Academic Dean – Business School

London College of Contemporary Arts (LCCA); Greater London; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

London College of Contemporary Art (LCCA) invites applications for Academic Dean of the Business School. The role leads a large, diverse academic community, shaping strategy, performance, and the student experience across multiple programmes.

You will drive data-informed decisions, ensure quality assurance, and oversee governance while fostering a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration with industry partners.

Qualifications

• Senior academic leadership in higher education.
• Experience leading large, diverse academic teams.
• Strong data-driven performance management experience.
• Understanding of pedagogy within widening participation.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic direction and leadership for the Business School.
• Lead the School through growth, transformation and change.
• Oversee teaching quality and student outcomes across programmes.
• Ensure governance, quality assurance and regulatory compliance.
• Build and maintain partnerships with academic institutions and industry.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Data-driven performance

Stakeholder management

Widening participation pedagogy

Curriculum development

Education

Master’s degree or equivalent professional qualification

Recognised teaching qualification

Doctorate in a relevant discipline

Job description

About LCCA

London College of Contemporary Art (LCCA) is a modern, student-centred institution committed to widening participation and empowering learners from diverse backgrounds to achieve their academic and professional ambitions. As part of Global University Systems — a large, international education provider — we are proud to be embedded within a global network that delivers high-quality, accessible education at scale. Our programmes are future-focused, combining applied learning with innovative, industry-relevant curricula and state-of-the-art delivery to ensure our graduates are equipped with the skills needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving world.

About LCCA

London College of Contemporary Art (LCCA) is a modern, student-centred institution committed to widening participation and empowering learners from diverse backgrounds to achieve their academic and professional ambitions. As part of Global University Systems — a large, international education provider — we are proud to be embedded within a global network that delivers high-quality, accessible education at scale. Our programmes are future-focused, combining applied learning with innovative, industry-relevant curricula and state-of-the-art delivery to ensure our graduates are equipped with the skills needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving world.
We are now seeking an exceptional and strategic Academic Dean of the Business School to lead our largest and most dynamic academic areas. This is a pivotal senior leadership role responsible for shaping academic excellence, driving performance, and ensuring an outstanding student experience.

The Role

As Academic Dean of the Business School, you will provide strategic leadership of a large, complex and high-performing School, placing student experience and student success at the heart of all decision-making. You will lead and inspire a diverse academic community, ensuring high-quality delivery, strong academic outcomes, and sustainable growth.

You will operate within a fast-paced, highly regulated environment, using data-driven insights to enhance performance and deliver measurable improvements in continuation, completion, attainment, and progression. As a member of the senior leadership team, you will play a key role in shaping institutional strategy, leading through change, and embedding a culture of continuous improvement and accountability.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Delivery

• Provide strategic direction and leadership for the Business School, ensuring alignment with institutional growth ambitions.
• Translate strategy into deliverable operational plans across a broad programme portfolio.
• Lead the School through growth, transformation, and organisational change.

Student Experience, Teaching & Pedagogy

• Place student experience at the core of all strategic and operational decisions.
• Lead the development of inclusive, high-impact teaching, learning and assessment approaches suited to a widening participation student body.
• Drive improvements in engagement, retention, attainment and progression.
• Ensure teaching practices are innovative, applied and aligned to employability outcomes.

Data, Performance & Quality

• Take accountability for School performance against KPIs, using data to inform decisions and interventions.
• Establish a culture of data literacy and continuous improvement across academic teams.
• Provide oversight of academic governance, quality assurance and regulatory compliance.

Leadership, People & Culture

• Lead, develop and inspire a large and diverse academic workforce, fostering an inclusive and high-performance culture.
• Build leadership capability across Associate Deans and Course Directors.
• Manage performance effectively, supporting staff development in a complex environment.

Partnerships & External Engagement

• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with academic institutions, awarding bodies and industry.
• Represent the School and College externally to enhance profile and growth opportunities.

About You

Essential Qualifications & Skills

• Master’s degree or equivalent professional qualification in a relevant discipline.
• Recognised teaching qualification.
• Proven experience in senior academic leadership in higher education
• Strong expertise in data-driven performance management and strategic planning.
• Understanding of pedagogy within a widening participation context.
• Excellent leadership, communication and stakeholder management skills.

Desirable

• Doctorate in a relevant discipline.
• Experience in partnership or franchise delivery models.

Experience

• Significant experience leadinglarge, diverse academic teams within complex organisations.
• Proven track record of delivering measurable improvements in academic performance and student outcomes.
• Strong knowledge of UK higher education regulatory and quality frameworks.
• Experience driving innovation in curriculum, teaching and learning practices.

Why Join Us?

This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of Business education at a creative, forward-thinking institution. You will lead a high-impact academic School, influence strategic direction, and play a critical role in delivering outstanding outcomes for a diverse and ambitious student community.

Our Approach

We are committed to ensuring our workforce reflects the diversity of our student population, striving to increase representation across age, disability, gender identity and expression, religion, race, sex, sexual orientation, and socio-economic background.

We are also committed to providing adjustments throughout the recruitment process.

Please note: You must have the right to work in the UK. We are not currently a licensed sponsor.