Principal Lecturer (CertHE) – Centre for Academic Persistence

£59000 - £62000 plus Excellent Benefits (30 days’ vacation + study for free + more)

Hybrid role with weekly campus work (to be based at one of our UK campuses (London, Birmingham, Manchester, or Leeds)

Permanent

Read the full job description here

Arden University

We are a fast-growing, award-winning institution with a bold vision to revolutionise higher education through innovation and digital transformation. Our mission is to become the preferred university for career-focused lifelong learners by ensuring education is accessible to everyone, everywhere. With our rapid expansion into new subjects, global partnerships, and campus locations, there has never been a more exciting time to join Arden University.

Centre for Academic Persistence
The Centre for Academic Persistence is dedicated to supporting students throughout their first year of university. Our passionate team helps students reach their full potential through various programs, including the Foundation Year, CertHE programme, and the On Track initiative, which offers progression support and guidance for resits or retaken modules. Additional initiatives include Pass First Time, which equips students with essential academic skills to excel in their first attempt at modules, and StartSmart, our orientation program for new students.

The Role – Principal Lecturer in CertHE
We are looking for an inspiring Principal Lecturer to lead the CertHE programme. This role focuses on improving student outcomes and providing academic leadership across our three CertHE programmes: Business Management, Health and Care Management, and Computing. You will drive the development and implementation of strategies to enhance the student experience and outcomes, support retake students, and collaborate closely with Programme Team Leaders and Module Leaders across all three schools and departments.

About You
We are looking for an innovative and experienced professional with a strong background in working with CertHE or Level 4 students and programmes. You will have a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by these learners and expertise in implementing strategies to improve progression, retention, and overall outcomes. Your experience in managing and supporting academic teams and module leaders will be complemented by your ability to create a positive teaching and learning environment. We seek someone who is approachable, adaptable, flexible, calm under pressure, and driven to succeed. In our fast-paced and rapidly growing organization, the ability to navigate uncertainty and embrace change is essential.

Essential Skills / Experience:

• A Master’s degree or level 7 qualification
• Recognised HE teaching qualification (e.g.: PG Cert HE, SFHEA, QTLS/QTS Secondary)
• A fellow/senior fellow/principal fellow of Advance HE (or willingness to obtain within 12 months).
• A successful record of leading CertHE programmes or similar in higher education, delivering high levels of student outcomes in key metrics (pass first time, submission, pass rates, continuation, completion of awards, degree classification, graduate employment) and student satisfaction (based on both internal and external surveys

Please ensure you read the advert carefully including essential and desirable. 

If you are passionate about delivering an exceptional educational experience, thrive in a collaborative and fast-paced environment, and have the qualifications and skills required for this role, we encourage you to apply.

Why Arden:

You will join a passionate and dedicated team committed to breaking down barriers to learning and making education more accessible. We work tirelessly to ensure our students have the best possible experience, and in return, we offer our team members exceptional benefits to recognise their hard work. Employees benefit from:

• 30 days of vacation, plus bank holidays, and the Christmas closure period
• A generous Aviva pension plan
• PMI or Healthcare Cashback (dependent on role grade)
• Free access to any of our courses; generous discounts available for your family and friends.
• Our 'Golden Ticket' provides an opportunity to gift a free Arden education to someone special.
• Plus, other competitive benefits!

Arden’s values:

Arden University, our teams, and our people are defined by our values of Standout, Progressive, Accessible, Resourceful, and Kindness. If these principles align with your beliefs and you are enthusiastic about the prospect of joining us as a dynamic, innovative contributor within an expanding organisation, we invite you to contact us.

There has never been a more exciting time to join Arden University, as we expand into new disciplines and locations. For the full job description, click here, or to start your journey with us, click apply!

Closing Date: Sunday 5th January 11.59 pm

We reserve the right to close this vacancy before the stated closing date if we receive sufficient applications or in response to business needs. To ensure you don’t miss the opportunity to apply, we encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible.

Arden University is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. This means that if you have a disability, as defined by the Disability Equality Act 2010, you may be guaranteed an interview if you meet the essential criteria for the role.

If you wish to be considered under this scheme, indicate this through in the application form below. By doing so, you are also consenting for this information to be shared with the hiring team. For more details on what qualifies as a disability under the Disability Equality Act 2010, please refer to the guidance here.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. Therefore, we ensure our recruitment and selection processes never discriminate based upon people's age, disability, gender, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or other personal circumstances, and actively welcome applications from all groups.