Head of Department - Foundation Degrees; FdA​/FdSc)

Salary: £61,749 - £72,975

London weighting: £4,000 per annum (if applicable)

Employment type:Permanent

Hours per week: 37

Reporting into: Head of School - Foundation Degrees

Faculty: Faculty of Foundation Studies

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This role operates on a hybrid working arrangement that will require a split between working remotely and working on site at our various campuses. This may fluctuate in line with business requirements. Our working model arrangements are a non-contractual benefit so please note that an Arden work location is added to our employment contracts.

We are an aspirational and multi-award-winning university, delivering rapid growth with ambitious plans to disrupt the HE sector through our passion for innovation and digital education. Our vision is to become the first-choice university for career-focused lifelong learners worldwide, ensuring that everyone, everywhere can access higher education.

There has never been a more exciting time to join Arden University, as we expand into new disciplines, forge worldwide partnerships, and expand our locations.

The Faculty of Foundation Studies is Arden University’s academic gateway into higher education, supporting students from admission and induction through to achievement, progression and future success. Bringing together Foundation Year, Foundation Degree, new-student induction and academic admissions activity, the Faculty provides accessible and inclusive pathways for students from a wide range of educational, personal and professional backgrounds.

Our purpose is to widen participation while ensuring every student is prepared to succeed. We combine subject knowledge with academic, digital and professional skills, helping students build confidence, develop a strong sense of belonging and progress successfully into further study or employment. Our teaching is applied, supportive and career-focused, with clear links between learning, assessment, workplace practice and students’ future ambitions.

You will join a large, collaborative and growing academic community committed to excellent teaching, inclusive curriculum design and evidence-informed student support. This is an exciting time to join the Faculty as we develop discipline-aligned Foundation Year routes, expand our Foundation Degree portfolio and embed employability, enterprise and responsible use of AI across the student experience.

Join us at as Head of Department for Foundation Degrees, leading a growing department of around 40 permanent academic staff across multiple UK campuses. You will manage and develop Senior Lecturers and Programme Team Leaders, providing strategic academic leadership across our Foundation Degree portfolio and driving quality, performance, innovation and student success.

The Department for Foundation Degrees resides within the School of Foundation Degrees (in the Faculty of Foundation Studies) and includes various Foundation Degree programmes including:

• FdA Business and Innovation
• FdSc Health and Care Management
• FdSc Computing and Digital Futures

This is an exciting opportunity to shape the development of the department, lead a high-performing academic team and make a meaningful impact on student experience, achievement and progression.

You’ll drive excellence in teaching, learning and assessment, ensuring our programmes engage and challenge students while equipping them with the knowledge, skills and confidence to progress into further study or future careers. Working collaboratively with colleagues across the Faculty of Foundation Studies and the wider University, you’ll champion inclusive, student-centred approaches, use performance data to…