Executive Director of HeXie Management Research Centre

ABOUT XJTLU

In 2006 Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) was created by the University of Liverpool and Xi’an Jiaotong University – a top ten university in China. Offering a unique international education experience, XJTLU brings together excellent research practice and expertise from both institutions and gives students the skills and knowledge they need to secure careers in a global marketplace. XJTLU now has over 25,000 enrolled students in both Suzhou and Liverpool in the UK, with plans to grow to about 28,000 students by 2025. There are currently about 2,000 staff, among which about 1,000 academic staff, with an almost even split between citizens of the People’s Republic of China and international passport holders. XJTLU offers our undergraduates and postgraduates over 100 programmes with a diverse spectrum of courses.

XJTLU is entering a new and exciting phase of its development as part of its strategic priorities for the next ten years. Adopting a new higher education model based on the concept of Syntegrative Education (SE), XJTLU is currently opening a new Entrepreneurial Education site in Taicang, part of wider Suzhou, where the Entrepreneur College (Taicang) is located. The Taicang site will be a pioneer of, and educational model for, the future campus in addressing challenges arising from the 4th Industrial Revolution. Other new initiatives include new working partnerships with Xi’an Jiaotong University, the continued development of the four new Academies, and exploration of further potential locations to develop the SE model.

With a focus on innovative learning and teaching, and research, XJTLU draws on the strengths of its parent universities, and plays a pivotal role in facilitating access to China for UK and other institutional partners. At same time, XJTLU is exploring future education by blending the educational theory, best practice and culture from west and east. 

ABOUT HeXie Management Research Centre (HeXie Academy)

HeXie Management Research Centre (HeXie Centre or HeXie Academy), is a comprehensive research institute that offers multidisciplinary insights for the academy, teaching, and training in management, education, and sociology, aiming to contribute to the development of human society. As an Innovation Platform of Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, HeXie Centre focuses on the research and practical application of the HeXie Management Theory to gather intelligence, conduct social experiments, and build a high-level academic research and educational innovation ecosystem. Through integrating eastern and western wisdom, combining history and future, bridging the gap between theory and practice, HeXie Centre commits to inspiring, nurturing imagination and creativity, spurring leading and original innovation, and making pioneering contributions to the development of management theory, industrial innovation ecosystem, high-quality economic and social innovation in China and the world. 

KEY RESEARCH AREA OF HEXIE MANAGEMENT RESEARCH 

HeXie Management Research Centre has conducted large-scale research by applying the HeXie Management Theory, in three interdisciplinary research fields that combines from Digital & Intelligent Ecosystem Research, Future Social Life and Governance Innovation Research to Research on Sustainable Development.

• Digital & Intelligent Ecosystem Research based on the HeXie Management Theory. 

Focus on the ecosystem of industrial innovation, ecosystem organizations - strategy - leadership - governance, HeXie education and integration between industry and education (Syntegrative Education), industrial internet and digital transformation, digital entrepreneurship and innovation, big data-driven decision-making and financial markets, business succession and innovation, and intelligent strategic human resources etc.

• Future Social Life and Governance Innovation Research based on the HeXie Management Theory.

Focus on modern Chinese governance, elderly care services, healthcare data studio, age-friendly technology innovation, innovation in care and wellness services, digital creativity, social governance and future communities in digital & intelligent era, smart cities and urban regeneration, social innovation, public charity and common prosperity research topics.

• Research on Sustainable Development inspired by the HeXie Management Theory.

Focus on the carbon neutrality, ESG (environment, society & governance) strategic transformation, carbon market, energy transition, new energy industry, environmental protection, sustainable development strategy, green supply chain management, and mechanism for harmonious coexistence between humans and nature etc.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Reporting to the Vice President of Administrative affairs and dotted-line to the Vice President of Academic Affairs, the Executive Director of HeXie Management Research Centre will play a critical role in realising the aims and objectives and in fulfilling the vision and mission of this dynamic new institutional initiative. The Executive Director will hold overall responsibility for: (i) articulating and implementing the strategic vision of the centre; (ii) leading, encouraging and supporting excellence in joint education, in collaborative research and in outreach; (iii) promoting collaborative relationships both internally and externally; (iv) overseeing all annual planning and budgeting for the centre; (v) meeting all targets and expectations set by the institutional leadership agenda. The expectation is that the Executive Director will provide dynamic, sustained and transformative leadership for the growth and development of the centre. 

THE KEY RESPONSIBLLITIES OF THE ROLE INCLUDE:

• Providing leadership and administrative oversight in delivering the centre’s short and long-term strategic plan to meet or exceed the objectives;
• Providing leadership and oversight in the development or revision of centre level academic and operation regulations and guidelines, and ensuring that the educational programmes meet objectives and key targets and ensuring the centre operations meet with the requirement of the University;
• Lead the centre staff to conduct high-quality research based on HeXie Management Theory, develop research potential using accumulated experience from academic studies and project-based practice, enhance international academic influence in HeXie Management Theory relevant research fields such as management, humanities, economics, sociology, and philosophy.
• Collaborating with strategic partners such as government, industry, research institutions and other relevant stakeholders in the development of University postgraduate (PhD) programmes and its pathways to ensure that the University has competitive and relevant academic programmes that are in line with the emerging needs of industrial, research development and technological innovations.
• Working closely with Deans of Schools and Academies as well as Programme Directors, to promote and facilitate the development or revision of Masters programmes as well as training programmes based on industrial partners’ needs, market opportunities, and teaching/research resources;
• Overseeing and facilitating research collaborations between XJTLU staff and external collaborative research institutes and enterprises, thereby increasing both the number of research collaboration projects and the amount of external research funding;
• Exploring opportunities with community partners for sharing facilities, providing industrial placements and internships, and sponsoring projects;
• Managing public relations, promoting and fostering continued business development opportunities with communities including collaborating research institutes and industrial partners through regular communication and visits;
• Overseeing branding and marketing efforts to enhance the Academy’s visibility and reputation both within and outside the country.
• Attending trainings as required, performing any other duties or tasks as assigned by the University.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

Preference will be given to applicants who have shown outstanding promise in leadership, business engagement, research and teaching. It is important to note that a successful applicant must be able to teach in English as XJTLU’s working and instructional language is English.

QUALIFICATIONS

• PhD degree in relevant research fields such as Management, Economics, Humanities, Sociology, and Philosophy;
• Leadership experience in high education; experiences in curriculum and subject material development, experiences as Programme Director and Module Leader would be highly regarded;
• Entrepreneurship, industrial experiences or collaboration experiences would be highly regarded;
• Proven experiences in conducting high-quality academic research, good records of refereed research publications;
• Experiences in mentoring and providing research guidance to junior researchers;
• Leading or participation experiences of national-level research projects would be a plus;
• Excellent oral and written communication in English.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS:

• Aspiration in academic research pursuit;
• Work well independently and collaboratively with colleagues, excellent communication and interpersonal skills, strong organizational skills;
• Strong attention to detail, able to priorities tasks and meet multiple deadlines;
• Self-motivated, enthusiastic and innovative;
• Experience or qualifications in teaching in a tertiary environment is an asset.

CITIZENSHIP AND VISA REGULATIONS

Employment at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University is regulated by Chinese Labour Laws, and must comply with the regulations of the provincial government. These regulations stipulate who is eligible for legal employment with regard to obtaining work permits and visas. Please be advised candidates over 65 may be not eligible for a work visa in the P.R. China. 

CAREER DEVELOPMENT

1. Clear career development path with annual review.
2. Professional development trainings are provided. 

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

SALARY: Competitive salary in the market

BENEFITS:

1. Allowance: XJTLU provide various month/annual/one-off allowances as

• Housing allowance
• Travel allowance
• Education allowance
• Relocation allowance
• Etc.

2. Commercial insurance: international insurance plans customized for XJTLU staff and family members. (details refer to the University Policy)

3. Paid holidays:

• Statutory Holidays (11 days)
• Annual Leave (36 days)
• Family Matters Leave
• Paid Sick Leave
• Marriage Leave
• Paternity Leave
• Parental Leave
• Etc.

4. Working visa and residence permit in China: XJTLU sponsors working visa and residence permit in China for the staff.

HOW TO APPLY

Applications must be submitted in a single pdf file that includes 3 parts in the order of:

• A cover letter
• A current CV, including country of citizenship, and highest degree level
• Contact Details for Three References

Informal enquiries may be addressed to HRBP Ms.Yun Zhang at yun.zhang01@xjtlu.edu.cn