About The University
We have one simple promise – to make a positive impact. Through our ground-breaking research, teaching excellence and commitment to sustainable living, we are changing lives for the better.
We have some of the best university facilities in the UK and achieve outstanding results for our teaching and research and have been awarded Gold in the prestigious Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023 – making it one of the top universities in the country recognised for its outstanding student experience and student outcomes.
Financially strong and seriously ambitious we offer our employees an inclusive culture that centres itself around staff wellbeing, where you can be confident you will receive all the help and encouragement you need to build a rewarding career with lots of opportunities to enhance your skills.
About The College/Department
Here at the University of Derby, the College of Science and Engineering is the home of STEM: the skills that are essential to the UK’s Industrial Strategy. From digitisation to decarbonisation, we have an important role to play in shaping the future. And by researching or collaborating with us, you can too.
The College brings together a powerful combination of scientific expertise, technological innovation, and creative practice. With disciplines spanning computing, AI, data science, engineering, environmental sciences, built environments and psychology – we are uniquely positioned to solve real-world challenges through interdisciplinary collaboration.
Our courses are designed with employability and future industry needs in mind, supported by cutting‑edge facilities, strong employer partnerships, and a commitment to sustainability.
About The Role
The University is seeking an exceptional academic leader to take on the role of Subject Lead for Built Environment within our vibrant new School Senior Management Team. This is a pivotal leadership position, responsible for the overall success of the Subject, contributing to the wider leadership of the College and University, and ensuring that corporate and strategic aims are met.
The successful candidate will bring subject expertise and a strong focus on research, teaching, and industry engagement in the Built Environment. They will work proactively with the Head of School, other Subject Leads, and central University units to support and develop staff, students, and partners in alignment with the University’s values and behaviours.
As Subject Lead, you will have devolved responsibility from the Head of School for the line management of staff, providing strong, supportive, and challenging leadership to maximise people potential and engagement across academic activities. You will maintain high standards in teaching, learning, and assessment, lead by example through active engagement in teaching, research, and scholarship, and ensure excellence in student experience and success. You will also initiate and encourage professional and industrial engagement to enhance academic enterprise, undertake sector horizon scanning, benchmark performance, and identify new opportunities for collaboration and growth.
Interviews will take place on: Thursday 8th January 2026.
About You
We are seeking a strategically astute and engaging academic leader with a proven track record in industry collaboration, effective management, and driving excellence across education and research. The ideal candidate will bring a deep understanding of how Built Environment disciplines align with societal needs and market dynamics, and will translate strategic aims into impactful academic delivery.
You will foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement, recognise opportunities for external partnerships and knowledge exchange to deliver real‑world impact and solutions to some of society’s most pressing challenges. With significant experience in higher education teaching and academic leadership, you will also demonstrate strong commercial acumen, including budget management and financial oversight.
Committed to maintaining personal research and scholarship, ideally contributing to REF, you will share our values of inclusivity and social mobility, ensuring all learners thrive within a vibrant academic community. A collaborative and inspiring leadership style will be key to building high staff engagement and a positive team spirit.
Principal Accountabilities
* Provide strong, inspiring and collaborative leadership, create a positive team spirit, maximise people potential and engagement across the Subject area and wider University, so as to foster a vibrant and innovative academic community.
* Enhance the full range of academic activities in the Subject area, including teaching and learning, impactful research, professional development, industry engagement, academic enterprise and scholarly activity.
* Undertake sector horizon scanning and benchmarking performance against competitors to enhance the strength and performance of the Subject area.
* Lead the Subject area(s) in achieving the highest standards within TEF, NSS, PTES and PRES by addressing all aspects of academic quality and the development of learning and teaching practices that address relevant issues.
* Cultivate the academic development, review and teaching of programme provision within the Subject area(s).
* Actively foster collaborative relationships with the Registry and other Professional Support Service Departments to ensure the needs of the Subject areas within the College/School are being supported.
* To lead teams and activities to ensure a challenging and supported student experience which inspires them to achieve academically to their highest potential.
* Take the lead in ensuring the professional accreditation of programmes is achieved in the Subject area(s) where appropriate.
* Ensure the commitment to, and development of, academic enterprise, collaborative partnerships, and consultancy and commercial activities and manage these within staff workloads.
* Promote and embed the University’s core values with specific emphasis on quality, employability, and social mobility.
* Represent the Subject area or College/School externally as necessary.
* Actively contribute to the School Leadership Team to provide effective academic leadership.
Management
* Lead by example in ensuring staff work collegially in the College/School and engage with University-wide Departments and activities to achieve College/School and University objectives.
* Manage and support staff within the Subject with respect to academic workload planning, undertaking development and performance reviews, coaching and mentoring as required.
* Utilise management information to monitor achievement of objectives, setting clear performance targets and addressing issues of underperformance in an objective and supportive manner when necessary.
* Work proactively with the Head of School to ensure the effective planning and management of resources within an agreed budget and engage with College planning and budgeting.
* Engage in UK and International student recruitment activities by working effectively with recruitment and marketing colleagues to develop the profile of the Subject including its promotion through marketing and the media.
* Ensure all new staff in the Subject area receive comprehensive and effective induction and support during their probationary period.
* Manage staff in ways consistent with the University’s core values and behaviours.
* Ensure that staff in the Subject engage with staff development opportunities to gain and continuously enhance their skills and contribution, leading by example.
Quality Assurance and Governance
* Take lead responsibility for the health, performance and quality of the Subject’s courses by monitoring and responding to key information and metrics, including student feedback.
* Be accountable for ensuring effective continual monitoring at programme level, adhering to University policy and strategy working closely with professional services and students.
* Ensure compliance with institutional performance expectations within the HE sector, including the regulatory requirements of, for example the Office for Students, the Designated Quality Body, the Competition & Market Authority, and other relevant regulatory agencies.
* Take the lead to maintain and enhance quality assurance standards and the reputation for excellence in teaching and learning of the Subject area.
* Take responsibility for portfolio and curricula development/review for the Subject area(s), ensuring curricula content and delivery is both academically excellent and current, research-informed and industry engaged with appropriate pedagogy and assessment, ensuring it is inspiring, as well as sustainable in resource terms.
* As appropriate in the Subject, act as a point of liaison with Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Bodies, and working with the quality team as appropriate to ensure any course is compliant with relevant PSRB requirements.
Person Specification
Essential Criteria
Qualifications
* Academic/professional qualifications (at a minimum of a postgraduate level) and substantial experience in discipline area
* Hold or commit to working towards a PhD/Professional Doctorate or alternatively demonstrate equivalent standing in professional practice or expertise
* Evidence of continuing professional development
* Fellow of Advance HE
* Senior Fellow of the Advance HE (or to be achieved within 3 years of commencement date in post)
Experience
* Leadership experience within an academic context
* Significant teaching experience in HE
* A comprehensive understanding of external HE sector and current issues
* A strong commitment to the institutional mission and strategic objectives
* Current personal scholarship and research in a relevant field of endeavour
* Extensive curriculum development experience in a relevant area
* Substantial experience of quality systems and quality assurance
Skills, Knowledge & Abilities
* Understand the importance of setting and meeting stretching targets and objectives relating to organisational aims and goals
* Demonstrable skills in academic leadership and management with proven ability to deliver through people
* Strong business / commercial acumen and the ability to manage budgets and interpret financial information
* Ability to develop impactful research profile and external academic enterprise activities for self and others
* Proven ability to foster effective communication and collaborative working within a College/School
* A commitment to demonstrate and promote the University core values
* Flexible and adaptable, demonstrating good time management/planning skills and commitment to meeting deadlines
Business Requirements
* Contribute to the wider leadership of the College/School
* Ability to travel abroad for business
* Availability to work when necessary at weekends and during the evenings to attend Open Days and other University activities or other external activities
Desirable Criteria
Qualifications
* Professional practice or industrial experience in a relevant area
* Professional qualification relevant to the Discipline Area
Benefits
* Generous annual leave entitlement of 42 days inclusive of bank holidays and concessionary days (pro rata)
* Teacher’s Pension Scheme
* Suite of holistic wellbeing benefits and support including family‑friendly policies, generous sick pay provision and comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
* Access to a variety of staff discounts at high street retailers
* Discounted onsite gym
* Access to employer‑funded Private Health Insurance
* Holiday purchase
* Cycle to Work scheme
* A flexible working environment
* A commitment to personal and professional development
Key Contact
For further information and informal enquiries regarding the role, please contact Professor Nasser Sherkat, Head of School of Engineering and Built Environment via n.sherkat@derby.ac.uk.
For enquiries regarding your application and for sponsorship eligibility, please contact the recruitment team via recruitment@derby.ac.uk.
Important Information
Visa Sponsorship Eligibility: This role is eligible for sponsorship by the University, however, your individual circumstances must meet the criteria set out by UKVI; this includes meeting the English Language requirement and earning a salary that meets the highest of either the going rate for the SOC code or the minimum salary threshold for the Skilled Worker route (£41,700 per annum, as of 22nd July 2025).
If The Role Is Eligible, But The Offered Salary Is Less That The Going Rate For The Role, You May Still Be Able To Apply For a Skilled Worker Visa If:
* Your job is on the Immigration Salary List
* You’re under 26, studying or a recent graduate, or in professional training
* You have a PhD level qualification that’s relevant to your job
* You have a postdoctoral position in science or higher education
Please note that the University cannot confirm your eligibility for sponsorship until an offer is made and your individual circumstances have been considered.
For more information, visit visit our website.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
The University of Derby is committed to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion, regardless of age, disability, trans status, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief (or none), sex and sexual orientation.
We are Disability Confident Employers, demonstrating our commitment to disability inclusion, and invite applicants to highlight adjustments they may require to ensure equitable participation in our recruitment processes.
Further, we are committed to ensuring an environment which is trans and non‑binary‑inclusive for all our staff, students, partners, and visitors, and continuously review our policies, guidance and training.
When applying to join the University, you can choose your preferred title, including the gender‑neutral title ‘Mx’. We also ask our candidates if they would like to share their preferred pronouns. This is voluntary but demonstrates our commitment to inclusivity for trans and non‑binary candidates. Once employed, you can add pronouns and preferred names onto our system.
The University of Derby undertakes anonymised shortlisting during the staff recruitment process. This means that, when shortlisting, panel members will not be able to see an applicant’s name and will see an applicant number instead. This demonstrates the practical steps we are taking to remove barriers to recruitment by minimising the possible impact of our unconscious bias.
However you identify, we actively celebrate the knowledge, experience and talents each person brings. Our students come from a wide range of backgrounds; therefore we are particularly interested to hear from applicants who will help our leaders and teams be more reflective of our student population.
Read more about equity, diversity and inclusion at the University of Derby.
Environmental Sustainability
At the University of Derby, we are passionate about embedding sustainability into everything that we do. We aim to bring environmental sustainability into all aspects of the University, including teaching, research and operational activities. In line with the University’s strategic framework, we expect all our staff to embed sustainability into their working practices and support the University’s objective to reach net zero carbon by 2050.
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