Master

DARWIN COLLEGE; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Darwin College seeks a new Master to lead its vibrant community of postgraduate scholars. The ideal candidate will demonstrate exceptional collaborative leadership and a deep commitment to academic excellence, addressing global challenges like sustainability and health. This role includes representing the College within and outside Cambridge, overseeing strategic plans, and ensuring philanthropic support. Applications are open until October 6, 2025.

Qualifications

• Deep understanding of scholarly values and demands.
• Commitment to academic excellence.
• Proven success in leading diverse teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead the college community, promoting intellectual and social engagement.
• Act as an external ambassador for the college.
• Oversee the delivery of the College's Strategic Plan 2020-2032.

Skills

Collaborative leadership

Engagement with diversity

Ambassadorship

Job description

Darwin College, founded in 1964, is home to a vibrant and supportive community of around 800 postgraduate students and 70 Fellows. In culture, it is egalitarian, non-hierarchical and inclusive, both intellectually serious and socially relaxed. This highly international College is proud of the rich opportunities it provides for cross-sector collaboration. It hosts the annual Darwin College Lecture Series, which attracts high-profile speakers and large public audiences. Darwin College aspires to be the pre-eminent postgraduate and research-intensive College at the University of Cambridge and to contribute to addressing environmental and societal challenges.

A new Master is sought to succeed Dr Mike Rands who will complete his time in post in Summer 2026. The Master leads the College as a community of self-governing scholars, and acts as its external ambassador. The Master is expected to provide intellectual and strategic leadership and to engage fully in the academic and social life of the College, including convening and supporting events. The post-holder will oversee delivery of the College’s Strategic Plan 2020-2032, and will continue to shape and influence it. They will also commit to securing the philanthropic support upon which the ambitious projects of the College depend.

The College seeks candidates who have a deep understanding of the values and demands of a scholarly environment, who will be committed to academic excellence, and who will bring proven success in collaborative leadership. Candidates must be committed to addressing major global challenges such as inequity, sustainability and health and to engaging with the issues facing a highly diverse body of graduate students. They will demonstrate the confidence and personality to act as an ambassador for the College both within Cambridge and externally.

Further information relating to the opportunity and how to apply is available directly from Minerva via via the button below.

For an informal and confidential discussion, please contact [e-mail]. The date for receiving applications, which should be in the form of a CV and cover letter, is Monday 6^th October 2025.