Head of School, School of Languages and Cultures

• Opportunity for a distinguished academic to lead the School of Languages and Cultures (SLC)

• Be a part of the leadership team of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

• Fixed-term role for a period of 5 years with an attractive remuneration package

About the opportunity

Placing first in NSW and second in Australia, the School of Languages and Cultures in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Sydney, leads in the education and research of languages and cultures. The School’s language offerings are unique in their breadth and in integrating cultural understanding to provide depth and breadth to the learning experience. With Australia’s growing diversity, the School equips students with cross-cultural and linguistic competency and enables them to become successful and responsible citizens of our interconnected world. The School leads in Australia for multilingual research encompassing Asian, European and Middle Eastern languages and cultures and is successful in attracting major research funding.  

We are seeking to appoint a distinguished academic as Head of School, School of Languages and Cultures who will join the leadership team of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. The Head of School is responsible for the school’s academic teaching, learning and research performance outcomes that support the Faculty’s strategic goals, maintaining accreditation standards, the student experience, meeting financial targets and workplace culture. The position has formal financial and people delegations and is responsible for effective decision making to ensure financial sustainability. The successful applicant will contribute to the recruitment, appointment, development and retention of talented staff who are able to attract research funding and develop talented students across the school’s programs. The successful applicant will also help to promote the School’s, the Faculty’s and the University’s reputation for excellence and its national and international academic standing. The successful candidate will also play a role in ensuring that the Faculty meets its goals as set out in the recently launched Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Strategic Plan.

About you (skills, capabilities and experience)

The successful candidate will hold PhD qualifications and will have a recognised international academic and professional standing within a relevant academic field. You will have extensive experience in people leadership and management within higher education, experience in partnering with industry, and a track record in managing financial sustainability, infrastructure and the operational needs and practices of an academic unit. Your ability to make strategic decisions, together with strong business acumen, will support your endeavours in academic leadership, key stakeholder management and industry collaborations.

The successful applicant must have a wide network of established relationships with key academic, industry and professional institutions, partners and stakeholders that can be leveraged to enhance the standing of the School, the Faculty and the University.

Term and remuneration

The term of the appointment is 5 years with the possibility of renewal, subject to negotiation. The successful candidate will also be offered a professorial appointment in an appropriate discipline in the School and will retain that position at the conclusion of their headship. An attractive remuneration package will be offered commensurate with the responsibilities of the position and the candidate’s relevant experience and qualifications.

How to apply

Applications (including a CV and cover letter outlining how your skills, capabilities and experience meet the requirements for the role) must be submitted via the link above. Please refer to the candidate information brochure for further details.

Candidate Information Brochure

If you are a current employee of the University or a contingent worker with access to Workday, please login into your Workday account and navigate to the Career icon on your Dashboard.  Click on USYD Find Jobs and apply.

For a copy of the candidate information brochure, a confidential discussion about the role, or if you require reasonable adjustment or support filling out this application, please contact:

Lucy Porter (Senior Talent Partner, Recruitment Operations, Human Resources) on + 61 429 771 115 or by email [email protected]

To keep our community safe, please be aware of our COVID safety precautions which form our conditions of entry for all staff, students and visitors coming to campus.

Your employment is conditional upon the completion of all role required pre-employment or background checks in terms satisfactory to the University. Similarly, your ongoing employment is conditional upon the satisfactory maintenance of all relevant clearances and background check requirements. If you do not meet these conditions, the University may take any necessary step, including the termination of your employment.

Visa Sponsorship and relocation assistance will be provided if required.

EEO statement

At the University of Sydney, our shared values include diversity and inclusion and we strive to be a place where everyone can thrive. We are committed to creating a University community which reflects the wider community that we serve. We deliver on this commitment through our people and culture programs, as well as key strategies to increase participation and support the careers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People , women , people living with a disability , people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds , and those who identify as LGBTIQ . We welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds.

© The University of Sydney

The University reserves the right not to proceed with any appointment.

Applications Close

Thursday 16 May 2024 11:59 PM