Senior Academic Director in Oxford

The John Locke Institute is an independent educational organisation dedicated to inspiring and equipping exceptional students for academic and intellectual success. Through our prestigious summer schools, essay competitions, and residential courses in Oxford, Princeton, Georgetown, Singapore, Nanjing, Dubai, and Hong Kong, we cultivate a rigorous learning environment that fosters critical thinking, intellectual humility, and open-minded discourse. Our programmes bring together talented students and distinguished faculty, offering a unique platform for academic challenge and personal growth. By engaging with complex ideas and refining their reasoning skills, students develop the confidence to excel in their academic and professional journeys.

Position Summary

The John Locke Institute is looking to appoint an exceptional Senior Academic Director to lead a team of two other Academic Directors and two Academic Administrators. Academic Directors are responsible for the leadership of the Institute’s summer schools and intellectual life. They design curricula, oversee faculty and preceptors, uphold the Institute’s distinctive pedagogical standards, and ensure the intellectual rigour of our teaching. The Senior Academic Director serves as Senior Programme Director (Academic Host) at four academic residential programmes per year, in addition to teaching at other programmes led by different Academic Directors. As Senior Programme Director, you will serve as the senior member of a three-person leadership team at each summer school, working alongside the Events Manager and Residential Director. In addition, the Senior Academic Director takes direct responsibility for the John Locke Fellowship Programme. This role provides the opportunity to collaborate with top scholars, contribute to innovative educational programs, and influence the academic trajectory of some of the brightest students worldwide.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Academic Leadership
  • Provide strategic oversight of the Institute's academic programmes, setting pedagogical vision and standards.
  • Supervise and mentor the two Academic Directors, ensuring consistency and excellence across all programmes.
  • Maintain long-term relationships with alumni, offering mentoring and intellectual and academic guidance.
  • Organise training to develop alumni research and presentation skills of students and alumni.
  • Guide alumni teams to produce and present policy proposals to senior politicians or civil servants, aiming to generate real-world policy impact.
  • Create and sustain a community of elite graduate students and early-career academics committed to intellectual freedom in increasingly hostile academic environments.
  • Facilitate Fellows’ contributions to Institute activities including magazine articles, essay examination, and summer school teaching.
  • Recruit new Fellows annually and maintain engagement with existing Fellows.
• Teaching, Content, and Research
  • Teach at eight to ten summer schools per year (lectures, seminars, precepts, tutorials).
  • Contribute to research projects, including commissioning and editing policy papers.
• Academic Leadership at Summer Schools
  • Lead the academic programme as Programme Director at four summer schools annually.
  • Create detailed timetables for summer schools, coordinating lecture titles, descriptions, and pre-reading.
  • Liaise with faculty on biographies, safeguarding training, contracts, payments, travel, and hospitality.
  • Introduce faculty, set the intellectual tone at the summer school, and ensure seminars and precepts meet the Institute’s standards.
  • Deliver the welcome lecture, valedictory lecture, and some of the precepts (small discussion groups).
  • Oversee grading of students, ensuring consistent and accurate assessment.
• Faculty, Preceptors, and Pedagogy
  • Recruit, train, and supervise guest lecturers, preceptors (graduate students and early career academics), and interns.
  • Observe and assess preceptors' teaching, and ensure they contribute to both pre-programme and post-programme online seminars.
  • Enforce the Institute’s distinctive pedagogical house style:
  • Submission of faculty materials in advance for approval.
  • Precept formats emphasising dialogue, rigour, and intellectual humility.
  • Gather structured feedback from students and faculty, and liaise with Marketing and Admissions to act on it.
• Admissions
  • Conduct admissions interviews, modelling the Institute’s intellectual tone and expectations.
  • Liaise with the Admissions Team to secure the very best candidates, irrespective of family means.

Qualifications & Experience

• Advanced degree (Master’s or PhD) in a relevant field, such as philosophy, politics, economics, history, or related disciplines.
• Experience in curriculum development and academic programme management.
• Strong editorial judgment, intellectual range, and clarity of written expression.
• Diplomatic, confident, and persuasive; able to uphold high standards while nurturing young talent.
• Ability to work effectively with faculty, students, and external partners.
• Familiarity with competitive academic programmes and higher education admissions is a plus.

Skills & Attributes for Success

• Strong leadership and organisational skills.
• Passion for intellectual debate and fostering a challenging academic environment.
• Ability to engage and inspire high-achieving students.
• Adaptability and creativity in designing new educational initiatives.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines efficiently.
• Willingness to travel internationally and work intensively during summer periods.

What We Offer

• Work from Anywhere: Work from anywhere in the world (except the British Virgin Islands). Travel to some of our residential programmes in locations such as Oxford, Cambridge, Boston, Princeton, Washington DC, Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong.
• Inspiring Work: Engage with bright students and leading academics from top universities worldwide.
• Mission-Driven Work: Be part of an organization dedicated to inspiring the next generation of thinkers.
• Supportive Team: Work alongside a highly talented and motivated team dedicated to your success.
• Creative Freedom: Your ideas and initiatives are valued—we encourage innovation.