Associate Dean School of Design in London

This is an exciting opportunity to provide senior academic and operational leadership for LCC’s Design School, working closely with the Dean of Design to support the School’s academic portfolio, quality processes, strategic planning and day-to-day effectiveness. As Associate Dean, you will play a central role in translating School, College and University strategy into clear, well-managed academic operations.

You will be a member of the School Management Team and LCC College Management Group and will deputise for the Dean where appropriate, helping to ensure continuity of leadership, effective decision-making and a collaborative, inclusive and high-quality academic environment. A key focus of the role will be academic quality. You will lead the School’s work on approval, validation, reapproval, annual course monitoring and related quality assurance processes, working closely with Programme Directors, Course Leaders, the College Quality Team and wider professional services colleagues.

You will ensure documentation, schedules, committee processes and standards are clear, consistent, timely and aligned with UAL requirements. You will also lead and coordinate key areas of school-level enhancement, including student satisfaction surveys, action planning, External Examiner processes, the quality of information provided to students, and the analysis of data relating to attainment, retention, progression, graduate outcomes and satisfaction. The role also includes leadership of key cross-school initiatives.

Working closely with colleagues across education, employability, RKE, business development, international, marketing, recruitment, communications and events, you will help ensure that School priorities are well coordinated and aligned with wider College activity. This is a broad and influential senior role for someone who can connect detailed operational understanding with wider academic purpose.

This is a role for someone who can bring clarity, confidence and care to a complex academic environment. You will bring experience of academic leadership, curriculum development, teaching, assessment and quality enhancement, alongside a strong understanding of UK Higher Education and the role of quality assurance in supporting excellent standards and student outcomes.

You will understand how approval, monitoring, reapproval, External Examiner reporting, student surveys and data-led enhancement can be used not simply as compliance processes, but as tools to support staff, strengthen practice and improve the student experience. You will be a persuasive, inclusive and thoughtful communicator, able to work confidently across students, colleagues, senior leaders, external partners and wider professional communities.

As a senior academic leader, you will have experience of motivating teams, networks and communities of practice, setting direction across functions and promoting collaboration across formal boundaries. You will be able to manage complex projects, manage resources effectively, prioritise competing demands, manage conflict and support colleagues through periods of transformational change.

UAL is committed to creating diverse and inclusive environments for all staff and students to work and learn – a university where we can be ourselves and reach our full potential. We offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements and Staff Support Networks. We welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds, including race, disability, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion and belief, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, and caring responsibility.