Head of Department Humanities and Law (internal only)

Bournemouth University’s vision is worldwide recognition as a leading university for inspiring learning, advancing knowledge and enriching society through the fusion of education, research and practice. Our highly skilled and creative workforce is comprised of individuals drawn from a broad cross section of the globe, who reflect a variety of backgrounds, talents, perspectives and experiences that help to build our global learning community.

The award-winning Faculty of Media & Communication comprises of 4,000 students and more than 250 academic staff across four Departments: Humanities & Law, Communication & Journalism; Media Production; and the National Centre for Computer Animation. The Faculty considers itself to be one of the leading destinations for the study of creative media in the United Kingdom, based on a combination of top-quality education, world leading research and industry standard professional practice.  

The Faculty has a thriving academic portfolio and has enjoyed growth in student numbers and research across a wide range of disciplines. The strength of our eclectic research portfolio is reflected in strong submissions to four different UOAs in REF2021, three of which are represented in the Department for Humanities & Law (UOAs 18, 27 and 34). We have a strong commitment to driving societal impact and the UN Sustainable Development Goals in all of our work.

We are currently seeking a Head of Department for the Department of Humanities & Law, who will drive performance and resilience, further develop and build critical mass and deliver on the primary indicators of the BU2025 strategy – inspiring learning, advancing knowledge, and enriching society – and development of future strategies.

The Department of Humanities and Law brings together more than 50 academics and more than 900 students across the four subject areas of English, history, law, and politics. We are ranked 4th for History in the Guardian University Guide (2024), and our Law degrees are ranked 3rd nationally in the Complete University Guide subject league tables for graduate outcomes (2024).

The new Head of Department will provide strong leadership, implement strategic policy, and ensure that the highest possible standards of excellence are achieved. They will be expected to grow a sustainable educational provision, enhance research output and income generation, and lead on the delivery of key performance indicators. You will be supported in your role by three Deputy Heads of Department.

A bespoke and comprehensive programme of development and support will be available for successful appointees. The programme will be framed in the context of the University’s strategic plan.

You will be qualified to Doctorate level or equivalent in a relevant field. You will have demonstrated global research leadership and you will be committed to a culture of academic excellence and continuous improvement.

To apply for this role, download and complete an academic application from our website and email to [email protected], along with an Equality Monitoring Form.

For any queries regarding the application process please email [email protected].

A detailed job description and person specification are available from our website together with an online application form.

This post is open to Bournemouth university staff and agency staff currently working at Bournemouth university only 

BU values and is committed to an inclusive working environment.  We seek a diverse community through attracting, developing and retaining staff from different backgrounds to contribute to inspirational learning, advancing knowledge and enriching society.  To support and enable our staff to achieve a balance between work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share arrangements.