Executive Dean

Be surprising and inspiring. Be so much more.

The Open University was founded in 1969 with the mission to: “promote educational opportunity and social justice by providing high quality education to all who wish to realise their ambitions and fulfil their potential – open to people, places, method and ideas”. We are the only institution worldwide with such a single vision and purpose. We are distinctive and unique. Our mission is still as relevant today as it was then, perhaps even more so.

We are now recruiting for a values led, dedicated and inspiring Executive Dean to join our executive team. You’ll be enabling our strategic mission by taking the lead in defining the future of the Open University and helping lead us through a period of profound change and development. As the Executive Dean of STEM, you’ll be accountable for the strategic leadership and management of the Faculty.

The successful candidate will be appointed to a permanent substantive role in the Faculty and seconded to the Executive Dean position. The appointment period for the Executive Dean position is for a maximum of five years, with possible reappointment for a further two years subject to the agreement of the Executive Dean and the Vice-Chancellor.

The Executive Dean has responsibility for the strategic leadership and management of the Faculty. They are the chief academic officer and, as head of a significant business unit, are accountable to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor in respect of its overall management and financial performance. The Executive Dean is a member of the Vice-Chancellor’s Executive Team (VCE), contributing to the University’s strategic direction and leading its implementation in the Faculty.

They are also a member of VCE-Academic, the executive management group that ensures alignment between academic strategy and implementation. They therefore play a pivotal role in the management and governance of the University.

It is the responsibility of the Executive Dean to ensure that the Faculty provides high quality and innovative courses and teaching, an excellent student experience, and research and knowledge exchange managed to high standards of quality and sustainability.

The Executive Dean represents the Faculty both within the University and externally. They provide academic and business leadership within the Faculty, ensuring alignment between the Faculty and wider University in the development and implementation of strategy and policy.

If you have vision, passion, creativity and determination to make a difference, we want to hear from you. This is a key appointment for us, and it will be for you – so we will invest time with candidates to get to know you and to give you the chance to get to know us. We welcome applications from a diverse range of candidates who have the vision and experience to lead a high-performing team in an outstanding institution.

For further information please visit the website we have put together for this role by clicking Apply.

If you need further clarifications, please contact our advisors at GatenbySanderson: Jess Wood or Julia Roberts on ouexecdeanstem@gatenbysanderson.com.

Closing date: Friday 18th October 18:00hrs