Associate Dean - Creative Programmes

London College of Contemporary Arts (LCCA) is where the latest in art and creative thinking meets advanced business skills. The college’s ground-breaking degrees, diplomas and courses are designed to reward students’ artistic talent with career success. Aided by its association with the University for the Creative Arts, it delivers high-quality courses while fostering strong industry connections, ensuring students and staff can thrive in the dynamic creative economy. Graduating students leave LCCA as ambitious, passionate and highly creative individuals who are well-placed to embark on a successful career in their chosen specialisation.

As an Associate Dean, you will be a motivated individual who understands the value of good communications, management, quality assurance and the development of best practice in learning and teaching. You will have relevant experience of developing and managing programmes at foundation levels with the ability to lead a range of academic staff.

You will oversee the quality of the teaching on all programmes within the department and will work with teams to build best practice and to support high rates of student achievement, engagement and satisfaction.

You will seek to involve internal and external stakeholders in supporting and enhancing curriculum development and delivery, and work collaboratively with partner institutions to develop and enhance the curriculum. Being aware of the latest developments in pedagogic theory, education practice and UK HE policy; and being able to share and implement these insights is vital.

The role involves taking responsibility for the management, academic direction, and performance of the academic portfolio within designated programmes. You will be expected to be a visionary leader who thinks innovatively and creatively, whilst commanding the support and respect of both academic and professional staff. You will oversee the implementation of strategic initiatives in learning, teaching and play a key role in further enhancing our brand reputation and awareness. On a day-to-day level you will show leadership, direct operations, develop colleagues and grow the department. You will be target driven, familiar with the implementation and analysis of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and demonstrate academic integrity. To this end, the post holder will be a member of the College Senior Leadership Team (SMT) and will deputize for the Academic Deans, as and when appropriate. The postholder will also work alongside the other Academic Deans of the college and will participate in teaching, as per operational requirements.

You will contribute to the overarching aim of creating better opportunities with and for students, enabling more to achieve their goals. The role focuses specifically on removing inequalities that exist for students from underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds, through institutional change programmes and bespoke student support initiatives.

The Associate Dean will be forward-looking, with the ability to horizon-scan and plan. They will identify dependencies, anticipate potential risks, issues, challenges, and opportunities, and will take appropriate action as required.

Knowledge & Skills

• To contribute to the development of the College’s strategies for enhancing student experience and engagement of students.
• To provide leadership on projects assigned by Principal, Vice Principals and Deans in the spirit of the role of Associate Dean.
• To advise the relevant Dean and others in Senior Management on all resource requirements, ensuring that all such requirements, including staff recruitment, facilities, resources, and timetabling are planned for and realised in a timely fashion.
• To provide mentorship and guidance to faculty members, assisting them in enhancing their teaching, research, and professional growth. This includes the development and implementation of Foundation training programs, with the goal of equipping faculty members with the necessary qualifications and skills to independently manage the Foundation programme.
• To participate in staff recruitment, evaluation, and promotion of faculty.
• To promote and further enhance the highest quality learning experience for LCCA students.
• To manage, in conjunction with Deans and Course Directors, on a day-to-day basis the operation of the programmes delivered across the LCCA campuses including travel to the campuses and collaborative partner (UCA) site as necessary.
• To ensure that students experience the highest quality teaching and learning, pastoral support, and careers advice.
• Providing academic leadership within your department in order to ensure that a student-centered, engaging approach is maintained by all teaching practitioners and lecturers.
• Exhibiting an extremely innovative mindset, especially when solving problems, and looking for creative ways in which original ideas can be implemented.
• Being a reflective and reflexive practitioner; seeking feedback on your work and aiming for continual improvements to your practice.
• Demonstrating ambition, being highly success-oriented and motivated by both short and long-term projects and targets.
• Working with the Principal, Vice Principals and Academic Deans to produce a consolidated teaching and learning strategy that brings together existing documents and commitments into a high-level strategy that is focused on strengths and, while ambitious, is deliverable.

Knowledge & Skills

• In depth understanding of teaching and learning and how excellence may be attained.
• Understanding and knowledge of innovative approaches to teaching and their appropriateness to different student groups.
• Knowledge of teaching qualifications and staff development appropriate to academic staff at the College.
• Knowledge of the QAA Framework for Higher Education Qualifications, Codes of Practice and relevant Subject and Qualification Benchmarks.
• Planning and managing resources- effectively plans and manages operational activities or large projects to achieve long term objectives
• Teamwork- builds effective teams, networks or communities of practice and fosters constructive cross team collaboration
• Creativity, Innovation and Problem Solving- identifies innovative solutions to problems to bring a wider benefit to the organisation
• Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• The ability to respond creatively and empathetically to the specific teaching and learning needs of the College’s diverse community.
• Desire to achieve high standards for self and others.