Deputy Programme Director - MSc Clinical Applications in Developmental Psychology

Anna Freud is seeking a Deputy Programme Director to join our world-leading mental health charity for children, young people and their families. Our mission is to close the gap in wellbeing and mental health by advancing, translating, delivering, and sharing the best science and practice with everyone who impacts the lives of children, young people and their families. More information about Anna Freud is available on our website.

Our EDI commitment

We are dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace and being an equal opportunities employer, whereby equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are core to our recruitment practices. All candidates who meet the job criteria will be considered for employment, regardless of ethnic origin, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, socioeconomic background, caring responsibilities and care experience.

We ask candidates to share their diversity dimensions with us to help us identify, tackle and prevent bias across the employee lifecycle. We believe a diverse workforce enhances our ability to support mental health and wellbeing, allowing us to better meet the needs of the children, young people and families we serve.

As a Disability Confident employer, disabled candidates meeting our criteria are guaranteed an interview. Applications are submitted anonymously and assessed using a fair evaluation process based on the criteria set out in our job profiles.

What we offer

We offer a range of staff benefits, including wellbeing offers such as free counselling through our Employee Assistance Programme. We are proud to have staff-led Diversity Networks offering unique opportunities for learning, connection and impact.

What you’ll do

You will work alongside the Programme Director to deliver, develop and quality assure a high-quality MSc in Clinical Applications in Developmental Psychology, ensuring an excellent student experience and compliance with UCL academic standards. The role combines teaching, curriculum development, student support, module leadership and programme management to help prepare the next generation of professionals working in child development, mental health and psychological practice.

This is a new Master’s programme, which means there are opportunities for you to directly contribute to developing new material for the programme, including module content and wider educational activities around the programme (e.g., optional seminar series, journal clubs). You will line manage up to 5 programme staff, forming part of a wider programme team of up to 15 people. You will play a key role in moulding the programme to deliver high-quality content to students.

What you’ll bring

Essential skills and experience:

• PhD, DClinPsych or equivalent qualification in Psychology, Clinical Psychology or a related discipline.
• Expertise in developmental psychology, child development and psychopathology, with knowledge of relevant theoretical approaches.
• Experience designing, delivering and quality assuring postgraduate education programmes within a higher education setting.
• Proven ability to lead and support academic teams, manage competing priorities and deliver excellent student outcomes.
• Skilled in using digital learning platforms and providing pastoral and academic support to postgraduate students.

Key Details

Hours: part-time (14 hours per week), working days are expected to be Monday and Tuesday.

Salary: £59,258 per annum FTE, plus 6% contributory pension scheme.

Location: hybrid working (a mixture of onsite and home/remote working). Occasional attendance for in-person teaching and meetings will be required at Anna Freud, 4-8 Rodney Street, London N1 9JH. (4-8 Rodney Street, London N1 9JH).

Contract type: permanent, starting in January 2027.

Next steps

Closing date for applications: midday (12pm), Thursday 29 October 2026. Please note that due to high application volumes, we may close this advert early. We encourage you to apply promptly and to keep an eye on our future vacancies for more opportunities.

Notification of interview: shortlisted applicants will be notified no later than Friday 6 November 2026. During shortlisting, applicants are anonymously assessed using the criteria visible in the Job Profile. Please note: due to the high volume of applications received, we will not be able to provide feedback to unsuccessful applicants.

Interviews: will be held on a date to be confirmed (November 2026).

How to apply: click on the 'Apply’ button above to apply online. We are unable to accept CVs and kindly request no contact from agencies.

Questions?

Please email recruitment@annafreud.org with any job enquiries, or if you require assistance or experience difficulties when applying. Please note that successful candidate(s) will be asked to evidence their Right to Work in the UK post-job offer – we do not hold a sponsor license therefore we are unable to provide Visa sponsorship.

£59,258 per annum FTE, plus 6% contributory pension scheme