Job description

The role, structure and organisation

King’s is searching for an outstanding individual for the role of Executive Dean at an exciting time in the Faculty’s history. The appointee will be a leading academic with a substantial track record in research, education and professional achievement within a field relevant to the Faculty who can bring significant management and leadership expertise.

Executive Deans at King’s are members of the Academic Board, and the University Executive (a fortnightly meeting of Executive Deans of Faculty, Senior Vice Presidents, Vice Principals, and select Professional Services leaders, chaired by the President & Principal) and so they play a pivotal role in the management and governance of the university. The University Executive sets the strategic direction and objectives to achieve the overall mission governed by the Council, oversees resource allocation and management of corporate risk and sets the tone, for the culture and values of the King’s community. Executive Deans therefore play a key role within the network of the university’s senior management.

Executive Deans of the nine faculties report to the Senior Vice President (Academic). This role will also have a strong working relationship with the Senior Vice President (Health & Life Sciences). College is governed by Council with powers delegated to the President & Principal, who is supported in the leadership of the College and delivery of strategic objectives by senior officers as set out below.



Main duties and responsibilities

Strategy, planning and partnerships

  • Work closely with the Senior Vice President (Academic), Senior Vice President (Health & Life Sciences), Executive Deans and Director of Operations to develop and deliver an ambitious vision and strategy for the Faculty that is in line with King’s over-arching strategic and financial plans.
  • Work with the President & Principal, Senior Vice President (Academic), Senior Vice President (Health & Life Sciences), and Vice Principals to deliver King’s broader strategic priorities.
  • Work with the Dean of Education, Heads of School, and Vice Deans, to ensure a distinctive Faculty strategy that is relevant to external stakeholders, including NHS health partners, government, funders, and our wider community, and to communicate the strategy internally.
  • Work closely with key NHS partners to drive improvements in healthcare and innovation across research, and education, and to share directly in development and delivery of key strategic initiatives within the NHS.
  • Drive the Faculty’s financial strategy and partnerships agenda, working in close collaboration with senior leaders across King’s.
  • Represent the Faculty and King’s externally, by networking and attending key national and international events.
  • Carry corporate responsibility as appropriate. The appointee will serve on King’s committees and participate in corporate activities and decision-making.

Education and research

  • The appointee will carry overall accountability for the development, delivery and quality assurance of teaching, learning and research, working closely with the Heads of School, Dean for Education and Vice Deans.
  • Work closely with the Dean of Education, Heads of School, and Vice Deans to ensure delivery of a high-quality student experience and to develop a strategic vision for undergraduate and postgraduate education.
  • Create a supportive environment for research, identifying academic opportunities and through the leadership team, mapping the Faculty’s funding priorities to generate research income, high-quality outputs, and continuing to develop innovation in education in line with health partners.
  • Foster an environment in which academics identify and exploit strategic opportunities and build on interdisciplinary links and partnerships internally and across other King’s Faculties.

People and culture

  • Promote and foster a supportive working and educational environment that delivers diversity, equality and inclusiveness in all aspects of the Faculty’s operations, as outlined in the IoPPN’s 2020-25 strategy.
  • Lead by example and take responsibility for ensuring the culture is inclusive, and people feel respected and valued as individuals, and that the collaborative ethos extends to staff and students at all levels. The Executive Dean, and leadership team should implement IoPPN action plans for the Equality Charters, such as the Athena SWAN and Race Equality Charters, across the Faculty, and strive to improve practice even further so to become beacons of good practice in the academic sector.
  • Provide academic and administrative leadership across the Faculty, to manage staff in a manner consistent with King’s guiding principles; to oversee staff recruitment, probation and promotion.
  • Have direct line responsibility for the Faculty’s senior academic staff, and overall responsibility for the management of all staff.
  • Empower the Schools, where appropriate, to accept delegated responsibility for strategic management of their staffing and budgets (Pay and Non-pay)
  • Support staff development, appraisal, and mentorship in line with King’s policy.
  • Oversee a first-rate student experience for the Faculty, working with colleagues to ensure student communities are properly engaged and support their wellbeing.

Finance

  • Accountable for Faculty financial performance.
  • Accountable for intra-Faculty resource allocation and workload management.
  • Working with the leadership team, maintain and where possible improve the Faculty teaching income, in alignment with the overall university strategy.
  • Working with the leadership team, maintain and improve the Faculty’s research income, building on existing strengths and developing new activities.
  • Lead the planning processes in support of strategic aims and ensuring that all resources are deployed to maximise efficiency and effectiveness.
  • Play a role in fundraising for the Faculty. Foster innovation and entrepreneurship within the IoPPN and King’s more broadly and encourage cross-school innovation.

Please note this job description reflects the core activities of the Executive Dean. There may be changes in the emphasis of duties and it is expected that the post holder recognises this, adopting a flexible approach to work and willingness to participate in training. If changes to the post become significant, the job description will be reviewed by the post holder and line manager(s), to provide Human Resources with the revised job description.