Position Information

Academic Position: based on assessment of academic qualification
Division: Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Hub
Academic Discipline: Entrepreneurialism
Reports to: Director, Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Hub
Location: Taicang, Greater Suzhou, China

Institution Background

Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) has established a new campus in Taicang city XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang), with the collaboration of the Taicang Municipal Government and industry partners. It aims to pioneer the XJTLU 2.0 Syntegrative Education model to cultivate future-ready leaders. As part of its vision and mission to explore Syntegrative Education and create an entrepreneurial ecosystem, XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang) comprises seven Industry-themed Schools and several campus-level platforms.

The Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Hub (EEH), as one of the cross-campus innovation platforms, serves as the cornerstone for catalysing entrepreneurial learning, applied research, and venture development. EEH is led by a Director and consists of four divisions: Entrepreneurial Education, Entrepreneurship and Incubation, Enterprise and Industry Ecosystem, and Industry Executive Education. This role directly oversees the Entrepreneurial Education division, which provides entrepreneurial education to UG and PG students campus wide, and conduct research on entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship education.

Position Overview

Applications are invited for the position of Director of Entrepreneurship Education under the Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Hub at the XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang), part of Xi an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU). The position of Director will be a key link between business partners schools within the XEC campus, and XJTLU, with a remit to develop entrepreneurial education activity within the Entrepreneur College (Taicang).

As a member of the Taicang campus Leadership Team, the Director will lead and contribute to interdisciplinary innovation, research and knowledge exploration through working collaboratively with the Deans of Schools, Directors of Education, Research & Development Institute, and Heads of professional divisions of the Entrepreneur College (Taicang) and wider University.

Roles & Responsibilities

The Director of the Entrepreneurship Education is responsible for the development, implementation, launch, and management of both campus level and School level entrepreneurial education and research activity. The successful applicant will be a trusted provider of expertise, strategic insight, internal and external influence and entrepreneurial mindset, with a deep commitment to supporting and developing colleagues to succeed and the ability to build both formal and informal teams and networks to work together with creativity and impact.

1. Direct, and provide strategic and operational leadership of Entrepreneur Education delivered across the Entrepreneur College (Taicang).
2. Lead the development and implementation of a strategic plan for Entrepreneurial education curriculum and related activity, aligned to overarching College and University objectives, which draws on future-focused analysis of Syntegrative Education to develop strategic opportunities and manage risk.
3. Lead on the development and implementation of appropriate academic programmes at undergraduate, postgraduate taught and research levels.
4. Lead on the development of research platforms and individual research in entrepreneurship.
5. Provide leadership, guidance and input into business engagement by driving business growth by identifying opportunities, tracking new markets, and building sustainable client relationships.
6. Lead on the development of the governance, processes, policies, and operational protocols to ensure the Entrepreneurship Education department is shaped by academic input and industrial perspectives.
7. Keep under regular review the key strategic risks and opportunities, internal and external shareholders to entrepreneurial education activities relating to the campus strategic plan and the University s priorities.
8. Provide executive-level strategic advice, briefings, and support to the Team Leader of XEC leadership team, Deans of School, industry partners for innovation, knowledge exploitation, and serve on a range of institutional committees and groups.
9. Build effective and collaborative working relationships with academic divisions and other University units and services areas in the delivery of key priority agendas.
10. Maintain a strong personal external network to be able to access early-stage intelligence and good practice from across the research and entrepreneurial community and exert influence.
11. Be responsible for effective workforce planning within the department to assure delivery of the Strategic plan.
12. Represent the XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang campus) at a senior level in government meetings, external forums, recruitment fairs, regional and national bodies.
13. Perform any other worked related tasks assigned by the line manager, or the University Senior Management Team.

Qualifications

1. PhD degree, with substantial experience and significant achievement at leadership level in teaching and research in a higher education institution, preferred in Entrepreneurial Education related discipline.
2. A track record of success in the curriculum development and implementation of entrepreneurship education projects/programmes.
3. Demonstrable success in developing and implementing future-focused strategic plans which maximise opportunities and manage risk.
4. Credibility amongst academic leaders and external partners, personal authority and the ability to take key strategic decisions and represent the institution at a senior level.
5. A strong customer service ethos, ability and achievement in a services planning, coordination and delivery role, in driving team performance and implementing customer service measures.
6. Excellent change management skills and a track record of review and improvement and innovation in service design and delivery. Enthusiasm for implementing change and the ability to bring new approaches to facilitating innovation. Ability to influence and lead change beyond one s own functional unit.
7. Substantial experience of successful staff management with the demonstrated ability to exercise formal and informal leadership, to bring fresh thinking to tasks, to lead by example and support colleagues to succeed with a demonstrable commitment to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion.
8. Outstanding organisational skills, and ability to prioritise at individual and team levels, to be sensitive to the pressures facing other groups and individuals and to work to deadlines and under pressure.
9. Ability to communicate with a high degree of competence in both written and spoken English and Modern Standard Chinese preferable.