Head of School, Education, Childhood, Youth and Sport (ECYS)

Unit: WELS
Salary: £78,540 to £89,352 (for the office holder term, this salary could change with the substantive post) 
Location: Milton Keynes
Please quote reference: 17953
Terms: Fixed term and Permanent, Full Time post. The substantive position will either be a Senior Lecturer or Professorial role according to experience and the office of Head of School will be held for 3 years (with the option of extending the terms by up to two years on up to 2 occasions).
Closing Date: 25th January, 2021 - 12:00

Job share and flexible working patterns will be considered. 

Head of School post is offered on a 3 year basis, with potential of extension of further 4 years. Substantive post within the faculty offered alongside this appointment commensurate with experience.

Change your career, change lives

The Open University is the UK’s largest university, a world leader in flexible part-time education combining a mission to widen access to higher education with research excellence, transforming lives through education.
The Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies works across a range of disciplines including education, childhood and youth, health and social care, youth work, social work, languages and applied linguistics, nursing, and sport and fitness; organised as three schools. We work proactively, taking an innovative approach to teaching and learning; develop collaborative and effective partnerships with employers and other institutions; and engage in cutting edge, action oriented and internationally recognised research.

The role 
As the Head of School you will exercise responsibility on behalf of the Executive Dean of the Faculty to lead and advise on the strategic development and enhancement of the School’s curriculum, research, teaching and learning, ensuring alignment with the strategic direction of the Faculty and the University. You will also provide inspirational leadership to your School and faculty by delivering a clear strategic vision, sound business judgements and effective decisions. 

Working in partnership with other senior colleagues, this role will deliver the Faculty’s strategic aims through the development and implementation of business plans, which are in accordance with the Executive Dean’s accountabilities and targets.  You will bring a strong academic track record, but equally have excellent leadership and project management.

This role will lead the School of Education, Childhood, Youth and Sport. The School is made up of 110 staff central and regional (academic, academic-related and support), increasing to include over 500 Associate Lecturers in the Autumn of 2021.  Income: c£50m PA; Expenditure: c£20m PA.   

Skills and experience 
You will have a PHD/DPhil or equivalent in terms of qualification or experience in a discipline relevant to the School as well as evidenced Academic Excellence in Teaching, Research or Scholarship in an appropriate field.

You will have experience of leading and managing complex projects with the ability to develop networks and strategic relationships with both internal and external stakeholders.

You will have a demonstrable understanding and experience in leading and managing people to deliver high performance.

The full summary of duties and person specification can be found within the Job Description attached, below.

If you would like to discuss the particulars of this post before making an application, please email Resourcing-Hub@open.ac.uk or contact Kevin Lucas on 01908654188. 

What you get in return 

We have a strong commitment to providing training and development in and beyond your current role. This includes thorough induction into the organisation and regular reviews of your training and development needs.

We also offer a great range of benefits that support our employees and their families for the long term. Benefits include an attractive pension proposition and 33 days holiday per annum pro rata, plus Bank Holidays and Christmas closure days.

How to apply
Unless otherwise stated in the advert, all applications are completed online via the OU Job’s page and following the instructions below and clicking the “APPLY NOW” link below. Applications submitted via 3rd party websites will not be considered.

Access details for disabled applicants are available from the Resourcing Hub, telephone: 01908 655544, quoting the vacancy reference above.

To apply for this role please submit the following;

• CV 
• Personal statement, up to 1,000 words, you should set out in your statement why you’re interested in this role and provide examples of where your skills and experience meet the required competencies for this role as detailed in the job and person specification.  

The above documents will need to be submitted as one attachment during the application process, please include the personal statement followed by the CV in this document. 

To ensure your file is uploaded to our system correctly, please make sure your document is saved with the following file name as appropriate to the vacancy you are applying for: reference, surname, first initial.

You will need to have your documents ready ahead of submitting the electronic application. 

APPLY NOW

Remember to attach your CV and Personal statement as ONE DOCUMENT. 

You will receive updates regarding your application from resourcing-applications@open.ac.uk. Please ensure this email address is added to your list of trusted senders. Please also keep an eye on your junk folder to ensure you do not miss any important updates regarding this role.

You can view your application communications on the Candidate portal.

Please note: If you have not heard from us within 2 weeks of the application closing date, please assume that on this occasion you have not been selected for interview, however we thank you for your interest in The Open University and encourage you to apply for future positions. 

Find out more about us and our mission by watching this short video (you will be taken to YouTube by clicking this link).

Closing date: Monday, 25th January 2021 at 12 noon
Interview date: week commencing 15th February 2021

We value diversity and we recognise that different people bring different perspectives, ideas, knowledge and culture, and that this difference brings great strength. Applications from candidates with protected characteristics are welcomed. 

Where you start in life doesn’t dictate where you go.