Associate Director - Professional Law
Salary: £58,225 - £69,488
Basis: Full time, Permanent
Job reference: R09093
We have a fantastic opportunity for an experienced and visionary leader to join our Law School’s Leadership Team in a key role, to support colleagues and drive excellence across our growing Professional Law portfolio as Associate Director - Professional Law.
As a member of the School Leadership Team, you will line manage colleagues and oversee ALs (within the Professional Law cluster) to ensure high performance and commitment to the University’s values. You will provide leadership towards delivering high-quality experience for our students and work collaboratively across the School and the University to meet KPIs and implement strategic priorities.
You will help shape, innovate and deliver our growth strategy that aligns with the University’s mission and ensures effectiveness towards a positive experience and an inclusive culture for all staff and students.
About you
You're a dynamic and collaborative leader with a proven track record of delivering results—whether through enhancing the student experience or successfully leading teams within professional practice. You bring experience in developing colleagues and direct reports, influencing senior leadership, engaging with external stakeholders, and creating innovative, evidence-based solutions focusing on enhancing the student experience that benefit our students. You lead by example, embodying UWE's values: ambitious, inclusive, innovative, collaborative, and enterprising.
We welcome applications from current legal practitioners with significant experience, as well as former practitioners who have transitioned into higher education and are ready to make an even greater impact. If you're an accomplished professional eager to bring real-world expertise into our Law School and inspire the next generation of law students and legal professionals, we want to hear from you.
This is also an opportunity to enjoy a work-life balance that legal practice rarely offers. With generous holiday allowances, a sector-leading pension, and a supportive academic community, you'll have the space to grow your career while making a genuine difference. We're committed to your development too—with clear pathways for promotion and personal growth.
About Bristol Law School at UWE, Bristol
Bristol Law School (BLS) is a leading UK provider of legal education. Firmly established in our region, and globally connected, we are the Bristol Law School. Through practice-led learning and teaching, through interdisciplinary and applied research, we’re inspiring and developing the next generation of law professionals. Creating real-world ready law graduates with the skills, knowledge and mindset to navigate complexity, shape the future of law, and address the critical needs of our time. Our brand new £55 million Law School has been purpose built to provide the best possible environment in which to learn. Our investment in state-of-the-art facilities sets us apart: mock courtrooms, Harvard-style lecture theatres, modern teaching spaces, a Legal Resource Room and a dedicated Business and Law Clinic where students gain hands-on experience through pro bono work supervised by qualified and experienced professionals.
As one of the UK’s Law Schools with a 360° law offer, Bristol Law School at UWE Bristol develops ethical, real-world ready law graduates with the skills, knowledge and mindset to effectively navigate complexity. With our outstanding practice-led learning and teaching our graduates aren’t just equipped to shape the future of law; they’re well prepared and perfectly positioned to address the critical needs of today and tomorrow. Enabling them to having the greatest impact for the greatest good. We are the Bristol Law School. We make change happen
We are ambitious, innovative, and inclusive — and we are looking for talented professionals and educators to join us.
Where you will be working
UWE Bristol is a campus-based University, with vibrant campus communities that are central to student life.
In this role, you’ll be based at our modern Frenchay Campus where we’ve invested in state-of-the-art facilities designed to help both staff and students succeed.
Why UWE Bristol?
We are one of the largest providers of Higher Education in the South West with 38,000 students and 4,000 staff from right across the globe. Based in vibrant Bristol, our ambitions are to make a positive difference to our planet, transforming futures through actions and solving real world challenges.
We offer a wide range of employee benefits including progressive pay rates, very generous annual leave and career average pension schemes as well as retail savings, onsite nursery and opportunities for training and personal development.
We also provide a tailored professional programme to support our academic colleagues in delivering the highest in professional teaching standards.
Add your individuality to ours
UWE Bristol recognises the power of a truly diverse university community.
We’re part of a vibrant, multicultural city and welcome talented people from all backgrounds. Diversity is our strength, enhancing creativity, decision‑making, and problem‑solving. Join our supportive community and thrive.
We particularly encourage applications from global majority candidates as we are currently under-represented in this area, however all appointments are made strictly on individual merit.
As a Disability Confident employer we welcome applications from those who identify as having a disability.
Further information
If you would like to speak to us to find out more about this role, please contact
Kos Siliafis, Dean & Head of Bristol Law School (kos.siliafis@uwe.ac.uk)
Interviews are scheduled to take place at our Frenchay Campus on 2nd March 2026.
This is a full-time, permanent post.
This post is available on a job share basis for applicants wishing to work part.
Right to Work in the UK
If offered a role, you will need to provide valid documentation confirming your right to work in the UK before employment begins.
We may be able to sponsor eligible candidates for this role under the Skilled Worker visa route; however, visa sponsorship eligibility is assessed only at offer stage, being invited to interview does not indicate an offer of sponsorship.
Please review our Skilled Worker Guidance and UK Government website to assess your eligibility. If you do not qualify you may wish to explore other visa options.
Candidates without current Right to Work who are not eligible for Skilled Worker sponsorship or another Global Talent visa route, may wish to look into the Global Talent Peer Review route. This is a self-application process and is subject to you meeting qualifying criteria.
You may also wish to explore other visa options which will allow you to work in the UK.
Please note that UWE Bristol does not cover any visa or health surcharge costs.
Next Steps
We’d love to hear from you - if this role excites you, please complete our application form as soon as possible and tell us how your skills and experience meet the criteria listed in the Person Specification, using clear and relevant examples wherever possible.
We’ll keep you informed of the outcome by email once shortlisting is complete.
Closing date: 18 February 2026.
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