Dean of the Academy for Sustainable Futures

Canterbury Christ Church University seeks to shape sustainable futures. We are committed to undertaking cross-disciplinary, impactful sustainability research, and to embedding sustainability education within all our learning and teaching. With sustainable futures at the heart of our Vision 2030, our ambitions are high.

Our Academy for Sustainable Futures was launched in March 2022 after 10-years of innovative and award-winning holistic work on sustainability, including successive national and international Green Gown Awards and an Advance HE Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence.

We now seek an inaugural Dean of the Academy for Sustainable Futures to take our sustainability education, research and advocacy to the next level.

Working at Professorial level, the Dean of the Academy for Sustainable Futures will champion, nurture and facilitate sustainability research and curriculum design with colleagues across the university. They will meaningfully connect with communities and businesses in our region and engage with policy makers and policy at national and international level.

The Dean of the Academy for Sustainable Futures is a cross-institutional role, leading on the implementation of the education, research and advocacy strand of the University’s response to the Climate Emergency.

The Dean reports to the Senior Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research, Enterprise and Business Development), leads a small team of committed academics and works alongside our Director of Sustainability Development (who is responsible for the strategy and implementation of sustainability responses across the organisation).

The Dean will also deliver a profile of personal research related to climate issues or the implementation of transformations for wider sustainability, which may include behaviour change, circular economy, business transformation, or other significant areas of challenge for sustainable systems change.

We seek people with a PhD in a relevant area and a personal profile commensurate with appointment at professorial level, including significant experience of sustainability and/or climate issues within an HE context across research and curriculum development.

The Dean needs in-depth knowledge and understanding of opportunities and challenges in the fields of sustainability and climate change research, as well as links to wider policy and practice. We will want to see the impact their work has had and understand how they enthuse and inspire others to engage with that work.

The successful candidate will inspire and encourage both colleagues and the wider community to engage with the work of the Academy for Sustainable Futures. Therefore, someone skilled in coaching and consultancy, who has experience of developing and nurturing academics around research and curriculum design is especially welcome. Experience of leading and developing a staff team, of influencing and engaging staff beyond direct reports, and of effective budgetary and resource planning and management is highly desirable.

For more information please go to www.canterbury.ac.uk/deanASF

If the job interests you but you are not sure if you have all the right qualifications/experience, or if you just want to understand the opportunity better, you are welcome to contact our Resourcing Consultant, Ellie Hurst, at ellie.hurst@canterbury.ac.uk to arrange an informal chat. She would be glad to supportively explore it with you.

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