University of Salford

We are looking to appoint a new Director of Human and Natural Sciences (HANS) within the School of Science, Engineering and Environment. The Director will be responsible for providing strategic leadership and operational management across the Directorate, working collaboratively as a member of the School Senior Executive Group and Senior Leadership Team. The Director is expected to lead on planning, strategy, and culture development across a diverse range of subject groupings, ensuring staff are future facing, collegiate and equipped to deal robustly with the challenges and opportunities of contemporary Higher Education. The Director will chair the Directorate Management Group and ensure an effective and robust management structure is in place to deliver strategic objectives across learning, teaching, research, enterprise, and professional activities, whilst ensuring individuals are supported in their academic, personal, and professional development. The appointee will also be responsible for the leadership of a number of Subject Heads and their discipline groups, working with them to develop an inclusive, high performing and mutually supportive team which delivers to students a top quality, industry engaged learner experience with excellent outcomes.

Strong candidates for the role will bring a track record of successful academic leadership, including development and delivery of strategy, people leadership and management, ideally through change, and experience of programme development and design. They will also possess a successful record of academic achievement, with a proven track record in scholarship; research; and/or engagement in a discipline relevant to the Directorate. As a University we are committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion in all our activities, and we invite candidates from under-represented groups to consider applying for this opportunity.

The Directorate of Human and Natural Sciences (HANS) includes a wide range of subject areas, including Biology and Wildlife, Biomedicine, Chemical Sciences and Physics. It is comprised of approximately 80 colleagues and over 1,800 students. The Directorate is very research active, with a high proportion of colleagues undertaking research and supervising PhD students. HANS sits within the School of Science, Engineering and Environment (SSEE), one of the largest within the University, providing opportunities for interdisciplinary working and learning for both colleagues and students across the spectrum of science.

Salford is one of the UK’s fastest growing universities and enjoys a strong reputation for real-world teaching and ground-breaking research. Located in the heart of Greater Manchester, we have over 30,000 students and 2,400 colleagues. We have recently welcomed our new Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nic Beech to the University and also launched our new Corporate Strategy 2022 – 2027 which sets out our ambition to become a top 50 university for both teaching and research, whilst maintaining our commitment to an inclusive and fully diverse community.

Saxton Bampfylde Ltd is acting as an employment agency advisor to the University of Salford on this appointment. For further information about the role, including details about how to apply, please visit www.saxbam.com/appointments using reference MUSB. Alternatively, telephone +44 (0)20 7227 0880 (Applications should be received by midnight on Sunday 1st October, 2023.