Location: Bristol
Closing date: 10/12/2019
Salary: Competitive
Employment type: Permanent
Department: Law School -Law School 

Job Purpose

The Head of Law has ultimate responsibility for implementing the Law School strategy in their centre and for achieving excellence in programme delivery, student support, student experience and progression on programmes.  This includes responsibility for strategic management of academic staff, implementation of staffing policies, ensuring that all programmes and courses are appropriately resourced and, working with the Law School Training team and appointed tutor line managers, take overall responsibility for staff appraisal, development and performance.

The Head of Law will also work with the Director of Business Development to be responsible for regional business development and outreach initiatives in order to strengthen existing client and customer relationships and to build new clients and contacts with a view to the growth of the BPP business.  They will also work from time to time with the Law School Senior Leadership team as required on specific projects.

Job Background

BPP University Law School has a reputation for excellence in professional education built on a proven ability to offer students the skills they need to succeed in a legal career.  Working with over 150 law firms, BPP prides itself on being at the cutting edge of professional legal education giving students the core skills and a competitive advantage to ensure success.

The Solicitors Regulatory Authority is introducing the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) and the Bar Standards Board is proposing changes to the Bar Professional Training Course.  BPP considers that it is essential that BPP is positioned to offer the SQE across all its Law School programmes and deliver a market leading BPTC.

Key Responsibilities (including but not limited to):

• Work with the Director of Law School Staffing to implement staffing policy
• Work with Director of Law School Staffing and Resource Planners to enable the  Resource Planners to manage resource requirements across programmes and practice areas, including the effective management of workloads (in particular teaching, coaching, designing, updating and marking in accordance with law school policies) to ensure successful delivery of all law school programmes and courses and the progression of students
• Work with the Director of Staffing to recruit tutors (including freelance tutors) as required
• Work with the Director of Business Development, and as required and under their direction, manage and co-ordinate local and regional events and activity within the local and regional legal, schools and higher education community to maximise recruitment of students to all Law School programmes and engage with regional and (as appropriate) national law firms and organisations to develop future business for the Law School
• Work with the Director of Staffing, Law School Training team and Tutor Managers to be responsible for the management of academic staff, including their training and development, performance (including appraisals and any related performance issues), sick leave, holiday absence and other HR policies
• Ensure that the Centre Programme Leaders are working effectively with the Head of Academic and Professional Routes and Head of Academic and Professional Quality to have oversight of the quality assurance processes for the law school programmes within the centre to ensure compliance with all relevant regulatory requirements and provide operational leadership for the programmes
• Ensure that the Tutor managers are managing the performance of their teams effectively to maximise the student experience
• Implement and participate in the Management Observation policy from time to time
• As required and agreed from time to time, play an active role within all appropriate university committees including Law School Boards
• Have budgetary control for their centre
• Working with the Dean of the Law School and the Senior Leadership team in the overall management and development of the Law School and all its programmes, and their implementation in the centre
• Other responsibilities within the remit of the role generally to be agreed from time to time with the Director of Staffing.

Development Opportunities

The role of a Head of Law will develop your skills as a manager and leader.  Training and development will be offered covering leadership, financial management, project management, coaching and mentoring as required and agreed from time to time.  You will also be introduced to senior management in the wider BPP organisation.  You will have regular appraisals with your line manager at which development opportunities will be discussed.

Heads of Law are also able to develop in a variety of ways, including continued strategic leadership and management roles.

Role Requirements

Qualifications

Essential

• A qualified solicitor or barrister (with practice experience)
• A relevant degree and either higher degree or equivalent professional qualification/experience in areas covered by the Law School

Desirable

• A teaching qualification relevant to the discipline
• Fellowship of the HEA

Experience

Essential

• Proven management and leadership in higher education
• Knowledge of the UK Higher Education Law School sector
• Business development and client relationship management
• Knowledge of the local legal marketplace
• Experience of change management
• Experience of quality assurance, analysing data and report writing
• Chairing meetings

Skills

Essential

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to delegate and set realistic targets for team members
• Ability to lead, motivate, develop, challenge and inspire people
• Proactive ‘can do’ attitude
• Knowledge of QAA code and processes
• Ability to use IT packages
• At ease with clients (current and potential) and students and able to engage with the local legal community
• Able to have ‘difficult conversations’
• Able to manage workload
• Able to deal with difficult/sensitive issues
• Able to manage people and resolve conflicts

Desirable

• Financial management

Values

Essential

• Student-centric
• Client focused
• Ownership and accountability
• Team orientation
• A disciple for BPP vision and values

Head of Law, Bristol - Job Descriptoim + Guide