Overview
Head of the School of Applied Social Sciences (Leicester, GB, LE1 9BH)
| Job Reference: | 581 |
| Job Title: | Head of the School of Applied Social Sciences |
| Job Location: | Gateway House |
| Full-time/Part-time: | Full-time |
| Employee Weekly Hours: | 37.00 |
| Salary: | £87,305.00 – £91,463.00 |
| Closing Date: | 07/09/2026 |
Main duties and responsibilities
Head of School Applied Social Sciences
De Montfort University (DMU) is seeking to appoint an outstanding academic leader to the role of the Head of School, School of Applied Social Sciences within the Faculty of Health & Life Sciences. DMU is an ambitious, globally minded institution with a relentless focus on delivering high-quality teaching and learning, alongside research and innovation, with a campus-wide commitment to providing a sector-leading student experience.
Faculty
Home to four specialist schools – The Leicester School of Allied Health Sciences, Applied Social Sciences, The Leicester School of Nursing and Midwifery and The Leicester School of Pharmacy – the faculty educates almost 7000 students and develops professionals who make a significant difference to lives, health, wellbeing, communities and society. Teaching reflects the latest developments in the sector and many courses have professional accreditations/approvals, meaning it is of the highest quality with a focus on building skills sought by employers. DMU has a track record of conducting research that impacts society and makes a real difference through improvements to health and wellbeing, infrastructure, creativity, economic growth, business and civil society. Our research excellence was recognised in the current Research Excellence Framework (REF) where more than 60% of our research was judged to be of international quality. Research in the Faculty submitted to REF Units of Assessment UoA3, 4 and 20 during the last REF exercise.
Role
The Head of School will provide strategic and operational leadership in the largest school in the faculty and across a significant academic portfolio. As a member of the Faculty Executive, you will lead the school’s academic development, people, resources and performance, ensuring excellence in teaching, research, knowledge exchange, innovation and student outcomes.
Supporting collaborative working cross-school and faculty, a key emphasis for the Head of School will be to build the school’s external profile, reputation and reach, including recruitment and outreach, building partnerships with businesses, and engaging with local and regional communities and taking a global outlook to develop a national and international presence.
Ideal Candidate
You will be an accomplished academic leader with a doctorate, or equivalent academic standing in a discipline relevant to the school. You will bring substantial experience of operating in a senior leadership role within a large and complex organisation, with a proven ability to develop and deliver strategic priorities to target, manage significant staffing and budgets, and lead high-performing teams.
You will have a strong track record of leadership across learning and teaching, research, knowledge exchange and innovation, and significant experience of workforce planning, student number planning and business risk management.
The successful candidate will be an inspirational and inclusive leader, capable of communicating a compelling vision, building effective relationships across diverse stakeholder groups, and creating a performance-focussed culture where colleagues feel empowered to succeed.
The salary for this post is £87,305 to £91,463. Candidates meeting our Professorial criteria, will be assessed against the appropriate banding.
Interviews are expected to be held w/c 28 September 2026.
To view the candidate pack, please click here
Contact
Informal discussions about the role are welcome, please contact Professor Simon Oldroyd at SOldroyd@dmu.ac.uk
De Montfort University is committed to providing a working and learning environment that enriches lives, supports individuals to reach their full potential, and where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As an educator and shaper of society, the university aims to role model positive behaviors both within the university and to reflect the diversity of the wider community. As such we welcome applications from all potential candidates.
For general enquiries, please contact peopleservices@dmu.ac.uk
IMPORTANT: Before applying for this role, please make sure you have the right to work in the country where the role is based. Unless it clearly stipulates within in the job advert above that the hiring company is looking to or able to sponsor applicants it is deemed that the hiring employer will only consider applications from those able to comply with and work in the country where the role is based.
