An exceptional opportunity exists to lead Warwick Foundation Studies (WFS), a successful, dynamic and ambitious department dedicated to delivering courses and learning opportunities to support students’ progression to a higher level of learning, at Warwick or elsewhere.
Job Purpose
The Director will provide the strategic leadership of WFS department to explore, design, and deliver income-generating and business critical courses (from sub-degree to PG level) for students to succeed in their studies or progress their careers at Warwick or elsewhere.
Duties and Responsibilities
- To develop, embed and deliver a departmental strategy, in line with the University’s strategic priorities, that enables the successful delivery of a range of programmes and learning opportunities targeted predominantly at the international student market. To design, implement and oversee a strategy for the department that enables the development and growth of high-quality academic programmes that provide a strong return on investment.
- To be responsible for ensuring the highest-quality learning and teaching provision within the department, providing expert advice and exemplary leadership to all staff to ensure effective delivery of world-leading programmes of study. To enable the development of innovative courses, including, for example, alternative delivery and credential models, anticipating and meeting the changing educational or experiential learning needs of students and stakeholders, underpinned by regular, periodic robust curriculum review and relevant market research.
- To be ultimately responsible for planning and monitoring the use of staff, finances, facilities and IT resources to ensure efficiency, value-for-money and overall financial and operational sustainability for the department.
- To ensure the effective representation of the department and appropriate representation of its operations within departmental and university-wide governance mechanisms. To oversee effective decision-making structures and processes, defining appropriate management roles and responsibilities and related selection procedures, chairing and contributing to appropriate groups and committees within and outside the department.
- To ensure that the operations of the department and its vision, aims and objectives are appropriately communicated to internal stakeholders, including faculties and departments, in order to secure support for operations and institutional buy-in for future growth. To ensure external stakeholders are well informed about programme and departmental developments to enable constructive and mutually beneficial academic and commercial relationships.
- To develop and sustain appropriate structures for management, consultation, decision-making and communications with staff and students; empowering staff to deliver agreed departmental strategies, engendering a culture of cooperation, consultation and respect within the department; and ensuring staff are provided with support and training to contribute fully and progress their careers.
- To oversee all quality assurance, regulatory, legal and contractual compliance matters pertaining to programmes delivered within the department, particularly those relating to teaching quality and collaborative contract obligations.
- To provide reports on the department’s activities, including progress towards key performance indicators and strategic objectives, to the appropriate internal and external stakeholders.
- To contribute actively to the overall leadership, management and strategic development in the wider University, to share and develop good leadership and management practice, serve on and/or chair internal working groups and committees, external bodies, committees and boards, representing the interests and promoting the profile of the department and the University through sector networks, at conferences, briefings and events, regionally, nationally and internationally.
Person Specification
The Person Specification focuses on the knowledge, skills, experience and qualifications required to undertake the role effectively. This is measured by (a) Application Form, (b) Test/Exercise, (c) Interview, (d) Presentation.
Essential Criteria 1
Educated to PhD level or equivalent in a relevant discipline. (a)
Essential Criteria 2
Academic/administrative experience in Higher/Further education. (a,c)
Essential Criteria 3
Excellent advocacy skills and ability to inform, advise and persuade senior internal and external stakeholders to enable effective and creative outcomes. (a,c)
Essential Criteria 4
Experience of creating, managing and maintaining effective professional relationships with all stakeholders. (a,c)
Essential Criteria 5
Knowledgeable of developments across the UK FE/HE sector and the global education and ability to develop innovative, relevant and commercially successful academic activities in existing and new markets, within the pre-university/university sector. (a,c)
Essential Criteria 6
Highly-developed written and oral communication skills and attention to detail in order to deliver clear, concise advice and presentations. (a,c)
Essential Criteria 7
Highly-developed problem-solving skills to deal autonomously with complex and difficult situations as they arise. (a,c)
Essential Criteria 8
Highly-effective people management skills, with the ability to create a culture of continuous improvement and to develop a reputation for sector-leading excellence. (a,c)
Essential Criteria 9
High level of numeracy and experience of managing multiple budgets. (a,c)
Essential Criteria 10
Previous experience of working with international students in an HE or FE setting. (a,c)
Essential Criteria 11
Knowledge of the assurance, monitoring and evaluation processes of taught programmes. (a,c)
Essential Criteria 12
Experience of taking the lead role in governance, decision-making processes and on decision-making bodies. (a,c)
Essential Criteria 13
Flexibility to travel to a variety of regions throughout the world, if and when required (a,c)
The University of Warwick has appointed SearchHigher as their recruitment partner for this campaign; please apply below by submitting a CV & Cover Letter in Word Document format , or you can also email your documents to enquiries@searchhigher.com ; or call Jayne Reilly on 07823524581 for a confidential conversation.