Department Manager

About the role

The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences invites applications for the post of Department Manager to provide maternity leave cover within our Department for Health. 

This is an excellent opportunity to play a pivotal role in supporting the effective operation and strategic development of the Department.

Reporting to the Faculty Director of Operations and working in close partnership with the Head of Department, the post-holder will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of departmental operations. 

This role is central to enabling academic colleagues to deliver high-quality research, teaching, and learning, in alignment with the Faculty and University’s strategic priorities.

The Department Manager also contributes to wider Faculty initiatives and provides support to senior Faculty colleagues, including the Director of Operations and the Operations and Project Manager, in delivering broader institutional goals.

Key Responsibilities

• Ensure the efficient and effective delivery of departmental operations, including resource planning and coordination
• Provide strategic and operational support to academic leadership, responding proactively to emerging challenges and opportunities
• Foster positive and productive relationships between academic and professional services staff
• Contribute to Faculty-level projects and institutional change initiatives
• Support compliance with University policies and procedures across finance, HR, and governance

The successful candidate will have:

• Substantial experience in administration, ideally within a Higher Education setting
• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills, with a collaborative and professional approach
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and operate at both strategic and operational levels
• Excellent organisational, communication, and problem-solving skills
• Understanding of financial and HR procedures in a university context
• A commitment to inclusive practice and continuous improvement in service delivery

Further information:

This is a full-time role, offered on a fixed term basis.

We offer a mix of remote and on campus working (Hybrid working)

For an informal discussion about the role please contact Katy McKen, Director of Operations (k.e.mcken@bath.ac.uk) or Clare Baxter, Department Manager (ch535@bath.ac.uk), however, please submit your application via the University website.

The Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences brings together six departments with an excellent reputation for both teaching and research. More information regarding our courses may be found here: http://www.bath.ac.uk/departments/faculty-of-humanities-social-sciences

As a Faculty, we embrace change and provide a supportive environment in which to grow, offering professional development opportunities with a strong belief in the value of investing in our people and teams. We arrange Faculty Away days, social events, book/craft clubs and are open to new ideas. We love to support our local community and charities through fundraising events.

We consider ourselves to be a university where difference is celebrated, respected and encouraged. We have an excellent international reputation with staff from over 60 different nations and have made a positive commitment towards gender equality and intersectionality receiving a Silver Athena SWAN award. We truly believe that diversity of experience, perspectives, and backgrounds will lead to a better environment for our employees and students and encourage applications from all genders, backgrounds, and communities, particularly from under-represented groups, and value the positive impact that will have on the university. We are committed to maintaining a safe and secure environment for our students, staff, and community by reinforcing our Safer Recruitment commitment.

We're very proud to be a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant. an accredited Disability Confident Leader; autism friendly university, committed to building disability confidence and supporting disabled staff. 

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