Associate Director - Professional Law in Bristol

We have a fantastic opportunity for an experienced and visionary leader to join our Law School's Leadership Team in a key role, to support colleagues and drive excellence across our growing Professional Law portfolio. As a member of the School Leadership Team, you will line manage colleagues and oversee ALs (within the Professional Law cluster) to ensure high performance and commitment to the University's values.

You will provide leadership towards delivering high-quality experience for our students and work collaboratively across the School and the University to meet KPIs and implement strategic priorities. You will help shape, innovate and deliver our growth strategy that aligns with the University's mission and ensures effectiveness towards a positive experience and an inclusive culture for all staff and students.

You're a dynamic and collaborative leader with a proven track record of delivering results—whether through enhancing the student experience or successfully leading teams within professional practice. You bring experience in developing colleagues and direct reports, influencing senior leadership, engaging with external stakeholders, and creating innovative, evidence‑based solutions focusing on enhancing the student experience that benefit our students. You lead by example, embodying UWE's values: ambitious, inclusive, innovative, collaborative, and enterprising.

We welcome applications from current legal practitioners with significant experience, as well as former practitioners who have transitioned into higher education and are ready to make an even greater impact. If you're an accomplished professional eager to bring real‑world expertise into our Law School and inspire the next generation of law students and legal professionals, we want to hear from you.

This is also an opportunity to enjoy a work‑life balance that legal practice rarely offers. With generous holiday allowances, a sector‑leading pension, and a supportive academic community, you'll have the space to grow your career while making a genuine difference. We're committed to your development too—with clear pathways for promotion and personal growth.

Bristol Law School (BLS) is a leading UK provider of legal education. Firmly established in our region, and globally connected, we are the Bristol Law School. Through practice‑led learning and teaching, through interdisciplinary and applied research, we're inspiring and developing the next generation of law professionals.

Our brand new £55 million Law School has been purpose built to provide the best possible environment in which to learn. Our investment in state‑of‑the‑art facilities sets us apart: mock courtrooms, Harvard‑style lecture theatres, modern teaching spaces, a Legal Resource Room and a dedicated Business and Law Clinic where students gain hands‑on experience through pro bono work supervised by qualified and experienced professionals.

As one of the UK's Law Schools with a "360° law offer", Bristol Law School at UWE Bristol develops ethical, real‑world ready law graduates with the skills, knowledge and mindset to effectively navigate complexity. With our outstanding practice‑led learning and teaching our graduates aren't just equipped to shape the future of law; they're well prepared and perfectly positioned to address the critical needs of today and tomorrow.

We are ambitious, innovative, and inclusive—and we are looking for talented professionals and educators to join us.

UWE Bristol is a campus‑based University, with vibrant campus communities that are central to student life. In this role, you'll be based at our modern Frenchay Campus where we've invested in state‑of‑the‑art facilities designed to help both staff and students succeed. We offer a wide range of employee benefits including progressive pay rates, very generous annual leave and career‑average pension schemes as well as retail savings, onsite nursery and opportunities for training and personal development.