Higher Education Academy
Job Description
Job Title
Academic Lead (Employability)
Salary band:
Academy Grade F-G
Location:
This post has a UK remit and as such will require extensive UK travel as
direct working with providers and sector agencies will be a key feature of the
role.
The Academic Lead (Employability) will provide specialist academic
expertise, leadership and management to develop, promote and deliver
customer-led products and services that ensure that the HEA’s operational
plan is delivered successfully and income targets are met. It is envisaged
that the Academic Lead will be directly responsible for a small number of
products and related sales targets.
Job purpose
The Academic Lead will bring a blend of thematic and discipline based
enhancement expertise in areas of relevance to:
a) One or more of the HEA’s areas of focus with specific expertise in
the area of Employability and,
b) The HEA’s support to the academic disciplines (across Arts and
Humanities, Health and Social Care, Social Sciences and STEM).
The Academic Lead (Employability) will work flexibly and collaboratively in
thematic and discipline areas to support the HEA’s role in informing UK
sector-wide learning and teaching policy and supporting institutions,
discipline communities and individual academic and professional services
staff.
The Academic Lead (Employability) will contribute flexibly to one or more
areas of focus in accordance with requirements for their specialist areas of
expertise.
The Academic Lead (Employability) will be required to manage the delivery
of the HEA offer through a network of quality reviewed associates and third
parties to meet the HEA income targets.
Principal
Responsibilities
The Academic Lead (Employability) will establish, manage and develop
communities of practice with experts in their specific work stream.
The Academic Lead will:
 Be an expert in the area of Employability
 Direct the development and delivery of customer-led products and
services in an efficient and effective approach
 Develop and manage relationships with key sector experts for
external validation
 Recruit and manage delivery teams to include Associates, HEA
Fellow and NTFs
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Facilitate the sharing and promotion of best practice
Create and manage communities of practice to test, validate and
promote current and new thinking on specific areas of focus
Be active members of key sector networks on specific areas of focus
Keep up to date on and actively pursue relevant external funding
opportunities
Commission research where appropriate to support an evidenced
based approach to the HEA offer
Develop and foster partnerships with external bodies where
appropriate
Internally the Lead will work proactively with other HEA teams such as
marketing, sales, business development and discipline experts to ensure a
positive integrated approach to promoting and delivering the HEA offer.
Provide specialist academic input and leadership for the HEA’s support to
thematic areas.
Promote the HEA and its reputation through key representational roles at a
senior level across the UK sector.
Lead entrepreneurial developments and income-generation activity in
support of the diversification of HEA income streams to achieve ambitious
goals in this area.
Promote institutional collaboration and partnerships, as appropriate, with a
focus on the enhancement of HE learning and teaching at all levels, and the
development of the educational evidence base.
Contribute strongly to maintaining the HEA’s reputation as a focus of
expertise in the pedagogy of specific disciplines.
Work collaboratively with other team members with responsibility for other
thematic/discipline areas of work. This team approach will be a key feature
of your work and projects should be developed, managed and completed in
your teams.
When required to deputise for the Head of Academic Practice.
Engage with HEA core systems and processes and take responsibility for
own administrative processes.
Responsible to:
Responsible for:
Working
Relationships
Any other duties commensurate with the grade.
Head of Academic Practice
There is no line management responsibility.
Internally: with colleagues across the HEA
Externally: with HE providers, partner agencies, funding and professional
bodies and other agencies as appropriate.
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Person Specification
Essential
Knowledge
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Experience
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Fellowship of the HEA, or clear
potential to gain Fellowship within 1
year of commencing the post. NB. This
will be a condition of the contract.
Excellent knowledge and
understanding of broad trends and
issues in academic practice in current
UK HE.
Knowledge and understanding of
effective HE teaching, learning and
assessment practices in one or more
discipline areas (e.g. gained through
personal disciplinary profile) and of the
main areas of focus of employability.
Excellent knowledge and
understanding of learning and teaching
curriculum design and quality
enhancement practices that support
excellent teaching, learning support,
and student learning experiences.
Good knowledge and understanding of
trends and issues in the current policy
environment in UK HE.
Substantial and significant teaching
experience in HE.
Designing and delivering highly
effective, creative and innovative
discipline-based and/or
interdisciplinary learning, teaching and
assessment in HE.
Developing and/or working with
institutional strategies for learning and
teaching and assessment.
Creating high quality learning/teaching
resources and products.
Developing and maintaining academic
networks and productive professional
relationships.
Communicating and presenting
information in a range of formats for a
variety of academic audiences.
Undertaking subject based and/or
pedagogic research leading to high
quality published scholarly outputs.
Exploiting academic enterprise
opportunities, e.g. consultancy, grant
capture.
Team-working and collaborative
working.
Desirable
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PhD or equivalent specialist
knowledge in an area of
relevance to HE learning and
teaching.
PG Certificate in HE learning
and teaching (or equivalent).
Knowledge and
understanding of relevant
methodological approaches to
educational research and
evaluation (quantitative and
qualitative).
Designing and delivering
online learning and/or CPD.
Designing and delivering
highly effective, creative and
innovative academic practice
development support in HE
(e.g., continuing professional
development events,
enhancement resources and
products).
Working in partnership with
students and/or student
bodies in learning and
teaching enhancement.
Delivering advice, support
and/or consultancy to senior
leaders in learning and
teaching in HE.
Developing and delivering
products/services effectively
in a commercial environment.
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Skills
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Ability to deliver thematically-focused
and discipline focused enhancement
work.
Ability to engage effectively and
credibly across all levels of seniority in
academic environments (including
strategic leaders as well as individual
academic staff).
Ability to work flexibly and
collaboratively within and across multidisciplinary teams
Ability to work independently with a
high level of responsibility and initiative
High-level skills in: organisation,
creativity, innovation; verbal and
written communication; research
Ability to manage demanding
workloads including skills in
prioritisation and working effectively to
multiple deadlines
Ability to develop and use networks
and contacts
An enterprising approach able to
identify and exploit academic
enterprise opportunities that align with
the HEA’s mission
Willingness and ability to deliver
enhancement services in international
contexts, as required
Excellent computer skills including use
of Microsoft Office packages (Excel,
Word, PowerPoint), web and social
media.
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Project management skills.
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