Appointment of Head of Roehampton Law School

University of Roehampton

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Welcome

Introduction from the Executive Dean, Faculty of Business and Law

Thank you for your interest in the role of Head of Roehampton Law School in the Faculty of Business & Law. As part of the Faculty’s Senior Management Team (SMT), this role will provide leadership for Roehampton Law School, working with staff and students and in partnership with external stakeholders to ensure the Faculty’s and the University’s strategic aims are delivered.

The Faculty of Business and Law, which comprise the Business School and the Law School, has a well-established suite of programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. We are vocationally focused, preparing students for graduate careers in London and beyond. Employers collaborate closely with us to co-create curriculum, and we work in partnership with our students to nurture a vibrant learning community. We are proud that our graduates are distinctive and highly employable. Our research and innovation address societal and economic challenges, with researchers working across disciplines to benefit businesses, communities, and policymakers.

Roehampton Law School has a distinctive profile and recognition for its practice-based approach to Law, social justice and human rights that combines academic excellence with professional practice. We seek to appoint an exceptional Head of Law School who will expand our Law provision whilst sustaining our academic excellence delivered by colleagues passionate about successful learning journeys and educational experiences. The new Head of the Law School will lead a successful period of expansion of the School’s programme portfolio and external engagement.

The successful candidate will bring significant academic leadership in Law as well as knowledge of the changes in legal education in the UK. In addition, they will have experience in strategic planning, workload management, staff development and assurance of learning. This is an exciting opportunity to lead a high-performing School that takes pride in achieving an inclusive environment of excellent scholarship and research.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Professor Sunitha Narendran
Executive Dean, Faculty of Business and Law

Our university and heritage

Roehampton has a history in education through our four Colleges dating back over 175 years. Our Colleges were founded in the 19th Century and were pioneers in teacher training. Through our oldest College, Whitelands, we have provided higher education to women for longer than any other university in the country.

Our four Colleges are:

Southlands College was founded in 1872 by the Methodist Church. This College is the home of the Faculty of Business and Law and the two Schools within it, namely Roehampton Business School and Roehampton Law School.

Whitelands College, established in 1841 by the Church of England, is the home of the School of Life and Health Sciences and the School of Psychology.

Digby Stuart College, founded by the Society of the Sacred Heart, a Roman Catholic religious congregation, in 1874, is the home of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Froebel College was established in 1892. The College takes its name from Friedrich Froebel, the German educational pioneer and is the home of the School of Education.

The values of social progress inspire the educational missions of all our four colleges. These values, in turn, inform the academic life of Roehampton, including our teaching, research and engagement with communities and organisations locally, nationally and internationally.

Today, our Colleges help us provide the friendly, welcoming community that makes Roehampton so distinctive, supporting student wellbeing, social life and the wider student experience. They also help engage our thriving global community of graduates to engage in socially responsible behaviours and reflective practice.

Our Purpose

  • Change lives by helping our students to develop the confidence, knowledge and adaptability they need for a successful graduate career and fulfilling life.
  • Understand and help to improve our world through a spirit of curiosity and discovery.
  • Support, encourage and challenge each other in a friendly and inclusive community that values people as individuals.

Our Commitment

  • Community of learning based on partnership that encourages and supports all of our students and staff to achieve their aspirations.
  • An excellent education that enables our students to prepare themselves for a successful and fulfilling career in a rapidly changing world.
  • A curriculum that meets the needs and expectations of both students and employers, and that reflects the diversity of modern society.
  • An excellent research environment that makes a positive contribution to our understanding of the world and helps to improve lives.
  • A community that is characterised by friendliness, openness, inclusion and freedom of thought and expression.
  • A wide range of opportunities for our students to develop interests beyond their course of study, encouraging them to grow as individuals.
  • A network for communities and partners who share our values to work together for a common purpose towards social responsibility and public good.

Our Campus

Our beautiful parkland campus is in southwest London, close to Putney, Hammersmith and Wimbledon, and within easy reach of central London. In addition to Besides stunning gardens and heritage buildings, including a conference centre, it has state-of-the-art specialist teaching facilities, a world-class library and a media centre with its cinema.

Studying and working with us gives our students and staff the best of both worlds: the friendly community feel of a traditional university campus, and the energy, culture and connections of one of the greatest cities in the world.

Roehampton Law School is located in the beautiful Mandela building.  

Enabling strategies

To meet our goals and shape who we become over the years to come, the University has developed Enabling Strategies. These strategies are built on three themes, each essential to our future success and underpinned by our existing strengths.

The three themes are:

Student Education

The experience of studying at Roehampton should be distinctive and transformational across all levels of study. The quality of the Roehampton experience and the sense of community must apply to all of our students, whether they are studying on campus, online or with one of our partners.

Research and Knowledge Exchange

Our excellent reputation for research reflects a distinctive culture that has been built throughout our long history. During this time we have grown a research environment that fosters an inclusive, collaborative, and inspiring community.

Our research profile is well-balanced, well-managed and recognised for its quality, reach and significance to the world. Research is also fundamental to our teaching, it shapes our curricula and enriches the experience of our students.

Sustainability

This theme is focused on how we will grow in an environmentally sustainable way and create the financial headroom to invest for the future, developing the infrastructure we need to deliver on our strategic aims.

Climate change is one of the most urgent and significant issues of our time. We will respond by ensuring we are as environmentally sustainable as we can be ourselves, but also by driving change and awareness through the education we provide, the research our staff undertake, and in how we manage our estate and procure and deliver our services.

Faculty of Business and Law

The Faculty of Business and Law at Roehampton combines both the Business School and Law School.

Together they form a friendly, inspired and diverse community of students and staff who believe that businesses and legal professionals should act with a social conscience – values embedded in our teaching and research.

We want our graduates to be at the forefront of their careers so that they can make a difference as reflective and socially responsible ethical practitioners.

Faculty Research

The Centre for Sustainability and Responsible Management produces high quality research outputs that are beneficial for a wide range of stakeholders, including local and central governments, businesses and charitable organisations. In addition to publishing papers in internationally renowned academic journals, members of the centre have written blogs, reports and articles for professional bodies.

Many of our Law researchers also contribute to The Centre for Equality, Justice and Social Change. Drawing on a multidisciplinary team of sociologists, criminologists, social anthropologists and socio-legal scholars, we conduct high-quality research to address pressing issues on a range of subjects, including on gender and sexuality, crime and violence, education and citizenship, and migration and human rights.

Faculty community

The Faculty of Business and Law forms part of Southlands College – one of the four colleges at Roehampton, known for its friendly, open and encouraging atmosphere. Southlands is a busy and engaging place where all are welcome, where diversity is celebrated, where learning and scholarship meet action and experience.

Law School

Roehampton Law School was established in 2015 – we are a growing school that values social justice, teamwork, and our local community. In the latest Complete University Guide (2022), Roehampton Law has been ranked #1 in the country for student satisfaction.

Our recent Law graduates have gone to work at the Ministry of Finance, Tungsten Law, Slater & Gordon, Moore Barlow, The Labour Party, Amethyst Chambers, CHMC Limited, Clifford Chance, Stirling Ackroyd Group, Citizens Advice (Wandsworth), and QIB (UK).

We are housed in our own modern building, with a mock courtroom, surrounded by a parkland campus.  In terms of teaching we have some unique features such as a ‘practice-based learning style’. This approach enables our graduates to be equipped with both the appropriate knowledge and skills to pursue a legal profession, as well as to progress in an academic route.

Building close ties and giving back to our local community is also very close to our hearts. For example, we have a partnership with Citizens Advice Bureau where our undergraduate students can volunteer and gain hands-on work experience.

Our Law School Law Clinic offers pro-bono legal advice to the local community. Our final year students can apply for the Law School Clinic module to gain legal work experience in a supervised learning environment.

Business School

Roehampton Business School is an inclusive learning community. We want our students to become business leaders who will have a positive impact on society through their ethos, their company culture and through an understanding and appreciation of sustainability. These values are embedded in both our teaching and research.

At the heart of our business approach sits a range of extra-curricular ways to develop and learn such as our career mentoring scheme, extensive range of employability events, student-led Business Society and links with employers such as Marks and Spencer, Haymarket Media Ltd, Santander, SABMiller and KPMG. We also offer all undergraduate students the option to pursue a one-year paid work placement.

Our Business Advisory Board comprises of Senior Business Leaders who work closely with us to ensure that our courses are cutting-edge and industry-relevant.

The role

Head of Law (AQ1665)

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Job title: Head of Roehampton Law School (1.0 FTE)
Reports to: Executive Dean, Faculty of Business and Law
School: Faculty of Business and Law
Grade: RSO3

Main purpose of the job

The Faculty of Business and Law is a vibrant learning community of students and staff who believe that businesses and legal professionals should act with a social conscience and promote excellent citizenship. These values are embedded in our world-class research and the practice-based pedagogy we provide for our students. Our ambition is to be an academic entity committed to social responsibility and the public good through research, teaching, and external relationships. We want our staff and students to be at the forefront of their careers so that they can make a difference in progressing active learning and reflective practice whilst being socially responsible.

We seek a dynamic and talented Head of Law School who will support the Executive Dean, Faculty of Business and Law, to provide strategic leadership for this high-performing school. The successful candidate will have a track record of experience delivering successful student outcomes, portfolio development and quality assurance in higher education, specifically legal education. As an experienced and talented leader, they will nurture talent and ensure that academic colleagues in the law School are engaged, flexible and agile, with a desire to achieve and equipped to meet the changing HE agenda. This role will provide leadership for Roehampton Law School, working with internal and external stakeholders to ensure that the strategic aims of the Faculty and the University are delivered.

The Head of Law School reports directly to the Executive Dean  of the Faculty of Business and Law and sits on the Senior Management Team (SMT). Supported by the Deputy Head of Law, they will achieve portfolio development and growth, strong student success outcomes and a national and international profile. They will also liaise with the Deputy Deans of the Faculty responsible for Education, Research Knowledge Exchange and Academic Development and Partnerships. Responsibilities also include academic appointments, appraisals, and workload management in the Law School.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Academic Leadership and Management

  • Contribute to Faculty’s strategic and operational plans as a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT).
  • Support the development of and ensure the Implementation of comprehensive operational plans that support the University strategy, goals and vision for excellent student outcomes, outstanding teaching, research and knowledge exchange to enhance academic reputation and quality.
  • Maintain and develop a vibrant academic community focused on legal practice, scholarship and innovation.
  • Develop, promote and sustain research/knowledge exchange excellence within the Law School.
  • Support the plans and activities of the members of the University Research centres from the Law School.
  • Ensure the Law School’s academic programmes are consistent with and implemented in line with external regulatory developments and are compliant with University quality assurance processes.
  • Develop and promote effective and appropriate communication processes within the Roehampton Law School (for both staff and students) and between the School and others to ensure proper and timely information flow.
  • Foster an ethos of cooperation, collaboration and mutual respect within the Roehampton Law School, the Faculty and the University.
  • Foster further links with external partners to develop opportunities for students and staff.
  • Contribute to, and where appropriate, participate on university committees, professional associations, national and international bodies, and other stakeholder associations, to further the interests of the Faculty and the University.
  • Manage relationships with, and ensure the requirements of professional bodies are met.
  • Ensure that all relevant University strategies, policies and procedures are implemented and appropriate guidelines are followed.

Student Experience and outcomes

  • Deliver an excellent student experience and positive outcome for all students in the Roehampton Law School both at UG and PG levels.
  • Be willing to contribute to the teaching of Law across all levels.
  • Maintain and deliver improvements to the student success metrics in line with University strategies.
  • Demonstrate a positive approach to inclusion, equity and parity.
  • Ensure effective systems are in place for student engagement.

Staff Management

  • Lead and manage academic staff within the Law School.
  • Provide opportunities for staff development through effective performance appraisals.
  • Ensure that academic staff resources are effectively and fairly deployed within the School.
  • Support and encourage staff to design and develop new programmes and adapt to changes in legal education requirements.

Resource Management

  • Work with the Executive Dean and Deputy Deans on the financial priorities for the Roehampton Law School and ensure effective management of resources allocated.
  • Manage delegated responsibilities for space and information technology provision.

Health and Safety

  • Ensure compliance with legal, ethical and health and safety policies and procedures in line with University policies.

Others

  • Maintain an academic/professional profile commensurate with the seniority and responsibilities of the post.
  • Contribute as a member of the senior management team and support the Executive Dean of Faculty to enhance the academic reputation of the University.
  • Manage/coordinate specific projects as requested by the Executive Dean of the Faculty.
  • Represent the Roehampton Law School externally as appropriate.
  • Engage in personal and continuing professional development, maintaining skills and knowledge to carry out the role effectively.
  • Undertake teaching, assessment and feedback responsibilities as required and contribute to programme planning and review.
  • Contribute to international research/knowledge exchange at a personal level.
  • Maintain a supportive environment for research, knowledge exchange and professional practice.

 

PERSON SPECIFICATION

The Person Specification focuses on the knowledge, skills, experience and qualifications required to undertake the role effectively. Please ensure that your application demonstrates how you meet the essential criteria.

Education and Qualifications

Essential

  • A PhD or professional doctorate in an appropriate subject area or equivalent professional experience.

Desirable

  • SFHEA status with the Higher Education Academy (D3) Knowledge and skills.

Knowledge and skills

Essential

  • The ability to provide the academic and professional leadership necessary to build academic excellence across a portfolio of activities and strengthen the academic community.
  • A thorough understanding of the academic discipline supported by a clear vision for its development and ability to implement this.
  • The ability to mentor and support colleagues to enable them to fulfil their potential.
  • A demonstrable commitment to providing learning and teaching that is research-led or research-informed.
  • Experience of planning and delivering high-quality and supportive teaching and fostering skills and confidence in a diverse range of students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
  • Demonstrable commitment to providing high-quality academic and pastoral support to students.
  • Excellent communication skills, both oral and written.
  • Strong data analysis, qualitative and quantitative, and presentation skills.
  • Strong organisational skills and the ability to lead and manage to tight deadlines.
  • Ability to work proactively and under pressure.

Desirable

  • A good understanding of the issues and challenges facing the legal profession.
  • A good understanding of the challenges of and current developments in the Higher Education sector.
  • A good understanding of the new pathways for student learning, e.g. apprenticeship degrees, accelerated degrees, credit accumulation and top-ups, multiple entry points, and blended and online at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Work experience

Essential

  • A track record of success in teaching and research and/or enterprise or professional practice.
  • Ability to work to and deliver against deadlines in a leadership role.
  • Track record of working successfully with external partners to deliver a positive impact for the School and/or University.
  • Demonstrable influence over, participation in and ability to lead internal and external networks.
  • Experience of running professional development activities within an education-related organisation.
  • Experience in contributing to developments in learning and teaching, including existing and new programmes.

Desirable

  • Extensive experience in teaching at the university level with evidence of delivering high levels of student satisfaction and outcomes.
  • Experience in contributing to developments in learning and teaching that have led to programme innovation and evidence of good student outcomes.
  • Established industry and professional networks that will make a positive contribution to the work of the School.

Communication skills

Essential

  • Excellent organisational, communication and interpersonal skills.

Other requirements

Essential

  • Ability and willingness to work flexibly for the Faculty, including assisting with open days, special projects, etc.
  • Willingness to undertake continuing professional development and training as appropriate.
  • Ability to work both independently and as a collegial team member.

Desirable

  • Knowledge of and commitment to the University’s Enabling Strategies.
  • Membership of relevant professional bodies or organisations.

Additional Information

  • There are no fixed hours of work and you are expected to give a full professional commitment and work for such reasonable hours as are necessary for you to fulfil your duties and responsibilities. You are expected to work flexibly to meet the needs of the University and Faculty, including evenings as required, within the context of the maximum working week as defined by the UK Working Time Regulations.
  • The appointment is offered on a permanent basis, subject to satisfactory references.
  • The annual leave entitlement is 31.5 days p.a., additionally there are 3 – 4 days when the University closes for Christmas.
  • If you are appointed at 0.7 FTE or above and have fewer than 3 years’ experience of teaching in Higher Education you are expected to register on to the University of Roehampton Recognition for New Academics (R4NA) and complete the programme during the first year of service. Successful completion of R4NA leads to recognition at D2 of the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF) and as a Fellow of the Higher Education academy (HEA). You are exempt from this if you:
    • hold a certificate in learning and teaching in Higher Education from a different University. Most of these automatically lead to Fellowship of the HEA. If yours does not, you are expected to engage with University of Roehampton Reflective Account of Practice (URRAP) in your first year of service to gain recognition as a Fellow;
    • have over 3 years’ experience of teaching in Higher Education in the UK. If you do not have recognition as a Fellow of the HEA, you are expected to engage with University of Roehampton Reflective Account of Practice and gain recognition in your first year of service;
    • are already a Fellow of the HE Academy (NB. You must supply proof of your FHEA status – i.e. number and date.).
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Terms of appointment

Location
Beautiful 54-acre parkland campus, with historic buildings alongside modern, cutting edge facilities, including one of the best university libraries in London. Our campus helps us provide a close-knit community for our students and an inspiring environment in which to study.

We are located in the heart of south-west London, close to Putney and Hammersmith and within easy reach of central London. Studying with us will give you the best of both worlds: the community feel of a traditional university campus, with the culture and nightlife of one of the greatest cities in the world.

Salary

Competitive salary dependent on relevant skills and experience.

Pension
The University support membership of the Teachers Pension Scheme and the LPFA.

Annual Leave
31.5 days per annum. In addition, the College is normally closed for 3 to 4 days between Christmas and New Year.

Family Friendly
Excellent provisions in relation to family friendly leave and pay. Employee Assistance Programme 24/7 Confidential Support Staff and family members in their household have access to a free, external confidential support service for work, financial, legal, family and personal problems 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Community
All staff are welcome to attend exhibitions, lectures and events held by academic schools and departments.

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 Monday 27 March 2023.

AQ Reference: AQ1665

Applications should consist of:

  • A full CV.
  • A covering letter (maximum of three pages) outlining how you meet the essential experience 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 role in strict confidence, please contact
Samantha Bryan-Ross on samantha@andersonquigley.com +44 (0)7510 384 713 or Ed Pritchard on ed@andersonquigley.com, +44(0)7980 817 927.

Timetable

Closing Date – 27th March 2023

Longlisting – 12th April 2023

Preliminary Interviews with Anderson Quigley – w/c 17th & 24th April 2023

Shortlisting – 3rd May 2023

Final Panel Interviews – Friday 12th May 2023 (on campus)

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