Faculty/ School/ Department: School of Nursing and Midwifery
Responsible to: Deputy Dean

Job purpose

To provide effective strategic leadership and management of the School. Deliver a positive contribution to the Faculty Executive Team and promote, develop and enhance provision within the School in line with the Faculty strategic and operational plans and the University strategic plan.

Main activities and responsibilities

Leadership and team building

• Provide strategic leadership to the School in the areas of learning and teaching, research, enterprise and wider engagement.
• Provide strategic leadership in the development of an inclusive, dynamic, industry relevant and competitive portfolio of courses.
• Ensure the achievement of agreed performance standards across the School’s provision (relevant performance standards may include REF results, research and enterprise income and impact, National Student Survey (NSS) results, APP gaps, student recruitment, student retention, completion, progression & employability etc.)
• Ensure high standards are maintained in the conduct of all the School’s activities.

Managing people

• Lead a working environment and culture which promotes and ensures equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Create a working environment within the School and Faculty that is supportive of staff and encourages active engagement and a positive contribution from individuals.
• Ensure there is a strong emphasis across the School on communication with staff and there are appropriate mechanisms in place to underpin this.
• Oversee the effective deployment of staff resources within the School.
• Ensure the allocation of appropriate workloads within the School.
• Ensure that workforce planning is undertaken across the School on a systematic basis in line with University policy.
• Oversee the effective management of change across the School.
• Lead and support high performance within the School. Ensure that individuals have clear SMART objectives and participate in effective performance reviews in line with University policy.
• Participate fully in the University’s performance review process as reviewer and reviewee.
• Ensure compliance with University people management and health and safety policies.

Managing resources

• Utilise the School budget effectively.
• In liaison with the Faculty Financial Controller ensure appropriate accountability for effective budgetary and financial management in the School.

Policy and planning

• Formulate and implement School academic and business plans ensuring that these are aligned with the strategic objectives of the Faculty and University.

Student learning experience

• Ensure the optimum student experience through adoption of a consistent customer focus across the School.
• Ensure that the Student Experience and curriculum promotes equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across the Faculty and wider University, including those in central professional services to ensure the best academic experience for the School’s students.
• Develop the scale and range of high quality academic provision and support/develop new methods and modes of delivery.
• Proactively monitor and review the quality of provision within the School.
• Ensure the standards of the University’s awards are maintained and provision maintains professional recognition and accreditation as appropriate.

Collaborative working, networking and liaison

• Promote and enhance the reputation of the School nationally and internationally.
• Represent the interests of the School within the Faculty and University.
• Embed employer engagement, enterprise and entrepreneurship across the School’s areas of provision.
• Develop strategic partnerships with mutual benefits.

Corporate responsibilities

• Participate effectively and collegiately as a member of the Faculty Executive team.
• Participate in Faculty and University projects and initiatives as directed.
• Participate in the operation of the University’s policies and procedures.

Expertise and experience requirements

• Good first degree
• Postgraduate and/or professional qualification in relevant area
• A higher degree, PhD or professional doctorate in a relevant academic area
• Professorial status or the eligibility to be awarded professorial status upon appointment is desirable.
• Relevant management experience in an academic or commercial environment
• Ability to manage people, budgets and other resources and deliver projects.
• A track record of successful development, management and delivery of relevant projects
• Ability to achieve performance targets and supporting others to meet their performance targets
• A track record of Higher Education teaching, research or third stream activity.
• Experience and understanding of QAA requirements.

Able to demonstrate:

• Strategic focus with strong leadership and management skills including excellent analytical, communication and presentation skills.
• Demonstrable commitment and awareness of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the work place.
• Strong interpersonal and faciliatory skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team, to lead and to inspire high quality performance in others.
• High levels of motivation with ability to determine and achieve own targets and objectives
• Ability to build effective relationships and interact with students, colleagues, external clients, stakeholders and fellow professionals and to work collaboratively
• Experience and/or ability to plan, manage and implement change in an academic environment while maintaining the confidence of staff at all levels.
• High level of professionalism, enthusiasm and commitment.
• Good organisational skills
• Strong negotiation skills
• Good IT skills

Special requirements

• Able to undertake duties at different premises including any University campus as required.
• National and international travel may be necessary from 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.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

• Good first degree. MBA highly desirable.
• Significant experience in a senior managerial role within a professional service background delivering demonstrable levels of change with a complex organisation.
• Qualifications in a professional discipline preferred.
• High degree of financial literacy, able to understand business cases.
• Well-developed risk management awareness and attention to detail.
• Demonstrate significant experience of managing change initiatives or at the least being a senior contributor.
• Digital awareness and ability to see how the digital agenda can be harnessed to improve transformation.
• Highly competent communicator, able to convey complex ideas, and write reports suitable for Executive and Board level consumption.
• Strategic and analytical mind set.
• High level of proficiency in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, MS Project or Visio (desirable).
• Self starter, able to work under own initiative, at pace, and at high levels of intensity.
• Team Player. Able to function effectively amongst junior peers and senior colleagues.

Special requirements

• Able to undertake duties at different premises including any University campus as required. Additional travel may be necessary from time to time in order to attend conferences and events and effectively represent the University in key professional networks.
• May be required to work outside normal office hours to effectively support University operations and events. This will require flexibility, especially at times of peak activity.
• This role would be suitable for an element of remote working.

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:

• School
• Learning & teaching
• Academic quality
• Academic Portfolio and Market Development
• International
• Research
• Enterprise

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.

Please note this role will be advertised in January 2023. To express an early interest, please contact Claudia at claudia@andersonquigley.com.

Job Title: Associate Dean (Research, Innovation and Enterprise)
Responsible to: Faculty PVC/Executive Dean

Job Purpose

The University regards the Associate Dean Research, Innovation and Enterprise (AD RIE) as key to the successful delivery of the faculty’s contribution to the mission and objectives identified in the University’s Strategy 2025 and related strategic plans for research, innovation and enterprise.

Reporting to the Faculty PVC/Executive Dean, and with a dotted line to the DVC Research, Innovation and Enterprise, the AD (RIE) will provide strong, dynamic and inspirational leadership for the Faculty, enabling it to contribute to the achievement of the University’s mission to be the both the University for Birmingham, and a University with a global reputation for education and research.

The AD (RIE) will be responsible for creating and sustaining a high-quality, supportive, and inclusive environment which empowers the development of researchers and the delivery of excellent research including doctoral research students, and that also encourages and supports staff to undertake Knowledge Exchange, consultancy, non-credit bearing CPD and other enterprise activities. The AD (RIE) will ensure that the wider body of research, KE and enterprise activity undertaken within the faculty delivers positive impacts for external stakeholders and underpins learning and teaching for students on taught programmes.

Main activities and responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership of Research and Enterprise across the Faculty, working with Faculty and University senior managers and teams to deliver research and enterprise outcomes in line with agreed strategic objectives.
•  Membership of the University’s Research and Enterprise Committees; chairing the Faculty’s Research and Enterprise Committees, and membership of the Faculty Executive Group.
• Create and sustain a high-quality and inclusive research environment, which empowers the development of researchers; supports the conduct of excellent research and which fully meets the expectations of the UUK Concordat to Support Research Integrity, Research England and UKRI.
• Contribute to the University’s submission to the Research Excellence Framework through encouraging the creation of high-quality research outputs that meet open-access requirements and pro-active encouragement of researchers to engage with research-users in the private, public and third sector to achieve impact of all types from excellent research.
• Ensure a high quality of doctoral education, through oversight of the faculty’s postgraduate research student life cycle from application to award and ensuring this meets the requirements of the QAA UK Quality Code for Research Degrees, the Office for Students and UKRI expectations for doctoral training.
• Advise and support Unit of Assessment (UoA) leads on the recruitment and development of new researchers and ensuring they deliver high-quality research to underpin the faculty’s contribution to the Research Excellence Framework.
• Create and sustain a high-quality, supportive, and inclusive environment which encourages and supports staff to undertake Knowledge Exchange, consultancy, non-credit bearing CPD and other enterprise activities.
• Work with the Faculty PVC/Executive Dean and other Senior Managers in the Faculty to agree a strategic direction that is in line with the University’s Strategic Plans for research and enterprise.
• Create and update the research and enterprise components of the Faculty Development Plan to include the setting of targets for research and enterprise performance, including research and enterprise income.
• Ensure the Faculty delivers against research grant and contracts income targets specified in the University’s Research Strategy and the enterprise income targets specified in the Innovation and Enterprise strategy.
• Work with the Faculty PVC/Executive Dean and other senior managers to monitor performance against targets for research and enterprise and work with them to address under performance against those targets.
• Work with Heads of School to devise and deliver Faculty work allocations to support and extend research and enterprise activity undertaken by academic and research staff.
• Identify, create, and facilitate opportunities for staff to be involved in cross-University research and enterprise activities, external projects, events and working groups.
• Network nationally and internationally to represent the faculty and the University to facilitate new research collaborations, secure research grant and contract income and generate new enterprise activities.
• Develop and sustain close relationships with employers, external agencies, key stakeholders and other providers and act as an effective ambassador for the University in a range of external settings ensuring that, always the University is portrayed positively, and its reputation is enhanced.
• Lead specific initiatives and projects within the Faculty as agreed with the Faculty PVC/Executive Dean and contribute to the strategic and operational development of the University through undertaking cross-University projects and initiatives identified by the Vice Chancellor’s Office (VCO), Deputy Vice-Chancellor (RIE) or Faculty PVC/Executive Dean.
• Provide leadership and management to specific staff as defined by the role and any other staff as agreed with the Faculty PVC/Executive Dean, including the setting of objectives, performance management and review.
• Plan, monitor, and effectively manage any devolved budgets for research and enterprise.
• Accountable for good governance of the faculty’s research activities, ensuring the expectations of the UUK Concordat to Support Research Integrity are fully met and that the terms and conditions of research funders are fully complied with.
• Liaise, co-operate, collaborate, and communicate effectively with colleagues both within the faculty and the wider University including central and professional service functions and to share good practice, innovate and improve performance to create a culture of continuous quality enhancement within the Faculty.
• Undertake any other duties as appropriate to the role and agreed with the Faculty PVC/Executive Dean including deputising for the Faculty PVC/Executive Dean as required.

Additional Key Requirements:

Managing people and resources

• Provide leadership to the faculty’s research community.
• Make a leading contribution to university research targets and future REF performance.
• Lead and manage own projects with overall responsibility for the organising and deployment of resources within own areas of responsibility.
• Undertake regular appraisal reviews of staff as appropriate, ensuring clear performance expectations and supporting personal development plans are agreed, as well as encouraging the continuous professional development of staff within area of responsibility.
• Manage devolved budgets for research.

Communication

• Create and maintain strong and influential working relationships at all levels within the University and externally.
• Act as a spokesperson and representative of the University within key external networks.
• Build networks of influential external contacts to advance the University’s research and enterprise profile.
• Be routinely involved in complex and important negotiations internally and with external bodies.

Teamwork and collaborative working

• Work with the Faculty PVC/Executive Dean to develop and communicate a clear vision of the Faculty’s strategic direction.
• Ensure the delivery of Faculty plans underpinning the University strategy for research and enterprise.
• Develop and lead major external partnerships and collaborations and foster interdisciplinary team working.
• Promote a collegiate approach and develop team spirit and team coherence.

Initiative, problem solving and decision making

• Supporting the Faculty PVC/Executive Dean to determine and manage the allocation of resources for research and enterprise within the Faculty.
• As a member of the Faculty’s Senior Team make strategic decisions on Faculty plans and objectives.
• Contribute to the strategic direction of the University through participation in University Committees etc.
• Lead the development of new and creative approaches to achieve strategic goals.
• Initiate new and original solutions to problems.

Work environment

• Exercise overall responsibility for health and safety in own areas of responsibility.
• Ensure that appropriate risk management processes are operational.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

• Proven ability to provide clear and effective leadership to the faculty, promoting a sense of collegiality, team working, collaboration and ambition, encouraging productivity to ensure that the key aims, and objectives of the University’s various relevant strategies are embedded and realised within the Faculty in a coherent and consistent way.
• Sustained record of effective strategic leadership in a research portfolio, student supervision and contract success.
• Extensive leadership and management experience in an academic or commercial environment, including experience of successful development, management and delivery of relevant international collaborative and franchised programmes.
• Successful track record of providing strategic and visionary direction in the development of research projects and/or enterprise and a good knowledge and awareness of the different opportunities related to research.
• Ongoing engagement in continuing professional development in subject / discipline and in pedagogy, incorporating research, scholarship and/or the evaluation of professional practices. Successful co-ordination, support, supervision management and/or mentoring of others (whether individuals and/or teams) in relation to research, innovation or enterprise.
• Knowledge and awareness of the broad context of research in Higher Education and government policy in the UK and the current and forthcoming challenges and opportunities it presents, including experience and understanding of QAA requirements.
• Significant experience of people management, budgetary control, curriculum and programme development and allocation of resources.
• Commitment to a strong and robust inclusion, equality and diversity agenda in all aspects of research, innovation or enterprise.
• Strong interpersonal, communication and team working skills.
• Ability to contribute and potentially lead other University wide projects as appropriate.
• A willingness to undertake further training and personal development as appropriate and to adopt new procedures as and when required.

Professional Status

• Doctoral level qualification in a relevant or cognate discipline is not essential, but is desirable.
• Principal Fellowship under the Advance HE’s UK Professional Standards Framework (PSF) is not essential, but is desirable.
• Professorial status, or the eligibility to be awarded professorial status upon appointment is not essential, but is desirable.
• Research active, and research engaged with evidence of external contribution to discipline and knowledge creation.

In addition, the following specialist expertise, skills and experience is desirable:

• Experience of successful interaction between Higher Education industry or commerce, research and professional bodies.
• Experience of successful income generation.
• Scholarship and publication in a relevant area.
• Ability to be an articulate advocate for the Faculty and able to promote and protect its interests.
• Evidence of ability to create and sustain a Faculty research culture.
• Successful engagement in the design and delivery of continuing professional development in relation to research, innovation, enterprise and related academic or professional practice.

Special requirements

• Able to undertake duties at different premises including any University campus as required.
• National and international travel will be necessary from 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. In addition, Associate Deans are expected to be an active ambassador for the University and proactively identify ways to enhance the University’s collective reputation.

Equal opportunities
At Birmingham City University we are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. All staff are expected to understand and enact the University’s commitment to ensuring equality, diversity and inclusion in our employment practice and in all that we do. This commitment is enshrined in our Core Values and is detailed in our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Employment Policy.
The University values and celebrates the diversity of our staff and students; we welcome people from the many different backgrounds and life experiences that reflect the students and the citizens we serve. We are committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and actively encourage unique contributions, in particular from under-represented groups in respect of age, disability, sex, gender or gender identity, ethnicity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation or transgender status.

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 this level. Job descriptions are not exhaustive and you may be required to undertake other duties of a similar level and responsibility.