Academic Director (Humanities and Social Science)

Lampeter Campus

- ABOUT US -

The University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) is an employment-focused university, dedicated to ensuring students from diverse backgrounds develop the academic knowledge and practical skills to thrive.

We placed 13th for teaching quality in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022 and 8th in the UK for ‘Social Inclusion’ in this league table this year.

We are now looking for an Academic Director (Humanities and Social Science) to join us on a full-time, permanent basis working 37 hours per week.

- THE ROLE -

You will provide pro-active, day-to-day management of the institute working closely with the Pro Vice Chancellor and Assistant Deans to ensure the continued success of the institute and to realise its strategic goals and objectives. In support of the Institute’s Key objectives of Quality, Innovation and Growth duties will include ensuring effective curriculum delivery and development, quality assurance, marketing and admissions, and the efficient deployment of resources.

A key strategic priority for you will be to ensure that the designated curriculum areas and discipline makes a positive and effective contribution to the success of the Institute, and where suitable and cost effective, new curriculum areas will be explored and developed. Where appropriate you will support staff in making interdisciplinary contributions to the teaching, learning and research activities, and to realise the wider culture of innovation, quality and growth within the Institute. You will have a key role to play in developing a culture of knowledge transfer and shared expertise within the Institute.

You will work closely with the existing leadership of the Academic Discipline and have ultimate responsibility for the management of all undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

You will also carry some line-management responsibility. Therefore you should have relevant experience of management, be able to demonstrate a capacity for innovative and creative approaches to problem-solving, and will be expected to contribute to learning, teaching and other scholarly activity. You will, where appropriate, contribute to post-graduate research student supervision and research activity within the wide field of education and across the Institute. You will liaise effectively with members of the Institute Leadership Team and contribute to the strategic planning process, to learning and teaching and enhancement, to research and widening access strategies of the University and Institute.

Applications are welcome from across the broad sweep of humanities subjects, including from colleagues in related fields such as Heritage or from appropriate external bodies such as Museums and archives. 

Please view the Job Description for further details, where you will also find a list of the essential and desirable ‘Person Specification’ criteria.

- ABOUT YOU -

To be considered as an Academic Director (Humanities and Social Science), you will need:

• A good honours degree in a relevant discipline
• A PhD in a relevant area
• Membership of a relevant professional body
• Proven experience of providing effective operational management and strategic leadership within an appropriate academic or professional environment.
• Detailed knowledge of an appropriate area of subject specialism or research.
• Knowledge and understanding of the current higher education environment within the UK and Wales.
• Effective experience of managing staff, communicating standards and expectations, implementing equal opportunities principles and practices.
• Proven success in attracting significant external income, whether through grants, awards, collaborative networks, Government funding.
• Experience of teaching at various levels of HE, including student supervision.
• Clear understanding of potential for developing income generating activities from research, scholarship or project work.
• Experience of dealing with external bodies or partners, or undertaking collaborative initiatives.
• Experience of developing and enhancing a scholarship and research profile, and research environment.
• Proven experience of effectively dealing with quality assurance and quality enhancement matters
• A knowledge, understanding and commitment to the languages and culture of Wales

It would also be beneficial if you had:

• Experience of effective resource management, planning and budget control
• Experience of introducing change and a culture of innovation within a relevant area
• Ability to communicate through the medium of Welsh

- BENEFITS -

• Annual leave entitlement is 35 days’ annual leave per year, plus 8 bank holidays and 4 University closure days

Our employees get access to a great pay and benefits package in recognition of their valued contribution including:

• Good pay and conditions; as an accredited living wage employer, we offer competitive pay
• Pension scheme membership from USS to provide benefits for you and your family
• Family-friendly policies that provide for flexible working, including additional paid maternity and paternity leave
• Career and development opportunities, including support to gain further qualifications
• Support for mental health and wellbeing, including occupational health and counselling support services
• Staff discounts on a range of products and services
• Travel schemes, including the cycle to work scheme

So, if you’re seeking to play a key role in the upkeep of our university as an Academic Director (Humanities and Social Science), please apply via the button shown.

Please note, this application process does not include the option to submit a CV. Therefore, your application will be assessed based on your answers to the application questions only and, in particular, your Supporting Statement.

Closing date: 13 February 2023, 11:59pm