Salary: £61,749 - £72,975

London weighting: £4,000 per annum (if applicable)

Employment type: Permanent

Hours per week: 37

Reporting into: Head of School

School: Business Management and Creativity

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

This role operates on a hybrid working arrangement that will require regular travel to our various Arden campusses:

• London area (Stratford, Holborn & Ealing)

• Birmingham campus

• Leeds campus

• Nottingham campus

• Manchester campus

• Newcastle

This may fluctuate in line with business requirements. Our working model arrangements are a non-contractual benefit so please note that an Arden work location is added to our employment contracts.

Unfortunately we can't sponsor skilled worker visas for this role.

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 The School

The School of Business Management and Creativity brings together a diverse portfolio of career-focussed programmes across business, management, and the creative industries. Our courses span areas including Business Management, Business Intelligence, Human Resource Management, Entrepreneurship, Graphic Design and Design Management. The School also delivers the Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship for a range of corporate clients.

Our programmes are designed to connect academic learning with real-world business and industry practice, helping students develop the knowledge, professional skills and creative thinking needed to succeed in an evolving workplace. We work closely with employers, industry partners and professional bodies to keep our provision relevant, innovative and focused on future career opportunities.

With a strong commitment to enterprise, entrepreneurship and creative development, the School provides an exciting environment for academic innovation, collaboration and continuous improvement. Our focus is on delivering an outstanding student experience and equipping learners to become confident, capable and responsible professionals and future leaders.

About the Opportunity

This is an exciting opportunity to shape the academic direction and future success of the department of Business Management at Arden University. As our new Head of Department, you will provide inspiring, collaborative and student-centred leadership, driving academic excellence and ensuring our students receive an outstanding experience throughout their studies and beyond.

You'll have a significant influence on the quality of teaching, learning, assessment and academic support across your department. Working closely with colleagues and university stakeholders, you'll champion innovative and engaging curricula, strengthen student outcomes and ensure our programmes prepare learners for successful careers, professional development or further study.

A key part of your role will be building and developing a high-performing academic team. You'll lead and support Senior Lecturers and potentially other academic colleagues, creating an environment where people feel motivated, supported and empowered to deliver their best. From recruiting talented academic staff and supporting their development to setting a clear vision for academic and professional excellence, you'll help shape a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.

You'll also represent Arden University and your department at internal and external events, building strong relationships and helping raise the profile of our programmes and the work we do.

This is a fantastic opportunity for an established academic leader who wants to make a meaningful difference, influence the direction of a department and contribute to the wider success of a growing university.

About You

We're looking for an inspiring and forward-thinking academic leader with a strong understanding of higher education and a genuine passion for delivering outstanding student experiences and outcomes. You'll bring a successful track record of academic leadership, excellent people management skills and the ability to turn a clear vision for academic excellence into meaningful improvements for students and colleagues.

You'll be confident leading through change, building strong relationships across a diverse academic community and creating an environment where colleagues can develop, innovate and thrive. Above all, you'll be a collaborative and student-focused leader who is committed to helping learners achieve their full potential.

Essential requirements:

• A master's-level qualification and/or professional qualification relevant to the School.

• A recognised higher education teaching qualification and/or Fellowship, such as PGCert HE, SFHEA, PFHEA, QTLS or secondary QTS, or willing to study this within the first 12 months.

• Significant experience of teaching within academic programmes in a relevant subject discipline.

• A successful track record of leading academic programmes across different levels and modes of study, delivering strong student experience, student outcomes and satisfaction.

• Demonstrable leadership, people management and team-building skills, with the ability to motivate, support and develop academic colleagues.

• Experience of recruiting academic and/or professional staff and supporting their induction and probation.

• Experience of delivering effective academic staff development.

• Excellent digital skills and the ability to use technology to support effective teaching, learning and academic delivery.

Desirable requirements:

• Up-to-date knowledge of current trends and policy within higher education and the relevant academic discipline.

• A clear vision for academic and professional excellence within programmes.

• A strong understanding of the current challenges facing higher education and how these can be addressed through programme development and delivery.

• A record of research, scholarly activity and/or relevant professional experience at an appropriate level.

• The ability to harness and develop the talents of a team, creating an innovative and engaging environment for teaching, learning, research and industry-focused activity.

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%

• BUPA Cash Plan

• Private Medical Insurance coverage (applies to certain job roles)

• 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: 23rd November

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.