Thank you for your interest in joining the University of Manchester as Vice-Dean and Head of School of Health Sciences within the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health (FBMH). The University is a diverse, international community of over 12,000 staff and over 40,000 students. It is a place where research has a global impact, where students experience outstanding teaching and learning, helping them to develop into tomorrow’s leaders, and where all activity is enriched by a commitment to social responsibility. The Academic Ranking of World Universities currently rates Manchester as the 35th best university in the world and 5th best in the UK.
The Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health comprises 11,000 students, 3,200 staff, over 30 undergraduate courses and around 90 postgraduate taught courses. The Faculty integrates discovery biology, clinical application and patient care and is the largest supplier of healthcare graduates to the NHS in the north-west of England. The School of Health Sciences is one of three within the Faculty, along with the School of Biological Sciences and the School of Medical Sciences, led by Professor Judith Hoyland and Professor Tony Heagerty respectively. Many of our programmes cross school and division boundaries to ensure they cover the breadth of knowledge and skills required for a career in biology, medicine and health. The School of Health Sciences itself is organised into six divisions: the Division of Human Communication, Development and Hearing, the Division of Informatics, Imaging and Data Sciences, the Division of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, the Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, the Division of Population Health, Health Services Research and Primary Care and the Division of Psychology and Mental Health.
The Vice-Dean and Head of School is a strategically important role within the University. As Head of School and a full member of the Faculty Leadership Team (FLT), they provide the key interface with the Faculty and University and therefore the post holder must demonstrate excellent academic leadership and management to ensure that the School makes a full contribution towards Faculty and wider institutional objectives.
You can find out more about the University, the School and the role of Vice-Dean and Head of Health Sciences on this website. Our advising consultants at Anderson Quigley would be pleased to discuss the role with you, in strict confidence – their details can also be found on this site.
I do hope you will make an application to join us and lead the further development of our approach to delivering outstanding teaching, learning and research in Health Sciences.
Yours faithfully
The University of Manchester was formed in 2004 by combining the Victoria University of Manchester and UMIST. It is the largest non-federal university in the UK, with an annual income of over £1 billion, over 12,000 staff and over 40,000 students. It and its predecessor institutions have a distinguished history of research and teaching, tracing back to 1824 and having produced 25 Nobel laureates. Research highlights include Rutherford’s work on splitting the atom (leading to the 1908 Nobel prize for physics), the world’s first stored-program computer (the Manchester University Mark I), the world’s first steerable radio telescope (at Jodrell Bank), the birth of chemical engineering, and most recently the discovery of graphene (leading to the 2010 Nobel prize for physics). The Academic Ranking of World Universities currently rates Manchester as the 35th best university in the world and 5th best in the UK. The University has more than half a million alumni in 190 countries. The University is a partner of the Alan Turing Institute, the UK’s national institute for data science and artificial intelligence.
You can find out more about the University on our website here.
Our structure
The University is divided into Faculties, Schools, Institutes and hundreds of specialist research groups, all of which undertake pioneering multidisciplinary teaching and research of worldwide significance. The Faculties, Schools, Institutes and research group are supported by a broad range of professional service teams and functions. The University’s academic structure is:
Faculty of Humanities
Alliance Manchester Business School; School of Arts, Languages and Cultures; School of Environment, Education and Development; School of Social Sciences
Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health
School of Biological Sciences; School of Health Sciences; School of Medical Sciences
Faculty of Science and Engineering
School of Engineering; School of Natural Sciences
Our Future
Our new vision and strategic plan for The University of Manchester will take us into our third century. It builds on a rich heritage of discovery, social change and pioneering spirit that is at the heart of our University and our city region: https://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/vision/
The City of Manchester
Manchester is the largest city in Northern England, with a metropolitan area population of over 2.5 million. Traditionally a commercial and industrial powerhouse, and birthplace of the industrial revolution, today it is also a cosmopolitan centre of education, media, arts and sport. Internationally famed for spectator sport and nightlife, it also has world-class facilities for music, participation in sport, arts and shopping. Direct rail links connect to cities across the UK, and the international airport provides direct flights across Europe and to major hubs worldwide. Just outside the city, the Peak District National Park provides some of the country’s best-loved terrain for outdoor activities, while the Yorkshire Dales, Snowdonia and Lake District National Parks are also easily accessible.
The Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health
The Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health has an integrated structure that enables us to deliver a truly translational approach to the life sciences. This helps ensure smooth research pathways – from pure discovery science through to clinical application and patient care.
The Faculty was created in 2016 when the Faculty of Life Sciences and the Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences were brought together in a new, integrated structure. With a total annual income of over £300 million, and over 3,000 members of staff, the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health is comparable to a medium-sized UK university.
We develop and deliver the highest quality education and training for health professionals and life scientists in partnership with the NHS and industry. We contribute to the University’s tradition of innovation and improvements in the health of people around the world.
We are the largest supplier of healthcare graduates to the NHS in the north-west of England. We produce highly-trained and skilled professionals who are increasingly sought-after by employers across the health industry.
The Academy for Education and Professional Development provides training for clinicians and healthcare professionals teaching in the University’s Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health. Please click here for further information.
We also conduct outstanding, world-leading research in the biological, medical and health sciences across eight research themes. We take our social responsibility to make a contribution to the ‘greater good’ seriously.
We were ranked 4th out of 44 in the UK for research power in the biological sciences in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF). Our research in the areas of the allied health professions, dentistry, nursing and pharmacy was also judged to be excellent.
The integration of discovery biology, clinical application and patient care within a single Faculty, particularly in a region with notable health inequality, provides us with a real opportunity to have a very significant and positive impact on people’s lives.
The Faculty in numbers:
About the School of Health Sciences
The School of Health Sciences is made up of six divisions:
The School’s six Divisions cover a broad spectrum of research across health sciences and also deliver fully accredited teaching and learning.
We have a vast geographical footprint stretching across the Greater Manchester area. As well as primary locations on the University’s main Oxford Road campus, we also have activities off campus and links with various NHS sites:
Our School provides both undergraduate and postgraduate education across a spectrum of health related professions and registered students in the School total approximately 5,000.
Undergraduate activity
Undergraduate students within the School develop their practical skills by working alongside professional staff at nearly every hospital and primary care trust within Greater Manchester. We aim to ensure that our student body is as diverse as possible by involvement in various widening participation activities and practices.
Postgraduate activity
The School hosts postgraduates involved in a diverse range of study, from short-term, professionally linked programmes through to research training in multidisciplinary areas:
As a University we are ambitious, and this is equally true of our Faculty and the School of Health Sciences. We have the breadth of expertise needed to tackle issues of global importance in the field of health science.
Our goal is to harness and coordinate people’s efforts to produce a step-change in generating new knowledge through cutting edge research and translate that knowledge to improve health and reduce inequalities in Manchester, the UK and across the globe. Our research also leads our teaching to help ensure our students gain an excellent education.
Whilst there is much to be done if we are to achieve our ambitions, the School has developed a clear sense of direction and momentum since it was formed in August 2016. We are proud of what we have achieved so far and attribute our success to putting people at the centre of our work.
You can find out more about the School of Health Sciences here.
Reports to: The Vice-President and Dean
Organisational Unit: School of Health Sciences
Overall purpose
The Vice-Dean & Head of School is a strategically critical role within the University. The School provides the key interface with the Faculty and University. As both Head of School and a full member of the Faculty Leadership Team, the post holder will provide the academic leadership and management to ensure that the School makes a full contribution towards the objectives of the Faculty and the University.
The Vice-Dean & Head of School will engage effectively with Academic and research staff within the School, and also the wider Faculty and will work closely with the Head of School Operations, who is responsible for the School’s Professional Services staff, in order to develop and deliver the School strategy and ensure that the academic and professional services priorities are aligned.
Key Duties/responsibilities
The key duties and responsibilities of the Vice-Dean & Head of School include the following:
Leadership
Strategic and Academic Planning
Management of the School
People
Students
Financial/Estate
Health and Safety
Personal academic contribution
It is expected that the Vice-Dean & Head of School will have an active research interest in an area relevant to School activities, and will make a teaching and research contribution commensurate with the commitment to leadership duties.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Candidates must be able to provide specific evidence of how they meet the requirements of this person specification in order to be considered for the role.
Knowledge & experience
Skills
Personal qualities
The Vice-Dean & Head of School will hold a permanent substantive Professorial appointment. The term of office as Vice-Dean & Head of School, for which there will be additional remuneration in the form of an honorarium, will be for a period of five years in the first instance.
The post holder will be expected to spend 0.6 FTE of their time fulfilling the role of Vice-Dean & Head of School.
Benefits: For information on the benefits of working at the University of Manchester please click here.
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 the role in strict confidence, please contact our advising consultants at Anderson Quigley: Alice Hayler +44(0)7596 954 388 or Elliott Rae on +44(0)7584 078 534.
The closing date for applications is noon on Monday 28 February 2022.
Applications should consist of:
Completed applications should be uploaded at www.andersonquigley.com/candidates using the reference AQ1195.
Provisional timetable
Closing date: | noon on Monday 28 February |
Longlisting: | Monday 7 March |
Preliminary Interviews with AQ: | Thursday 10 – Friday 19 March |
Shortlisting: | Monday 28 March |
Final Panel Interviews: | Thursday 28 April |