Academic Lead - English Language Support (China) 0.5 FTE in London

The University of Wolverhampton is seeking to appoint an experienced and academically credible Academic Lead – English Language Support (China) to provide academic leadership for our in-country Pre-sessional English (PSE) provision supporting Transnational Education (TNE) programmes in Mainland China. This senior academic role sits within the Global Opportunities Office and will play a critical role in ensuring that English language preparation programmes delivered with Chinese partner institutions meet the University's academic standards, quality assurance requirements, and international benchmarks.

The Academic Lead will act as the University’s academic authority for Pre-sessional English provision in China, ensuring that curriculum design, assessment practices, and progression standards align with University regulations, the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), and recognised IELTS equivalency frameworks. You will provide oversight of curriculum development, assessment design, moderation processes, and tutor approval, ensuring that all delivery is academically rigorous, compliant with University quality frameworks, and supportive of student progression onto TNE programmes.

Working closely with colleagues across the University and with academic representatives at partner universities in China, the role will contribute to the strategic development of scalable English language pathways aligned with the University’s expanding international partnership portfolio.

• Provide academic leadership and governance for Pre-sessional English delivery across China-based partners.
• Design, approve, and periodically review 4-week and 8-week PSE curricula.
• Ensure alignment with University academic regulations, CEFR descriptors, and progression standards.
• Develop and approve assessment tasks, marking criteria, and grading descriptors.
• Lead moderation, calibration, and standardisation processes to ensure marking consistency.
• Chair assessment review meetings and confirm progression decisions.
• Liaise with External Examiners and respond to academic recommendations.
• Approve and support locally appointed tutors, including induction and ongoing academic training.
• Monitor student performance data and progression outcomes across partner institutions.
• Produce annual academic quality reports and support internal and external academic reviews.
• Contribute to the strategic development of English language pathways within the University’s TNE portfolio.

The role will include periodic international travel to China, including one annual in-country monitoring visit (subject to approval).

You will be an experienced academic professional with strong expertise in English for Academic Purposes and UK higher education quality assurance frameworks. You should have:

• A postgraduate qualification in TESOL, Applied Linguistics, English Language Teaching, or a related field.
• A recognised professional qualification such as DELTA, MA TESOL, or equivalent.
• Significant experience in Pre-sessional or Academic English provision within UK higher education.
• Experience in curriculum design, language assessment development, and academic standards governance.
• Strong knowledge of CEFR benchmarking and IELTS equivalence frameworks.
• Experience working in Transnational Education (TNE) or international partnership contexts.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to exercise sound academic judgement.
• Experience working with Chinese partner institutions or within East Asian higher education systems would be an advantage.

The University of Wolverhampton is committed to delivering high-quality global education and developing sustainable international partnerships. This role offers an opportunity to shape English language pathways supporting an expanding portfolio of transnational programmes in China. Our staff demonstrate the University’s core values of being Accountable, Resilient, Inclusive, and Ambitious, and we are committed to creating a collaborative and supportive working environment.