Head of Department - Department of Law

Department Department of Law Location Curzon Building Salary £70,564 to £79,840 Post Type Full Time Release Date 16 September 2026 Closing Date 23.59 hours BST on Sunday 18 October 2026 Reference LSOS
26014

At Birmingham City University, we are a diverse and inclusive learning community of over 31,400 students from more than 120 countries. We aim to become an exemplar anchor institution, creating and sharing knowledge for a better and more inclusive society. We are committed to providing a transformational educational experience, supporting world‑class research, and fostering a collaborative and supportive working environment for our staff.

Recognised as one of the UK’s Top 250 employers (Financial Times & Statista), we pride ourselves on being a place where colleagues feel valued, supported, and able to grow their careers while contributing to the success of our students and communities.

Our student demographic reflects the rich cultural and ethnic diversity of Birmingham itself, with a significant proportion of students from minoritised ethnic backgrounds and the majority of our home students coming from the West Midlands. This diversity is a strength, and it calls for a workforce that is equipped to challenge deficit narratives and thinking — those assumptions that position students from underrepresented groups as lacking rather than recognising their assets, strengths and potential.

By embracing this perspective, we aim to create an environment where all students and colleagues can thrive, and where our work contributes positively to the social, cultural and economic life of Birmingham and beyond.

We are seeking an experienced, ambitious and inspirational academic leader to join Birmingham City University as Head of Department of Law.

Reporting to the Dean of School, you will provide strategic, academic and operational leadership for the Department, playing a pivotal role in delivering the University’s Strategy 2030 and driving excellence across learning and teaching, student experience, research and innovation, enterprise and knowledge exchange.

This is an exciting opportunity for a leader who is passionate about developing people, improving student outcomes and building a high‑performing, inclusive and forward‑thinking academic community.

As Head of Department, you will work closely with the Dean of School to shape the strategic direction and future development of the Department. You will be accountable for delivering key Departmental performance measures, including B3, TEF,  KEF, and ensuring that the Department contributes strongly to the University’s wider strategic ambitions.

You will lead a culture of excellence, collaboration, innovation and continuous improvement, developing distributed leadership and empowering colleagues to take ownership of their work, develop their careers and make a meaningful contribution to the Department’s success.

• Providing strategic and operational leadership to ensure the Department meets and exceeds its key performance indicators.
• Leading the implementation of School and University plans across learning and teaching, student experience, research and innovation, internationalisation, enterprise and knowledge exchange.
• Developing a strong culture of collegiality, accountability, ambition and professional excellence.
• Leading, managing and developing colleagues across the Department, including recruitment, induction, mentoring, performance management, professional development and career progression.
• Effectively managing the Department's people, financial and physical resources, ensuring these are aligned with strategic priorities and delivered within agreed budgets.
• Supporti…