Head of Curriculum (Higher Education)

Purpose of Job

To be responsible for the management, quality, resources, and compliance of the Academy's Higher Education curriculum, including the organisation, development, and day-to-day control of activities to meet the needs of students.

Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Enactment

• Take responsibility for enacting the HE strategy through devising an annual development plan, implementing agreed actions, and reporting on progress and impact.
• Ensure appropriate targets are set at all levels in your area of responsibility, and that management information is used to inform decision making and report against key performance indicators.

Curriculum Development and Design

• To lead the development of new curriculum, adopting an innovative, research-based approach lined to scholarly activity and continuous professional development.

Stakeholder Engagement

• In all activities, and in conjunction with the Principal, set, monitor, and contribute to targets relating to recruitment, advice and guidance of the curriculum, enrolment, retention, attendance, achievement, progression, and associated learner outcomes, achieving value for money, and operating within agreed budgetary targets and systems.
• To lead the development and implementation of scholarly activity across the Academy.

Teaching, Learning and Academic Standards

• To develop and manage a team of staff to deliver an efficient and high-quality curriculum, contributing to the teaching and learning programme and to demonstrate high levels of professional practice, inspiring, motivating and influencing staff and providing knowledgeable and innovative leadership.
• To co-ordinate and assure marking/moderation of assessments in accordance with the established procedures and required deadlines.
• To undertake regular curriculum and program reviews and revise and develop as necessary.
• To play a role in the teaching of programmes, and in the formative and summative assessment of the participants' work.

Student Journey

• Maintain a clear vision, purpose and high expectations focused on learners' achievements.
• To take an overview of the results of student feedback questionnaires, highlighting important issues and take any necessary follow-up.
• To contribute to appropriate marketing and student progression activities.

Leadership, Management and Quality Improvement

• To provide leadership and management of the Learning and Teaching team, establishing high-quality standards and clear, strategically aligned objectives, ensuring that the skills and capabilities are in place to deliver current and future goals and that staffing matters are addressed adequately.
• To ensure that a high-quality curriculum is monitored, evaluated, and improved by deploying quality improvement processes such as teaching and learning peer review, self-assessment, and performance monitoring, including the maintenance of appropriate records, teaching documents and performance indicators.
• To follow up on action points arising from College Board and Committee meetings, implementing change where necessary.
• To ensure action points from staff/student committees are followed up.
• To be responsible for termly progress monitoring, liaising with Academic Staff, Personal Tutors, Students and Administrative Staff where necessary.

General responsibilities

• To perform such other duties as reasonably expected to the general character of the post and which are commensurate with its level of responsibility.
• To work with the Principal and the Human Resources department on the recruitment and deployment of staff and completion of appraisals and probationary processes.
• To keep up to date with current educational literature, theory and practice and remain in good professional standing.
• To be responsible for servicing Board and Committee meetings and Chair when required.

Key Competencies

Skills and Abilities

• Possess the ability to lead, inspire and motivate a team.
• Ability to set and achieve high standards for self and for team.
• Ability to provide effective performance management in conjunction with appropriate internal partners.
• Ability to complete teaching and learning peer review.
• Possess the ability to manage resources to achieve value for money and control of expenditure.
• Possess the ability to analyse data, produce assessments and implement actions to achieve targets.
• Possess a proactive and innovative style of leadership.
• Possess good communication skills.

Knowledge

• A clear understanding of the curriculum areas that are to be managed.
• Knowledge of curriculum developments and quality management.
• Knowledge and good understanding of self-assessment reports.
• Have good knowledge of the Office for Students and other associated Higher Education regulatory and quality bodies e.g. QAA, OIA, ESFA, HESA, Ofsted.
• Possess a good understanding of, and the ability to translate, funding policy into practice.
• Possess a sound knowledge of the requirements of the legal framework around safeguarding, Prevent, health and safety and equality and diversity.

Experience

• Have experience of teaching in and/or managing a curriculum area.
• Have a track record of delivering improving quality performance and learner success.

Qualifications

Essential

• Appropriate teaching qualification such as PGCE/PGDE/PGCHE or equivalent.
• Educated to degree level.
• Track record of CPD, scholarly activity and/or research.

Desirable

• Postgraduate qualification.

The above duties will inevitably change as the work of the Academy develops. The post-holder should therefore expect periodic variations to this job description. This job description may also be supplemented on a regular basis by individual objectives derived from Academy strategies.

The post involves commitment to working outside the normal Academy hours and a willingness to work flexibly is expected. There will be an occasional need to undertake business travel between other business sites within London and across the UK.

The post holder will be expected to work closely with Group central services and personnel.

There is an expectation that all employees will maintain the values of the Academy and will comply with the code of conduct as well as equality and diversity, health and safety and safeguarding policies.

Disclosure and Barring Service Clearance (DBS check)

Our Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent convictions and conditional cautions

• All spent convictions and adult cautions that are not protected (i.e. that are not filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020).

A criminal record will only be taken into account where the conviction is relevant to the position being applied for, and will not necessarily block candidates from employment. Any decision will depend on the precise nature of the work and the circumstances and background to the offence.

Equal Opportunities

British Academy of Jewellery is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to diversity and inclusion. We have a working environment where we value and respect every individual's unique contribution, enabling all of our employees to thrive and achieve their full potential. The Academy has a diverse workforce that is representative at all job levels.