Deputy Director: English Language Centre

DEPUTY DIRECTOR: ENGLISH LANGUAGE CENTRE (ELC)

DEPARTMENT: English Language Centre

ACADEMIC DISCIPLINE: English Language Teaching

POSITION TITLE: Deputy Director (x 2 positions)

LOCATION: Suzhou Campus

SALARY: internationally competitive

POSITION OPEN DATE: 1^st September 2020

ADVERTISEMENT CLOSING DATE: 11^th May 2020

JOB ID:996110

CONTRACT TYPE: Fixed-Term/Contract

UNIVERSITY AND DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW:

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) is a unique collaborative institution and the first joint-venture university in China to offer both UK (University of Liverpool) and Chinese (Ministry of Education) accredited undergraduate degrees for all programmes. Formed in 2006, the first cohort of students graduated in August 2010. The University now has almost 15,000 students studying on campus. The language of instruction is English. XJTLU aims to become truly research-led, and has recently committed significant investment into research development and the expansion of PhD student numbers on campus.

XJTLU is located in the Higher Education Town of Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP). Suzhou has been ranked the 74th most liveable city in the 2018 Global Liveability Index. Additionally, it is well-connected via nearby airports to cities such as Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo, and Taipei, and via high-speed rail to other major cities in China. SIP is a major growth zone, including operations run by nearly one-fifth of the Fortune 500 top global companies. Greater Suzhou is now the fourth largest concentration of economic activity in China in terms of GDP, and the SIP has a higher GDP per capita than the UK. The broader Suzhou area encompasses the spirit of both old and new in China, with the historic old town’s canals, UNESCO World Heritage Site gardens, and the I.M. Pei-designed Suzhou Museum attracting millions of tourists annually. SIP offers an excellent quality of life with high environmental standards. The nearby Jinji Lake provides attractive views, by day and by night, and there is a variety of shopping facilities, international and local restaurants, entertainment hubs and nightlife. Suzhou is also home to four international schools.

English Language Centre

We are a growing, dynamic and international Centre, currently with over 200 full-time teaching staff from eleven different countries. Since September 2019 we have become a dedicated English Language Centre with a focus on EAP and other specialised training areas. Most of our tutors work on:

• Credit-bearing EAP modules for all undergraduate students

There are also more limited opportunities for English Language Teachers to teach in other areas including:

• Integrated Learning modules, which are part of an initiative involving the collaborative delivery of credit-bearing content modules with other academic departments at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, based on a Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) model;
• English language courses that form an integral part of postgraduate degree programmes;
• A postgraduate pre-sessional programme;
• In-sessional, continuing support for all students across all skills.

Additionally, there are opportunities for staff to develop their careers by taking on managerial and administrative roles, as well as by contributing to both ELC and university-level committees. All managerial, administrative and committee roles are on a fixed-term basis, thus providing all staff members with a range of options to take on responsibilities in areas that interest them.

In addition to the above, both the English Language Centre and the wider university have a strong commitment to the professional development of teaching staff. At the university level, new staff are enrolled free-of-charge on a University of Liverpool postgraduate certificate programme, completion of which leads to fellowship of the UK Higher Education Academy (HEA). The ELC also holds regular professional development events, and has its own English language journal. While the ELC is a Teaching Centre, with no specific research remit, funding is available for staff to present at conferences that are relevant to the work of the Centre, and teaching-led scholarship and research are actively supported and encouraged.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES:

These two Deputy Directorships are both roles in the English Language Centre at XJTLU.  The successful candidates will have the opportunity to help shape the learning and teaching environment across the centre and they will have a significant impact on the educational experience of the over 5,000 students we teach annually. Areas where they will hold particular responsibility may include: staffing and recruitment, Year 1 EAP delivery and all related aspects, Year 2+ EAP delivery and all related aspects such as curriculum, assessment, and teaching practice. Within the wider University, the successful candidates will be expected to work closely with academic departments to enable successful cross-campus working relationships for staff and a successful student experience. It is also anticipated that they will have opportunities to play a leading role in working with our U.K. partner the University of Liverpool to ensure that students have the linguistic and academic abilities to enable to them graduate with a UoL degree.

The core responsibilities of the role will include:

• Line management of a team of EAP practice managers;
• Responsibility for key operational aspects of the ELC, driving forward quality and innovation across the UG & PG programmes;
• Leadership of key EAP projects that will have an impact across the ELC and throughout the wider University; 
• Leading the pedagogical development of the ELC, and making a significant contribution to the strategic development of the ELC;
• Leading key committees and representing the ELC on committees; at both the Centre and University level;
• Contributing to external staff recruitment and internal selection panels;
• Deputising for the ELC Director as required;
• Other areas of work at the discretion of the ELC Director.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES:

The successful candidate should be able to demonstrate:

• Significant leadership and management accomplishments in EAP
• Self-reliance and the ability to work autonomously
• The ability to develop and implement a strategic vision
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills

ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS/EXPERIENCE:

We are looking for someone with the ambition, creativity and organizational skills to succeed in an exciting environment of continued growth and significant change. Applicants should:

• Be educated to Master’s degree level or above;
• Have at least four years of post-master’s EAP teaching experience at university level;
• Have significant recent experience of EAP management in a higher education context; for example, experience of being a module convenor, or programme director;
• Significant team leadership experience in an HE EAP context;
• Be able to demonstrate an understanding of a principled approach to EAP.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS/EXPERIENCE:

• Experience of successful development and implementation of EAP curricula, and/or teaching quality enhancement programmes;
• Experience of working within external accreditation and quality assurance frameworks e.g. those provided by external partners, the British Council or BALEAP;
• Experience working in a transnational educational context with Chinese and/or UK partner institutions; 
• A recent track record of scholarship, including an EdD/PhD in a relevant area or progress towards one.

COMPENSATION PACKAGE:

Members of Academic Staff are entitled to subsidies for accommodation, travel, and children’s educational, medical insurance, and a one-time relocation allowance is provided. Overseas staff may receive a tax “holiday,” depending on nationality and personal circumstances.

CITIZENSHIP AND VISA REGULATIONS:

Employment at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University is regulated by Chinese Labour Laws, and must comply with the regulations of the provincial government. These regulations stipulate who is eligible for legal employment with regard to obtaining work permits and visas.  Please be advised candidates over 65 may be not eligible for PRC work visa.

TO APPLY:

Please send your application to AcademicPositions@xjtlu.edu.cn. In the subject line write the Position you are applying for and quote the job ID number for reference.

Applications must be submitted in a single pdf file that includes 3 parts in the order of:

• A cover letter
• A current CV, including date of birth, country of citizenship, and highest degree level
• Contact details for three references

Applications should be received by the closing date stated above.

Informal enquiries about the positions and the Centre may be addressed to the Dean of the School of Languages, Professor Chris Harris Chris.Harris@xjtlu.edu.cn.

Other informal enquiries may be addressed to the Staff Management Team at AcademicPositions@xjtlu.edu.cn. Please quote the position and job ID in your enquiry.