be agreed with the successful candidates. In addition, the you will be entitled to the following terms and conditions:
Anderson Quigley is acting as an employment advisor to the University. An executive search process is being carried out by Anderson Quigley in addition to the public advertisement.
Should you wish to discuss either of these roles in strict confidence, please contact:
The closing date for applications is noon on Monday 22 November 2021
Applications should consist of:
Completed applications should be uploaded at www.andersonquigley.com/candidates using the above corresponding AQ reference numbers.
Timetable
Closing date: | noon on Monday 22 November 2021 |
Longlisting: | Thursday 20 January 2022 |
Preliminary Interviews with AQ: | w/c 24 and 31 January 2022 |
Shortlisting: | Wednesday 9 February 2022 |
Final Panel Interviews: (in person, on campus) |
Wednesday 2 March 2022 (Head of the Birmingham Institute of Jewellery, Fashion and Textiles) |
Thursday 3 March 2022 (Associate Dean for Research, Innovation and Enterprise) |