Head of School

Job description

FTE: 1.00, Fixed Term for 6 years

Closing date: 23.59 on 31^st May 2026

Teams Live event : Thursday 14 May 2026 at 4.00 pm

Interviews will be held: Tuesday 30 June 2026

Due to the complexity of the Skilled Worker Visa route and eligibility criteria, applicants requiring sponsorship are recommended to check their eligibility on the Home Office website. We cannot provide advice to candidates at the application stage and will only discuss visa routes with candidates who are invited to interview.  

The University is seeking to appoint to the post of Head of School for the School of Agriculture Policy and Development. This opportunity is well suited to an established Professor or Associate Professor with proven academic leadership abilities. The academic appointment will be permanent, with the Head of School role offered on a fixed‑term basis of six years in the first instance.

The University is looking for applicants who are keen to develop their careers further by taking on an academic leadership and managerial role at the University. The School of Agriculture Policy and Development forms a key part of the University’s international research profile and reputation, with Agriculture ranked in the top 20 globally and first in the UK in the most recent QS rankings. Through the University’s Agri-Food Futures Strategy, significant investment is being made into research and key research platforms. The Head of School will have an important role in supporting and shaping these initiatives and in ensuring their effective integration in the delivery of research in the School.

The role holder will provide academic leadership for the School, setting its academic vision and strategic direction, representing the School externally, engaging with key stakeholders, and ensuring its long‑term financial sustainability. The Head of School will also play a significant role in contributing to leadership at the wider University level.

The University is committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce and we welcome applications where a flexible working pattern and/or a job share is proposed.

To view the job description and person specification for the role, please click on the link below. We welcome informal enquiries which can be addressed to the Pro-Vice Chancellor Academic Resource and Planning, Professor Dominik Zaum.

You will be asked to enter your personal details, submit a statement of interest and suitability (1000 words max) and attach a copy of your CV by 23.59 on Sunday 31 May 2026.

The Vice Chancellor, Professor Robert Van de Noort, will be hosting a live online information session to which potential candidates are invited to attend. There will be the opportunity to ask questions - anonymously if preferred – to help those considering applying feel better informed about the role. The session will take place on Thursday 14 May 2026 at 4.00 pm.

If you would like to attend the session, please contact recruitment@reading.ac.uk no later than 5.00 pm on Wednesday 13 May. You will then be provided with a link to join the on-line session.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to participate in a Selection Event, where they present to a representative group of colleagues, and meet three small interview panels. The panels will cover People and Culture, Leadership and contribution to the University,  and Planning, Strategy and Finance respectively. Members of the three interview panels will come together to review candidates and make the selection decision.

The Selection Event will take place on Tuesday 30 June 2026

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