Head of Department - 0818-24

Lancaster University; Lancaster; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Lancaster University is seeking an interim Head of Department for Politics, Philosophy and Religion. This senior leadership role focuses on academic excellence and effective resource management, open to current employees who qualify at the professorial level. The appointment spans from September 2024 to August 2025, providing a unique opportunity to lead and innovate within the department.

Benefits

Non-superannuable salary supplement

Head of Department Allowance of £3,000 per annum

Additional Faculty Personal Research Allowance

Qualifications

• Academic leadership and management experience required.
• Eligible candidates must be internal academic colleagues.
• Strong communication and financial management skills needed.

Responsibilities

• Provide academic leadership and manage department activities.
• Encourage excellence in teaching and research.
• Represent the department at key committees.

Skills

Academic leadership

Management

Communication

Financial management

Education

Professor or Senior Lecturer

Job description

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Reference:

0818-24

Please note: this job is only available to current employees of Lancaster University

The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) is seeking to appoint an interim Head of Department (HoD) of Politics, Philosophy and Religion (PPR), due to the current HoD’s term of office coming to an end. This senior leadership role is open to internal applicants only who must be an academic colleague within the Department and also hold a substantive post that exceeds the duration of the term of the appointment. Applicants will normally be at professorial level, however appointments will be made depending on the context, objectives and circumstances of the department at the time and on the skills and experience of particular candidates.

Term of office

You will be expected to undertake an interim term of 1 September 2024 – 14 August 2025. At the end of your term, you cease your Head of Department responsibilities, returning to your substantive role. The role is interim because FASS is committed to introducing a transparent and aligned workload model through Simitive which will have implications for roles, responsibilities and the distribution of work throughout FASS structures.

The role

This is an opportunity to take on a senior leadership role within the Department and Faculty. The role of the Head of Department provides academic leadership; encourages excellence in teaching, research and engagement; manages and develops the department, its staff and its activities through the most effective and cost-effective use of resources and within the framework of the University strategic plan and policies, and represents the department to the Faculty and the University. The Head of Department will be invited to represent the Department at key committees within the Faculty, you will also be invited to be part of Senate and the University Leadership Group.

Further details of the role are included in the Role and Responsibilities of the Head of Department (Job Description), along with a Description of Desirable Skills (Person Specification).

Reward and recognition

Salary supplement

In recognition for taking on the role, for the period of office the Head of Department will receive a non-superannuable salary supplement equivalent in value to one (for a Professor) or two (for a Senior Lecturer) increment(s) on their salary scale. Furthermore, this role attracts a Head of Department Allowance to support research, knowledge transfer, scholarly activity, or educational enhancement. For the period of office, you will receive a non-superannuable allowance of £3,000 per annum which can be paid into your salary or your research account. The Head of Department will also receive an additional Faculty Personal Research Allowance (PRA), with the exact amount to be confirmed at the commencement of each financial year, as part of the annual budget setting process.

Application Process

Please submit your application via the Stonefish system by 7 July 2024in the following format:

1. A covering letter (2 x A4 max of text) to include an expression of interest, noting why you wish to apply, your vision for the department, and how you would intend to approach the role, giving examples relating to the 3 Areas of responsibility listed: 1) Academic leadership; 2) Managing people; and 3) Managing risk and resources.

2. A separate document presenting a paragraph of text under each of the 5 headings of HoD Desirable Skills articulating how you would intend to approach the areas listed, noting any relevant experience, and what professional development you would welcome in support. These headings are: 1) Entrepreneurial; 2) Leadership; 3) Communication; 4) People management; 5) Financial management; and 6) Professional Profile.

3. Your up-to-date CV.

Please note that references are not required.

Interviews of shortlisted candidates will take place on 16 July 2024, with the panel being chaired by the Vice Chancellor and including the FASS Executive Dean.

We are committed to promoting Equality, Diversity and Inclusion across the Faculty, and supporting family-friendly, flexible and agile working policies. We encourage applications from all diversity groups.

Enquiries

If you have an enquiry about the application process, please contact the Faculty Resources Manager, Amanda Harrison at .

Departmental Consultation

In addition to the above, as part of the University’s HoD appointment process, members of the Department will be consulted on their views of shortlisted candidates. Further information on this aspect of the process, which will be conducted by an FASS Associate Dean, will be sent to all Departmental staff in PPR in due course.