Director of Studies (Postgraduate Music) in Birmingham

At Birmingham City University, we are a diverse and inclusive learning community of over 31,400 students from more than 120 countries. We aim to become an exemplar anchor institution, creating and sharing knowledge for a better and more inclusive society. We are committed to providing a transformational educational experience, supporting world-class research, and fostering a collaborative and supportive working environment for our staff.

Recognised as one of the UK’s Top 250 employers (Financial Times & Statista), we pride ourselves on being a place where colleagues feel valued, supported, and able to grow their careers while contributing to the success of our students and communities. Our student demographic reflects the rich cultural and ethnic diversity of Birmingham itself, with a significant proportion of students from minoritised ethnic backgrounds and the majority of our home students coming from the West Midlands. This diversity is a strength, and it calls for a workforce that is equipped to challenge deficit narratives and thinking — those assumptions that position students from under-represented groups as lacking rather than recognising their assets, strengths and potential. By embracing this perspective, we aim to create an environment where all students and colleagues can thrive, and where our work contributes positively to the social, cultural and economic life of Birmingham and beyond.

Royal Birmingham Conservatoire seeks to appoint a current member of RBC staff as Director of Studies (Postgraduate Music) to oversee this flourishing aspect of its portfolio. The post-holder will be responsible for the day-to-day operational management of our taught postgraduate Music provision, as well as for the associated quality enhancement processes. They will also provide strong leadership and strategic vision in the area of curriculum review and development, ensuring that courses continue to evolve to meet industry needs and those of 21st-century conservatoire postgraduates. They will play an active role in promoting taught postgraduate study at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire both internally and externally.

Key Responsibilities

• The successful candidate will have significant experience in teaching (including at postgraduate level) and administration in Music, alongside excellent communication, interpersonal and team‑working skills.
• They will be effective at handling numerous competing priorities.
• They will also have an established external profile, either through research and/or as a practitioner.

You will have:

• A higher professional qualification, normally a doctoral degree.
• Proven academic leadership experience.
• A recognised profile in scholarship, research and/or leading-edge professional practice at a national, and preferably international, level.
• A strong track record of delivering and leading high-quality teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
• An internationally recognised record of high-quality publications, research outputs or equivalent professional practice.
• Experience of making a significant contribution to the leadership, administration and wider activities of an academic institution.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex and conceptual ideas to a range of audiences.
• Strong strategic thinking and planning skills.
• The ability to inspire, engage and motivate students through a variety of teaching and learning approaches.
• A demonstrable commitment to enhancing the student experience.
• Experience of developing curricula and leading quality enhancement within a higher education environment.
• Experience of successfully leading and managing people, resources and performance to achieve measurable outcomes.
• Experience of leading high-quality collaborative research projects.
• In-depth subject expertise, with the ability to advance knowledge, innovation and understanding within the discipline.
• A thorough understanding of university governance, management systems and the wider higher education sector, including equality, diversity and inclusion.
• A successful track record of securing research funding, scholarship funding or other forms of external income.
• A collaborative approach to interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research, fostering partnerships within the University and externally.
• The ability to work independently, demonstrating initiative and effective self‑management.
• Senior Fellowship of Advance HE (or equivalent), with the ability and willingness to progress to Principal Fellowship.
• Experience of embedding employability and industry engagement within teaching and curriculum design, with evidence of a positive impact on student progression and graduate outcomes.

Further Information

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Shirley Thompson, Vice Principal (Music) of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire: Shirley.Thompson@bcu.ac.uk

Work-life balance – Generous leave and hybrid working (role dependent).

Career development – Opportunities to grow, develop and progress your career.

Reward and wellbeing – Competitive pay, pension, a health cash plan, wellbeing support and a wide range of staff benefits.

Inclusive culture – A supportive, diverse environment where everyone belongs.

This role may be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa route, subject to meeting the relevant criteria.

At BCU, we welcome applications that clearly demonstrate how your skills and experience meet the requirements of the role. AI tools may be used to support you in preparing your application, but the information you provide must be accurate, authentic and based on your own experience. Applications that rely too heavily on AI, appear generic or do not provide specific evidence against the role criteria are less likely to progress to the next stage of the recruitment process.

For more information, please refer to our candidate guidance; How to Apply – Jobs at Birmingham City University.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and to an environment that supports lawful free speech and academic freedom. We will continuously review and improve our policies, practices, and procedures to ensure that we are promoting these in all aspects of our operations. We believe that by working together, combining our many different backgrounds and life experiences, we will empower each other to reach our full potential.

Disability Confident Employer

Birmingham City University is proud to be a Disability Confident Committed Employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. Disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role will be guaranteed an interview.