Job description 

The Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences at King's College London is the largest centre of excellence in the UK for dental, oral and craniofacial education, with an outstanding record for quality assurance in learning and teaching.   The Faculty is the premier place to study dentistry in the UK and its international reputation is reflected by our consistent top 5 ranking in the QS World University Rankings.

We are now seeking to recruit an innovative educator to provide academic leadership and strategic direction for the BDS programme, at an exciting time of its development.  The successful candidate will become an integral member of the Dental Faculty¿s leadership team, supporting the delivery of the Faculty¿s strategic priorities relating to education, with particular emphasis on embedding excellence and innovation in teaching and learning, the maintenance and enhancement of academic standards and ensuring a high-quality student experience.

In making new appointments to its exceptional academic staff the Faculty seeks to attract and appoint outstanding individuals capable of making important, new contributions to the Institute, maintaining its considerable momentum at the cutting edge of oral health sciences.  The successful candidate will therefore have demonstrable success in education development and leadership and, with proven people management skills, the ability to lead, inspire and mentor staff, as well as motivate students and junior colleagues.

We are an inclusive Faculty and whilst this is a senior leadership role, are keen to attract applicants who are able to demonstrate the required experience a passion for innovation in education and leadership potential, irrespective of post graduate training beyond Dental Foundation. We are therefore open to candidates eligible for consultant status, as well as those who have not completed specialist training.

The appointee will join a team of honorary consultants, NHS consultants and specialists in all areas of clinical care provision, They will paid on the clinical pay scale, either non consultant or honorary consultant, depending on eligibility.  Please select the most appropriate Job Description. An appropriate honorary contract with Guy's and St Thomas's Foundation Trust will be provided.

This post will be offered on an indefinite contract.

This is a full time post - 100% full time equivalent

Key Responsibilities

• Managing the overall organisation, delivery and coherence of the BDS programme, whilst providing outstanding leadership within the Faculty on all matters relating to teaching, learning and support for enrolled students.
• Development and delivery of educational strategy & research within the programme, interlinking with other Faculty based UG programmes, as well as exploring cross-faculty learning potential.
• Ensuring the quality of the education provision across the BDS, with a view to embedding excellence and innovation in teaching and a high-quality student experience.
• Providing management and leadership to the faculty's clinical teachers across all sites
• Providing outstanding patient care in line with expected standards of clinical delivery.
• The postholder is managerially accountable to the Dean for Education and the Executive Dean of the Faculty

Education and Leadership:

• Working closely with the Dean for Education, to support the development and successful implementation of the new BDS curriculum, ensuring that learning outcomes remain commensurate with PSRB requirements and that the broader programme fulfils the University's aims for teaching and learning.
• Provide strategic oversight and day to day direction of the BDS programme, including the recruitment, support and performance management of clinical teaching staff across all sites, with particular emphasis on building a focused culture of teamwork.
• Foster collaboration and shared ownership of the programme by ensuring that Year Leads and Module Leads are involved in decisions relating to the curriculum
• To ensure a supportive and reflective environment for teaching, including debate about educational philosophy and practice and with regard to ED&I considerations.
• To chair the UG Dental Education Programme Committee including developing a schedule of work which moves towards implementation of the Faculty's educational objectives and strategic plan.
• To support the Director for Student Welfare with matters regarding student welfare, fitness to practice competence and professional standards and to ensure that all students receive appropriate support.
• Ensure the implementation of an effective student voice strategy working with the faculty Student Experience Manager.
• Act as the first point of contact in mediating, assessing and solving problems relating to the design and delivery of the programme.

Quality Management

• To work with the Dean for Education and be responsible for the preparation, conduct and follow-up action for visits and assessments and/or accreditation of programmes by external bodies such as the GDC.
• Act as UG BDS Faculty lead for university-level quality-management processes, such as module evaluation, annual reporting cycle, programme review, quinquennial review and peer support, working closely with members of the Faculty Professional Services team.
• Responsible for the development and monitoring of curricula and assessments for the programme, ensuring that they meet the requirements of the GDC and other relevant professional bodies/organisations.
• To ensure adequate clinical resource is in place and is used effectively to meet the requirements of the curricula for undergraduate programme, liaising with the Institute¿s NHS Trust clinical directors and general managers to ensure the smooth running of the BDS programme, and where appropriate, over the deployment of Dental Undergraduate Tariff (DUT), or equivalent and advising the Dean for Education.
• Work closely with the Faculty Education Manager to ensure new programmes and modules are thoroughly scrutinised and considered in line with the Faculty's strategic objectives.
• To ensure that mechanisms are in place for ensuring that safety arrangements, risk assessments and ethics approval are conducted with regard to teaching sessions/ projects carried out by students.
• To put in place arrangements to research and audit educational activities within the Faculty, to include, where appropriate, comparisons with other centres of excellence for dental education.
• Ensure compliance with College regulations, statutes and codes of practice for areas of responsibility under the purview of the Centre for Dental Education and other quality assurance and audit procedures.

Innovation

• Be aware of developments in dental education practice, including technology-enhanced learning, and being able to apply these insights to developments in the Faculty.
• Encourage innovative teaching and assessment methods, liaising with colleagues in the Faculty and in central departments to ensure effective support for teaching staff.
• Develop, initiate and effectively manage changes to educational practices, processes and culture to meet Faculty objectives and improve student experience.
• Lead the allocation of designated resources to support educational innovation and student experience.
• Provide academic leadership in the development, promotion and management of curriculum enhancement initiatives.
• Work with the Faculty Education Team and the Communications Manager to ensure that educational initiatives and innovations are widely disseminated across the Faculty.

General Management Responsibilities

• Together with the Dean for Education
  a) ensure clinical teaching staff are developed, supported and performance managed with support from HR
  b) consider proposals for new clinical teacher appointments, referring to Education Committee, as appropriate
  c) provide an input into probation, appraisal, disciplinary and career development procedures in relation to teaching for Dental Faculty teaching staff
  d) identify future teaching staffing needs and to engage in discussions relating workforce planning requirements
  e) ensure appropriate continuing professional development arrangements are in place for Dental faculty staff, with particular regard to clinical teachers and that staff have received training in teaching methods.
• Consider, in consultation with the Dean for Education and Faculty Operating Officer, the resource issues and cost effectiveness of programme delivery.
• Be an active Member of the Faculty Education Leadership Team and assist the Dean for Education with the general management of Faculty education matters.
• Working closely with and supporting all Professional Services teams in the Faculty, particularly the Faculty Education Manager and Team.
• Deputising for the Dean for Education at events, meetings and committees where required.
• Contributing to the wider leadership of the Faculty.

Clinical Duties

• The postholder is required to have and maintain full registration with the General Dental Council.
• To provide high quality care to patients
• Contribute to clinical dental training to undergraduate students and trainees.
• Accept and assume a role as part of an interdisciplinary team.
• Adopt systems of work as required by the local rules and maintain standards of clinical governance.
• Undertake appropriate professional duties, such as involvement in professional bodies.
• To assist in the development and evaluation of new procedures and keep appropriate records of data obtained, in accordance with the requirements of an Ethics Committee and the Data Protection Act.
• Staff are expected to continue membership of one of the dental defence organisations.

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

Skills, knowledge, and experience

Essential criteria

• Full GDC registration
• PhD or equivalent
• Ability to lead, inspire and mentor staff, as well as motivate students and junior colleagues
• Ability to contribute to academic planning and strategic development
• An understanding of national issues facing Dental Education as well as the UK higher education sector, notably in relation to learning and teaching.
• Ability to be innovative in teaching and in curriculum design
• Sound knowledge of research methodologies and governance requirements
• Excellent administrative skills: ability to support the organisational aspects of teaching, learning and research
• Experience of teaching, clinical supervision and assessment of undergraduate
• Experience of line management, both on a day to day basis as well as through times of transition and change
• Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, relying on and supporting others effectively
• Experience of university governance and of academic administration/regulation
• Use of computers/software including database and research literature searching
• Understanding of the concepts and application of clinical governance
• Excellent spoken and written English, with the ability to communicate effectively (written and verbally)
• Strong team building and motivational skills with the ability to energise and inspire staff
• Commitment to excellence in teaching
• Ability to manage and interact with staff and students at all levels
• Organized and systematic approach to work on multiple projects
• Good computing skills
• Ability to manage multiple and demanding stakeholders whilst working to deadlines
• Ability to work without close supervision
• Ability to organise work to meet demands of research, teaching & administration

Desirable criteria

• A recognised teaching qualification
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) at a level appropriate to the post
• Experience of multidisciplinary clinical audit and demonstrable commitment to improving quality of care to patients
• Evidence of effective leadership in a Higher Education environment

Further Information 

This post is also open to those eligible for an  Honorary Consultant Contract. Please click on the below link to view the additional job description and requirements for this:

https://www.kcl.ac.uk/hr/assets/job-packs/bds-programme-director-hcc.pdf