DEPARTMENT: English Language Centre

ACADEMIC DISCIPLINE: English Language Teaching

POSITION TITLE: Director of English Language Centre

LOCATION: Suzhou Campus

SALARY: internationally competitive

POSITION OPEN DATE: Ideally mid-October 2022

ADVERTISEMENT CLOSING DATE: 31st August 2022

JOB ID: 2838

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 about 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 Centre-level, School-level 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 and research events, and ELC staff are encouraged to contribute to the School of Languages’ in-house publications. 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:

The Director of the English Language Centre (ELC) is responsible to the Dean of the School of Languages and the Vice President for Academic Affairs for the entire operation of the department and the professional behaviour of each individual member of staff. The Director is a key leader, manager, and administrator. The initial term of appointment is three years.

The Director of the English Language Centre is directly responsible, amongst other responsibilities and duties, for:

• Overseeing a team of line managers within the ELC (the ELC Centre Management Team),
• Strategic and annual planning,
• Individual staff work allocation,
• Budget development and expenditure,
• Financial approvals for expenditure from departmental budget,
• Ensuring quality and standards are upheld,
• Staff appointments; identifying need, defining the specification and justification, organizing recruitment, overseeing interview panel arrangements, and recommending appointment,
• Formal staff Annual Performance Management reviews and processes,
• Staff disciplinary issues,
• Student disciplinary issues and complaints,
• Assignment of administrative duties to other staff,
• Implementation of staff attendance and absence policy,
• Leave of absence approvals,
• Dissemination of information regarding the development of the university, especially changes to policy, university regulations, and issues discussed at the Academic Leadership Group,
• Ensuring that the requirements of PRC legislation and XJTLU regulation on Health and Safety are all met.

The Director of the ELC will also be a member of the School of Languages’ Senior Management Team, and may be asked to take on additional duties or responsibilities as requested by the School Dean.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES:

The successful candidate should be able to demonstrate:

• Significant leadership and management accomplishments in EAP,
• Experience of line management and setting strategic priorities,
• The ability to develop and implement a strategic vision,
• Self-reliance and the ability to work autonomously,
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills,
• Willingness and ability to take on major leadership roles within the University, and to perform the role successfully as measured by performance indicators and university wide-evaluation,
• An ability to contribute to the development and implementation of University strategies and policies.

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 five 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 60 may be not eligible for PRC work visa.

TO APPLY:

Please submit your application to https://career15.sapsf.cn/career?career_company=xjtlu (search requisition 2838). 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 may be addressed to the Dean of the School of Languages (Helen Beech at Helen.Beech@xjtlu.edu.cn). Please quote the position and job ID in your enquiry.