"Head of School of Communities and Education"

Join Northumbria to lead the School of Communities and Education at a pivotal moment in our institutional development. This exciting role gives you the opportunity to shape the future of a thriving academic community, with a strong national and international profile, as part of our newly established Faculty of Health and Wellbeing.

Northumbria is a research-intensive, modern university with a clear social mission: to unlock potential for all, changing lives regionally, nationally, and internationally. Our vision is that through world-leading research and transformative education, we enable people from all backgrounds to succeed, and support businesses and communities across the North-East, London, and beyond to thrive.

From August 2025, Northumbria will move to a new academic structure designed to promote interdisciplinarity, collaboration and real-world impact. The School of Communities and Education will continue to sit alongside the newly named Schools of Healthcare and Nursing Sciences, Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation, and Psychology — creating a dynamic and purposeful environment for education, research and enterprise across health and society.

The School of Communities and Education boasts outstanding research, a strong and diverse student community, and highly engaged academic and professional staff. As Head of School, you will provide strategic and operational leadership, championing excellence across teaching, research and knowledge exchange, and ensuring a positive, inclusive and empowering culture for staff and students alike.

We are looking for a values-led academic leader with a strong personal track record in research and innovation, a deep understanding of the higher education landscape, and a demonstrable commitment to delivering an exceptional student experience. You will bring strategic acumen, emotional intelligence, and the ability to build strong relationships across disciplines, institutions, and external partners. You will be confident leading change, fostering collaboration and managing performance, and committed to the continuous development of others.

This is an opportunity to join a financially robust and forward-thinking university at a time of real momentum. If you share our ambition to do things differently, to lead with purpose and impact, and to help shape the future of Communities and Education within a connected, inclusive and research-intensive university, we would be delighted to hear from you.

For an informal conversation about the role, please contact joanne.atkinson@northumbria.ac.uk.

To apply for this vacancy please click 'Apply Now'. Your application should include a covering letter and a CV.

Join Northumbria University, a research-intensive institution unlocking potential and changing lives locally and globally. Named University of the Year in 2022 and Modern University of the Year in 2025, we rank top 25 in the UK for research power.

With over 37,000 students from 140+ countries, we offer world-leading research, award-winning partnerships, and an outstanding student experience. We empower our exceptional staff, promoting a positive work-life balance and offering great benefits, including excellent pension schemes, flexible working, generous holiday entitlement and more.

Our Northumbria Values, co-created by our team, define who we are: Academic Excellence, Innovation, Inclusivity, Collaboration, and Ambition. Our Behaviours shape our work culture: We listen and learn, support one another, respect everyone, trust each other, and are bold.

Located in Newcastle upon Tyne and London, we are an on-campus organisation with flexibility in hours and location. We pride ourselves on diversity and inclusivity, holding numerous awards for gender and race equality, disability confidence, and research excellence.