Head of Subject - Rehabilitation and Health Professions in Leeds

Leeds Beckett University is committed to making a positive and decisive difference to individuals, organisations and communities through excellent education and research. We aim to be recognised globally as an inclusive anchor for the Leeds City Region and as an outstanding university that supports its diverse student community in achieving excellent outcomes while generating impactful and significant research.

The School of Health plays an important role in delivering this mission through high-quality education, strong professional partnerships, and research that addresses the challenges facing modern healthcare systems. Our programmes prepare graduates for careers across a range of health professions, and we work closely with healthcare providers, professional bodies and communities to ensure our teaching and research remain relevant and impactful.

We are now seeking to appoint a Head of Subject for Rehabilitation and Health Professions, a significant academic leadership role within the School. The subject area encompasses a diverse portfolio of programmes including Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Sports and Exercise Therapy, Sports and Exercise Medicine, Nutrition, Dietetics and Sports and Exercise Therapy. This portfolio represents a major part of the School, with approximately 1,000 students, around 60 staff and an income of around £10 million.

Reporting to the Dean of the School and working as part of a lean School Executive Team alongside other Heads of Subject and colleagues in cross-School leadership roles, the successful candidate will provide leadership across teaching, research, and professional practice within the subject area. The role includes substantial responsibility for people leadership, working closely with Course Directors and academic teams to sustain a supportive, collaborative and high-performing academic environment.

The portfolio currently delivers a strong recruitment performance, particularly within Allied Health programmes, where demand significantly exceeds available places due to placement capacity. Professional accreditation across programmes is well established, and the subject area maintains strong relationships with healthcare providers and professional bodies. This is not a turnaround appointment. The subject area is performing well, with robust recruitment, established professional accreditation and committed academic teams.

The successful candidate will therefore build on this strong foundation while identifying opportunities for further development, innovation and thoughtful diversification of the portfolio. We are seeking a credible academic leader with experience within health-related disciplines and a strong understanding of the higher education and professional practice environment. Candidates may come from clinical or professional practice, teaching and learning leadership, or research backgrounds, but will bring the credibility, collaborative approach and strategic perspective required to lead a complex subject area.

The successful candidate will be comfortable engaging with healthcare partners, professional bodies, and external stakeholders, and will work alongside the School's Director of Health Partnerships and Practice to maintain and strengthen the School's external relationships.

Further information about the role and how to apply can be found on the dedicated recruitment microsite. Closing date Thursday 23rd April 2026. Interviews are scheduled to be held on Thursday 21st May 2026 (this may be subject to change).