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Head of Department of Visual Entertainment & Esports

Employer
STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY
Location
Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
Salary
£60,905 to £64,605 per annum
Closing date
21 Mar 2021

Head of Department of Visual Entertainment & Esports

School of Digital, Technologies and Arts

Location:  Stoke campus
Salary:   £60,905 to £64,605 per annum 
Tenure:  Full time permanent, working 1.0 fte
Release Date:  Thursday 18 February 2021
Closing Date:   Sunday 21 March 2021
Interview Date:   To be confirmed
Reference:  DTA20-21

Who is Staffordshire University? 

Staffordshire University is aiming to be the UK’s foremost digital higher education institution. By 2030 we will lead the sector, including in hyper-personalised learning that will prepare students for the jobs that don’t yet exist.

The pace of change in UK higher education is the greatest it has ever been. An increasingly competitive market – combined with changing student demographics, the Office for Students (OfS) as regulator, a more interventionalist approach from central government and the increasing glare of public scrutiny – makes higher education a challenging environment.

We believe that an innovative university, taking a business-driven approach to its fundamental contribution to the economy and society, could lead the field in this new world. We aim to be that university.
Our upward trajectory

In 2016 we set out our Connected University Strategy, with a range of success measures including three ambitious KPIs, which provided significant challenge given our position at the time. We committed to ranking in the top 50 percent in the UK league tables; obtaining a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF); and achieving financial sustainability in accordance with our Strategic Financial Plan.

We gave ourselves until 2021 to achieve our goals. We climbed into the top 50 percent of UK league tables in April 2019; we achieved TEF Gold in June 2019; and we are now a financially sustainable university. Our rapid advancement means we are already considering our 2030 Strategy, confident that our pace of transformation will continue, and rive us to become the UK’s foremost digital higher education institution. What’s more, in 2019 we entered the THE World University rankings for the first time. Our student experience is excellent, with an 84.76 percent student satisfaction rating in the National Student Survey of 2020.

A roadmap for success 

Our progress doesn’t stop. In September 2019 we opened the Staffordshire University London Digital Institute, our first campus outside the Midlands. Located in the heart of Europe’s tech capital, this cutting-edge facility is enabling us to lead the world in the teaching of esports, computer games design, cybersecurity and more.

In Stoke-on-Trent, 2021 will see the launch of The Catalyst – our £40 million apprenticeships and digital skills hub, which will support the delivery of 6,500 new apprenticeships by 2026. In addition, we are adding a brand-new Nursery and Forest School for our main campus, and we are also developing a £5.8 million Centre for Healthcare Innovation at our Stafford campus.
Beacon, our AI-powered coach for students, leads the sector in using technology to support studies, encouraging participation in extra-curricular activities and helping people to stay at university throughout life’s ups and downs. Over the next 10 years we will continue to push the boundaries of the technological learning revolution, ensuring that our students, local communities and global partners are able to compete and thrive in the modern world.

About the role 

This is a key role at one of the UK’s leading Games Universities. Our exciting portfolio of courses includes highly successful undergraduate and postgraduate programmes delivered on-campus and through blended learning. Reporting to the Director of Staffordshire University Games Institute, you will build on significant recent successes while shaping a bold future. 

Our University won the 2020 TIGA Award for Best Education Institution, and the Grads and Games Awards 2020 for Higher Education Institution. Many of our Games courses are TIGA Accredited. The University is also the home to the Epic Games Centre and is a SideFX certified institution. The area of Esports has seen a rapid expansion.

As Head of Department of Visual Entertainment & Esports, you will be responsible for leading and developing a large group of dedicated staff. We will look to you to oversee their contribution to a full range of learning and teaching, research, enterprise, scholarship, professional accreditation, quality, employability and partnership activity. Crucially, you will also manage relationships with accrediting and professional bodies. 

You will enjoy scope to develop a strong and distinctive identity for cutting edge awards and programmes in Visual Entertainment & Esports within the University, and to build the profile of this subject group more widely. Your broad remit will range from developing an innovative portfolio of awards and programmes, through to leading on new teaching, learning and assessment strategies. Your commitment to the student experience will be matched by your dedication to the wellbeing, performance and development of staff. 

To be equal to the challenge, you will need a proven track record of relevant experience, together with appropriate academic credentials. 

In return for your dedication we have a competitive benefits package available:

  • Competitive incremental rates of Pay
  • Starting from 29 days Annual Leave (depending on job grade) plus 11 days Bank Holiday and Discretionary days 
  • Excellent Pension Scheme
  • Access to continued professional and personal development
  • An opportunity to become part of the wider University community 
  • Access to an Employee Assistance Programme
  • Discounted Health & Fitness Facilities on site at the Stoke Campus 
  • Discounted Travel by Rail or Bus, with the option of season tickets loans 

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