PVC and Dean of School of Health, Community & Life Sciences

The University of Salford’s forward-thinking approach has powered progress for 125 years. Today, our university community encompasses over 26,000 students, 2,800 staff and 200,000 alumni from all around the world. Our institution is bolstered by industry initiatives and innovative research programmes, building a thriving research and education community at the heart of a powerful and connected region.  Our mission to enrich lives is built on four areas of focus: building prosperity and equity; enabling healthier living; improving the environment and sustainability; and developing cutting-edge creative and innovative practice.

There is exciting work to be done as we build on our academic strengths in keeping with our heritage as a 1960s Robbins era university. We are implementing a contemporary university-wide education strategy that features interactive, student centred and evidence-based learning. We are developing a research and knowledge exchange offer which is multidisciplinary, collaborative and inclusive for the benefit of all of society. In our new strategy, social justice and equity principles underpin our three core missions.

As our new PVC Dean, you will provide outstanding leadership to establish and embed a vision and distinctive positioning for our new School of Health, Community and Life Sciences that will deliver the strategic ambitions of the University. The School’s strengths are in Allied Health, Life Sciences and Public Health. As a member of the University’s Leadership Team, you will also operate in a pan-institutional capacity with a clear role to inspire and enable colleagues to succeed and lead cross-School collaboration, and deliver on the new university strategy. The School will be home to a new health and wellbeing building to be competed in 2026. It will enable us to even better address health and social inequalities and to improve access to care, in collaboration with local and regional partners. This is a critical role and will require an experienced, collaborative academic leader with an excellent understanding of the portfolio within the School.

To be successful you will be able to evidence a successful track record of strategic development and managing change in a large and complex School/Faculty environment, and of building and sustaining strategic relationships with health partners and the ability to lead impactful research. You will have experience of enabling innovative portfolio development, a commitment to delivering a vibrant teaching and research culture, an international outlook, and the ability to create a vision for the School that will deliver global impact. With a good understanding of emerging national and international trends in higher education and (public) health policy and the ability to effectively engage with a broad range of external stakeholders.

With a new strategic plan, a reinvigorated sense of purpose and a new health and wellbeing building under construction, this is a great time to join the University and a fantastic opportunity to shape our learning and research and knowledge exchange environment for generations to come.

We are committed to an inclusive approach to promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion. We aim to have a more diverse workforce at all levels of the institution and particularly welcome applications from people from minority ethnic backgrounds and people with disabilities, who are under-represented in our workforce. Please click here to see how we are creating an inspirational, inclusive learning and working environment, celebrating the diversity of our University community in our everyday conversations.