Associate Dean (Education and Students)

About the University of Bristol:

The University of Bristol’s Mumbai campus is an innovative extension of its prestigious UK counterpart, established to promote academic excellence, global collaboration, and impactful industry engagement in one of the world’s most dynamic financial hubs. The campus offers a truly international and cross-cultural academic environment, combining the University’s rigorous academic traditions with the fast-evolving Indian and South Asian business landscape.

As part of a growing global network, the Mumbai campus serves as a hub for interdisciplinary learning, applied research, and thought leadership. Faculty members enjoy access to global partnerships, collaborative research opportunities, and the ability to contribute to high-impact academic programmes that prepare students to meet the challenges of an interconnected world.

About the Role:

This role is a key foundational role to support the delivery of the University’s Mumbai Enterprise Campus (MEC), a flagship transnational education initiative of the University of Bristol set to open its doors in 2026, coinciding with the University’s 150th anniversary.

The role will provide leadership to develop and structure the MEC’s educational offer and its two-way link with the University’s main campus in Bristol, reporting to and working closely with the MEC Executive Dean and Director, throughout the first three foundational years of the Campus establishment – with possibility of a contract renewal for an additional term thereafter.

The successful candidate will provide strategic and operational leadership to deliver an inspiring education, and transformative student experience, embedding new structures and ways of working across Mumbai and Bristol campuses. The role holder will also work as principal lead in bridging the coordination of the MEC with Faculties in Bristol. To do so, the role will have dotted lines reporting to University's Pro Vice Chancellor (Education and Students), and collaborating with relevant Associate PVCs (Faculty based and thematic), The will do so alongside an expected close partnership with the Faculty Pro Vice Chancellor in either Arts, Law and Social Sciences (ALSS) or Science and Engineering (S&E), to steward the development of a specific faculty-based MEC coordination function from year 2, depending on disciplinary background of the appointee.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Educational Leadership, Culture, and Engagement

Reporting to the Executive Dean. The key responsibilities will be as follow

• Provide leadership, operational and developmental capacity to the Executive Dean during a period of transformation within the MEC and the University, with an emphasis on Education and Students portfolio.
• Support the Executive Dean to lead MEC in developing a vibrant educational offer for students that aligns with UoB curriculum and strengthens pedagogic innovation
• Working in consultation with the Executive Dean, and in collaboration with University and Faculty stakeholders, support the strategic vision of delivering an attractive and inspiring education that equips students with skills for the future.
• Lead and participate in significant MEC development, campus development, student growth projects, including chairing working groups, management committees that champion and further the University’s strategic ambition.
• Line manage MEC leadership roles tasked with the delivery of MEC programmes, or other roles in the MEC as delegated by the Executive Dean.
• Deputise for the Executive Dean as required.
• Drive and manage recruitment for the MEC, supporting MEC Executive Dean in setting targets, and working with market insights teams and local stakeholders to ensure programmed align with market demand.
• Explore potential for interdisciplinary projects with industry, enterprise, or public sector partners that shape the educational offer.

2. Teaching & Research

• Deliver a select teaching contribution to the MEC in an area of relevant expertise (Postgraduate/Undergraduate) offer in the area of relevant expertise.
• Work with the MEC Executive Dean to oversee and uphold the academic standards, regulatory compliance and continuous improvement of the MEC education portfolio, in alignment with institutional quality assurance framework
• Provide support for academic disciplines and interdisciplinary opportunities within the MEC.
• Create a nurturing environment for excellence across the whole education offer and support implementation of forward-thinking education strategies and innovative teaching.
• Ensure research strengths are matched and leveraged to develop teaching excellence and integrated in MEC UG/PG programme offerings.
• Identify potential areas of strength in teaching, which would benefit from more diverse educational provision and that align with the skills agenda for business.
• Work with the University’s Thematic PVCs and APVCs to develop educational partnerships that enable strategic and cross cutting University developments to be realized within the MEC.
• Work closely with relevant Faculty PVCs and APVCs to drive close engagement between MEC Research, Innovation and Partnership activity and faculty

3. Resource Management

• Understand the nature of the disciplines within the MEC and support delivery of operational plans.
• Deliver the leadership and managerial duties associated with the role of the Associate Dean working with and delegating to MEC leadership (e.g. programme directors, professors) and Academic Officers in an efficient manner including maintaining and developing robust staff review, mentoring, wellbeing and development processes.
• Work collaboratively with Professional Services partners to deliver delegated administrative and governance duties.
• Support the Executive Dean through the University Planning cycle identifying high level needs and opportunities for MEC efficient delivery as well as integration into the overall University Planning.
• Provide budget and resource management support to the Executive Dean.
• Actively support colleagues to identify areas for income generation that support financial sustainability for the MEC.

4. Key Competencies/ Attributes

• Leadership and Culture: supports the setting of direction and has the courage to give purpose to help take the MEC forward. Is able to help inspire people with the vision of the future. Manages others and their performance with honesty and integrity.
• Managing Change: leads and embraces change. Is able to balance University need for change with MEC needs. Understands the concerns of colleagues and communicates the reasons for change.
• Educational vision: able to articulate a compelling vision for education and student experience that is inspiring, dynamic, and engaging.
• Results Focus: takes action to make sure things happen. Is decisive and able to balance competing needs.
• Managing Finance and Resources: ensures the effective use of resources allocating time and people time appropriately in line with objectives and financial constraints.
• Collaborative Working: encourages a cohesive, trust-based team approach across the Faculties and University.
• Collaborative internationalization: open to working across international boundaries to connect closely with Bristol colleagues and embracing Bristol’s ethos and culture of internationalization
• Continual Professional Development: engages in self-development