Deputy Dean

University of the West of Scotland – School of Health & Life Sciences

This University of West of Scotland is seeking a Deputy Dean to join the university and provide strong and inspirational leadership and management across the school of Health & Life Sciences.

You will join a dedicated team who strive to continuously inspire our students and wider University community – and, through modern teaching and impactful research, continue to deliver innovative solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges.  The Deputy Dean is key to the successful delivery of the school’s contribution to the ambitions and priorities identified in the University’s strategy objectives.

Reporting to the Dean of School, the Deputy Dean is key to leading the delivery of the school’s plan, deputising for the Dean as appropriate. Leading the Associate Deans and Heads of Division, the Deputy Dean will operationalise strategic objectives in order to enhance student and staff experiences and ensure successful delivery and impact of the school plan and university strategy. With proven Learning and Teaching experience and utilising exceptional management skills, the postholder will stimulate a high-quality, supportive and inclusive academic and research environment which encourages and supports staff to undertake activities that contribute to an excellent student and staff experience.

As a Deputy Dean your key responsibilities will include:

• Leading the development, sustainability, and viability of the school’s portfolio, ensuring alignment to market demand to meet the university’s recruitment targets
• Driving the school’s improvement across key performance indicators including student experience and satisfaction, retention, progression, and graduate outcomes
• Building effective networks and deliver communications both within the school and wider university including central and professional service functions to innovate, share good practice and improve performance, creating a culture of continuous quality enhancement within the school.
• Planning and delivery of the school’s resources on a medium to long-term basis, ensuring the delivery of the school plan, with alignment to university strategy
• Fostering excellent working relationships and networks with senior members of other schools, professional support services, other universities and external partners
• Lead on workforce planning, ensuring the effective and efficient deployment, development, and management of all staff in the school, including succession planning. With delegated authority from the Dean of School, ensure the school’s operational plan is delivered within budget, making significant contribution to the planning, monitoring, and effective management of school resources, maximising income generation, setting of targets for programme and school performance metrics
• Lead specific initiatives and projects within the school as agreed by the Dean and contribute to strategic and operational development of the university through leadership and participation in cross-university projects and initiatives identified by the Vice Chancellor’s Executive (VCE), identifying, creating, and facilitating opportunities for staff to be involved in cross-University initiatives, events, working groups and external projects.

The successful candidate should have the following:

• PhD or equivalent professional qualification in a subject relevant to the school and/or equivalent professional qualification / demonstrable experience
• A successful track record of academic leadership and management at a senior level in an HE environment based on an appreciation of internal and external drivers, with a passion for innovation, creativity and collaboration across teaching, research and enterprise.
• Experience of workforce planning, organising, monitoring and reviewing business operations, resources, income generation to ensure a coordinated approach to academic and operational planning with a proven ability to deliver on a range of internal and external performance indicators.
• A track record of cross school leadership activities or within a unit of significant scale.
• Experience of successfully managing major change initiatives.
• Substantial record of academic achievement across teaching, research and/or professional practice in a relevant subject area.
• Knowledge and understanding of the changing HE external and regulatory environment in the UK and internationally, and the key challenges these bring for the school.

ABOUT US

University of the West of Scotland is one of Scotland’s largest and most dynamic modern universities. Our reach across the country, together with our London campus, means that UWS is a significant force in global knowledge creation, innovation, and a leading provider of undergraduate, postgraduate and research degree education. Our degrees provide students with a transformational experience; equipping them with highly sought-after graduate skills that set them up for global success in world-leading sectors, industries and businesses.

With cutting-edge courses, modern pedagogy and practical knowledge, we enable our students and staff to experience the joy of learning, teaching, research and innovation, and apply their knowledge for the benefit of others. 

UWS is officially ranked by Times Higher Education in the top 200 universities worldwide under 50 years old (2023 Young University Rankings). 

The School of Health & Life Sciences at UWS delivers programmes at 4 campuses in Scotland and in London. It offers innovative teaching and research opportunities, firmly focused on the real-world challenges facing the healthcare and life sciences sectors. You will join a supportive and committed team, where you will play a key role in continuing to establish the University as a force for good. Our students benefit from studying in modern learning facilities – among the very best in the country – and the strong links we have with partner organisations across the private, public and third sectors.

The School of Health & Life Sciences

The School offers innovative teaching and research opportunities, firmly focused on the real-world challenges facing the health care, sport and life sciences sectors. At UWS, our students benefit from studying in modern learning facilities amongst the very best in the country, and we enjoy well-established links with partner organisations across the private, public and third sectors.

The School covers a breadth of subject areas and is currently broken down into four Divisions:

• Adult Nursing, Community and Health
• Biological Sciences and Health
• Mental Health, Midwifery and Health
• Sport, Exercise and Health

• Our courses are accredited by professional bodies such as:
  • Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland
  • Institute of Biomedical Science
  • Health Care Professions Council,
  • Nursing and Midwifery Council,
  • Royal Society of Biology,
  • Institute of Occupational Safety & Health,
• Hosting the only British Association of Sport and Exercise Science (BASES) accredited lab in Scotland, we can offer lab-based and practical tuition. 
• Many of our Sport students get access to the world-class Emirates Arena in Glasgow as part of their studies
• The largest provider of nursing and midwifery education in Scotland
• Students on our pre-registration nursing and midwifery courses spend 50% of their programme in practice
• We offer dynamic and contemporary opportunities for continuing professional development for healthcare professionals across a range of levels up to Masters.
• State-of-the-art facilities available across all of our campuses
• Midwifery courses are accredited by UNICEF as Baby Friendly
• We are the only provider of an Operating Department Practice programme of education in Scotland – and the only UK provider of a fully online programme.
• In 2020 the School of Health & Life Sciences won an AdvanceHE Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence for its Understanding Dementia: Class in a Bag programme

Research

The School of Health and Life Sciences hosts a vibrant community of interdisciplinary research from bench to bedside to community. It has very strong research links across the University and to other institutions in the UK and internationally and aligns to the University’s strategic objectives, including to develop and grow distinctive research and innovation committed to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This creates a flexible and supportive environment for research that is currently organised into three areas within the School

• Institute of Biomedical & Environmental Health Research
• Sport and Physical Activity Research Institute
• Alzheimer Scotland Centre for Policy and Practice

Colleagues within the School also collaborate across the Institution, predominately but not exclusively with the following research areas;

• Centre for Culture, Sports and Events
• Affective and Human Computing for Smart Environment Centre
• Centre for Health and Social Inequalities Research

Our School is involved in ground-breaking, internationally relevant research that is continuing to establish the University as a force for good.

We are ranked 1st for research intensity in the Complete University Guide 2022 in nursing, biological sciences and biomedical science subjects.

In REF2021, we submitted to Units of Assessment 3, 7 and 24.

Our academics are making a difference in a number of areas including:

• Creating a viable preventative treatment for Acanthamoeba Keratitis (a devastating eye condition prevalent amongst contact lens users)
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) research
• Improving the wellbeing of Scotland’s children through physical education
• Aquatic ecotoxicology: acute and chronic effects
• Invasive species: ecosystem impacts
• The emergence of antimicrobial resistance and infection control
• Dementia education

For additional information and general enquiries regarding the School then please contact Julie.Edgar@uws.ac.uk or alternatively jobs@uws.ac.uk

We offer our staff a caring and supportive environment, across five campuses, and a competitive benefits package which includes:

• 43 days of annual leave (including statutory/University holidays)
• An additional days leave on your birthday
• Defined benefit contribution pension scheme (currently 23%), including death in service benefits upon joining the scheme
• A flexible approach to working pattern and work-life balance
• Employee discount scheme across 3,500 retailers
• Fitness facilities across our campuses
• Access to a range of health and wellbeing resources, including occupational health, physiotherapy and access to our Employee Assistance Programme
• Professional, career and research development opportunities.

Closing Date: Sunday 14^th April 2024

Interview Date: Monday 13^th May 2024 at Lanarkshire Campus

The University reserves the right to shorten/extend the closing date of any position where a high/low volume of suitable applications are received. Therefore, if you are interested in this role, an early application would be encouraged. 

UWS is committed to equality and diversity and welcomes applications from underrepresented groups.

UWS is a “Disability Confident” employer.

University of the West of Scotland is a registered Scottish charity, no. SC002520.