Academic Dean in Manchester

The College UK Management College (UKMC) is a private, widening-participation higher education provider established in 2016, delivering degree programmes with an integrated Foundation Year in partnership with universities that act as the awarding bodies. The College delivers, but does not develop or award, curriculum: all programmes are validated or franchised by its partner universities — the University of Wolverhampton (principal partner), Canterbury Christ Church University, Arts University Bournemouth and Health Sciences University — and are delivered across the College’s campuses in Manchester (College House, Salford and Abarna Campus), Derby, Newcastle (North Shields) and Sunderland.

Role Purpose

The Academic Dean is the College’s senior academic leader for the delivery of all courses, with all partner universities, across all campuses. The post holder holds executive responsibility for ensuring that every programme the College delivers is up to date, coherent and effectively delivered in accordance with the regulations of the relevant awarding body; that delivery at every campus is properly resourced, staffed and quality-assured; and that assessment, examination and academic-standards processes operate credibly and consistently.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Academic Leadership: Provide institution-wide academic leadership for the delivery of the College’s full course portfolio, ensuring delivery plans give effect to the Strategic Plan 2025–2030 and the learning and teaching sub-strategy.
• Course Delivery with Partner Universities: Hold overall responsibility for the delivery of every programme franchised or validated by the partner universities, ensuring each is delivered strictly in accordance with the relevant awarding body’s academic regulations.
• Multi-Campus Delivery and Parity: Ensure every campus delivers its allocated provision to the same academic standard, with equivalent access to qualified staff and learning resources.
• Assessment, Examinations and Academic Standards: Hold senior oversight of the operation of assessment across the College, ensuring compliance with regulations and deadlines.
• Academic Workforce Planning and Recruitment: Own the College’s academic workforce plan and lead academic recruitment with the Head of Human Resources.
• Learning, Teaching and Delivery Quality: Hold senior oversight of the teaching-quality agenda and ensure teaching across all campuses is inclusive and compliant with frameworks.
• Student Outcomes and Data: Hold delivery-side accountability for the College’s outcome measures and ensure accurate recording of academic delivery data.
• Governance, Compliance and Regulation: Chair the Faculty Committee and ensure compliance with OfS conditions of registration and other regulatory obligations.

Working with the Dean of Student Experience

The Academic Dean and the Dean of Student Experience hold complementary portfolios within a single academic leadership model, under the senior oversight of the Associate Provost / Provost. The two Deans are expected to operate as close partners to maintain shared oversight of student outcomes and ensure services are embedded in course delivery at every campus.

Values and Conduct

The Academic Dean is expected to model the College’s values at all times: to act with integrity, fairness and transparency; to promote equality, diversity and inclusion across the academic community; to safeguard the interests, welfare and outcomes of students; and to uphold the College’s widening-participation mission.