Salary: £80,000 - £85,000 per annum

Employment type: Full-Time Permanent

Hours per week: 37

Reporting into: The Provost / Chief Academic Officer

Department: Academic Office

Click here to read the full job description and view our excellent benefits here

This role operates primarily on a remote working arrangement that will require very occasional travel into our Coventry head office and Campus Locations (Birmingham, Leeds, London and Manchester). Our working model arrangements are a non-contractual benefit so please note that an Arden work location is added to our employment contracts.

There will also be regular International travel.  

About Arden University:

We are an aspirational and multi-award-winning university, delivering rapid growth with ambitious plans to disrupt the HE sector through our passion for innovation and digital education. Our vision is to become the first-choice university for career-focused lifelong learners worldwide, ensuring that everyone, everywhere can access higher education.

There has never been a more exciting time to join Arden University, as we expand into new disciplines, forge worldwide partnerships, and expand our locations.

About our Department:

The Academic Office at Arden University plays an important role in supporting academic governance, quality assurance, and student success. The department oversees key processes such as programme validation and approval, policy development, regulatory compliance, and assessment management.

Working closely with faculties, professional services, and external regulatory bodies, the Academic Office ensures that Arden’s academic standards align with sector benchmarks and accreditation requirements. It is also responsible for enhancing student experience by maintaining fair and transparent academic policies, supporting assessment boards, and facilitating effective learning and teaching practices.

About the Opportunity:

As Associate Dean (International), you will play a pivotal strategic role in expanding Arden’s global footprint. We’re looking for a strategic and globally minded leader to take on this exciting role. This is a pivotal position at Arden University, focused on growing and strengthening our international academic partnerships and global presence.

Reporting to the Provost & Chief Academic Officer as well as working closely with our international teams, you’ll lead the development and management of cross-border academic collaborations, institutional relationships, and student mobility initiatives. Your work will directly support Arden’s mission to provide accessible, high-quality education to learners around the world.

This role offers the opportunity to shape and implement innovative strategies that drive sustainable international growth and elevate Arden’s reputation on the global stage. To thrive in this position, you’ll need a deep understanding of international higher education trends, compliance requirements, and emerging global markets—combined with a collaborative, student-first mindset.

This is a high-impact leadership position ideal for a visionary academic who understands international market dynamics, builds strategic partnerships with confidence, and is passionate about transforming student experiences on a global scale.

Please note: regular international travel will be a key part of this role.

About You:

This is an exciting role for someone passionate about innovation in higher education and committed to enhancing student experiences and international partnerships. If you’re ready to make a significant impact in academic leadership, we welcome your application.  

You will need:

• Proven experience in senior academic leadership and management within a higher education environment, including leading quality and accreditation events.
• Extensive experience of sustaining, building, and developing strategic international collaborations and partnerships, transnational education (TNE) development, and student mobility initiatives that align with our mission and enhance our global reputation.
• Deep knowledge of global higher education trends, compliance, and quality assurance in TNE contexts.
• The ability to lead change, drive innovation, and foster inclusive, high-performing teams.
• Strong digital capabilities and strategic planning expertise.
• Recognised higher education teaching qualifications and/or Fellowships (e.g., PG Cert HE, SFHEA, PFHEA, QTLS/QTS Secondary).
• Insight into the current challenges in international higher education and strategies to address these.

Why Arden:

At Arden, you will become a part of a passionate and dedicated team who are committed to removing unnecessary barriers to learning and making education more accessible. Our people work hard to ensure our students journeys are the best they can possibly be, as such we want to reward our people with fantastic benefits. Employees benefit from:

• 30 days holiday + bank holidays on-top, and even a Christmas closure!
• A generous Aviva pension plan, company contributions starting from 7%
• SimplyHealth plan option
• Private Medical Insurance 
• Access to Perkbox benefits
• Study any Arden course for free, with a discount for all family and friends
• Plus, other excellent benefits
• Our ‘Golden Ticket’ which allows you to gift anyone in your life a free Arden education
  

Our Values:

Stand out, Progressive, Accessible, Resourceful, Kindness, reflect who we are as an institution, a team and as individuals. If they also reflect you and you are excited by the chance to be the driving, creative force within a growing business, we want to hear from you.

There has never been a more exciting time to join Arden University, as we expand into new disciplines and locations.

Closing Date: Sunday 11 May 

We reserve the right to close this vacancy before the specified closing date should we receive sufficient applications or in order to respond to business needs. In order to avoid missing an opportunity to apply please submit your application as early as possible.

If you are a current Arden student or have an upcoming course with us, you are not eligible to apply for Student Experience roles due to a conflict of interest related to system access.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion:

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, you can indicate via 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 make sure that 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.

Sponsorship statement:

Please be aware that some roles may not meet the points requirement for a sponsored Skilled Worker visa under the points-based immigration system. However, we welcome applications from candidates who do not currently have the right to work in the UK but may be eligible for a visa through an alternative route.