Subject Lead for Built Environment

Here at the University of Derby, the College of Science and Engineering is the home of STEM: the skills that are essential to the UK’s Industrial Strategy. From digitisation to decarbonisation, we have an important role to play in shaping the future. And by researching or collaborating with us, you can too.

The College brings together a powerful combination of scientific expertise, technological innovation, and creative practice. With disciplines spanning computing, AI, data science, engineering, environmental sciences, built environments and psychology - we are uniquely positioned to solve real-world challenges through interdisciplinary collaboration.

Our courses are designed with employability and future industry needs in mind, supported by cutting-edge facilities, strong employer partnerships, and a commitment to sustainability. Through applied research and hands-on learning, we equip students and staff to drive progress in areas that matter most; from smart technology to clean energy, advanced manufacturing to immersive design.

School of Engineering and Built Environment

The School of Engineering and Built Environment at the University of Derby is a dynamic and future-focused academic community that blends technical excellence with creative innovation. It offers a wide range of programmes across engineering, architecture, construction, and design, preparing students to tackle global challenges in sustainability, infrastructure, and the built environment.

The School is home to research-active academics with backgrounds in engineering, architecture, interior design, and construction. Our staff bring real-world experience and academic rigour to the classroom, supporting students in developing both creative portfolios and technical competencies.

The discipline area is located in the University’s STEM annex in Markeaton Street, where staff offices and lab facilities are co-located. Key investments in the last few years include dedicated intelligent instrumentation and smart sensor technologies, robotics, renewable energy, power engineering and advanced materials and manufacturing. The discipline area is actively engaged in knowledge exchange projects and has an active applied research agenda. 

The University is seeking an outstanding and visionary academic leader to serve as Subject Lead for Built Environment within our dynamic new School Senior Management Team. This is a pivotal and highly influential leadership position - one that shapes the academic direction, culture, and performance of the Subject while contributing to the strategic leadership of the wider College and University.

As Subject Lead, you will play a critical role in delivering our corporate ambitions through strong academic stewardship, people-centred leadership, and a clear focus on excellence across teaching, research, and industry engagement. You will work collaboratively and strategically with the Head of School, fellow Subject Leads, and central University functions to inspire staff, support students, and cultivate impactful external partnerships - all underpinned by the University’s values and behaviours.

Derby’s proud heritage in construction, infrastructure, and rail provides an exceptional foundation for innovation in the Built Environment. The city’s forward-looking investment in zero-carbon research and partnerships with globally recognised industry leaders reflect the University’s position at the forefront of regional and national transformation.

In this role, you will exercise delegated leadership responsibility from the Head of School, including line management of academic staff and leadership of the Subject’s performance and culture. You will provide clear, supportive, and constructive leadership that enables individuals and teams to thrive. Through active engagement in teaching, research, and scholarly activity, you will model excellence and maintain the highest standards of academic practice, ensuring outstanding student experience and graduate outcomes.

Beyond the core academic remit, you will drive strategic growth by identifying opportunities for industry collaboration, external income generation, curriculum innovation, and research development. You will lead horizon scanning, performance benchmarking, and external engagement initiatives that reinforce the Subject’s relevance, agility, and long-term impact.

This is a rare opportunity for an ambitious and strategically minded leader to make a significant contribution to a College that delivers STEM solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges through education, research, and knowledge exchange.

Interviews will take place on: Tuesday 18^th and/or Wednesday 19^th August 2026

Conferment of an Associate Professor/Professorial title can be considered along with this role.

We are seeking a strategically astute, forward‑thinking, and inspiring academic leader with a proven record of shaping high-performing teams and driving excellence across teaching, research, and applied industry engagement. You will bring a deep understanding of the Built Environment and its evolving alignment with societal needs, sustainability priorities, and industry demand.

You will demonstrate the ability to translate institutional ambitions into meaningful academic direction - creating clarity, championing innovation, and ensuring delivery through effective leadership and collaboration. Skilled at building trusted relationships internally and externally, you will recognise opportunities for industry partnership, applied research, and knowledge exchange that deliver impactful solutions and enhance the University’s regional and national contribution.

With significant experience in higher education teaching and academic leadership, you will also bring strong commercial acumen, including sound judgment in budget management, resource planning, and performance oversight.

Committed to advancing personal research and scholarship, ideally with contributions aligned to REF, you will embody our values of inclusivity, ambition, and social mobility, championing a supportive environment where every learner can succeed.

Your leadership style will be collaborative, motivating, and people-focused - capable of cultivating high engagement, a strong sense of identity, and a positive, high‑performing team culture.

Academic Development and Leadership

1. Provide strong, inspiring and collaborative leadership, create a positive team spirit, maximise people potential and engagement across the Subject area and wider University, so as to foster a vibrant and innovative academic community.
2. Enhance the full range of academic activities in the Subject area, including teaching and learning, impactful research, professional development, industry engagement academic enterprise and scholarly activity.
3. Undertake sector horizon scanning and benchmarking performance against competitors to enhance the strength and performance of the Subject area.
4. Lead the Subject area(s) in achieving the highest standards within TEF, NSS, PTES and PRES by addressing all aspects of academic quality and the development of learning and teaching practices that address relevant issues.
5. Cultivate the academic development, review and teaching of programme provision within the Subject area(s).
6. Actively foster collaborative relationships with the Registry and other Professional Support Service Departments to ensure the needs of the Subject areas within the College/School are being supported.
7. To lead teams and activities to ensure a challenging and supported student experience which inspires them to achieve academically to their highest potential.
8. Take the lead in ensuring the professional accreditation of programmes is achieved in the Subject area(s) where appropriate.
9. Ensure the commitment to, and development of, academic enterprise, collaborative partnerships, and consultancy and commercial activities and manage these within staff workloads.
10. Promote and embed the University’s core values with specific emphasis on quality, employability, and social mobility.
11. Represent the Subject area or College/School externally as necessary.
12. Actively contribute to the School Leadership Team to provide effective academic leadership.

Management

1. Lead by example in ensuring staff work collegially in the College/School and engage with University-wide Departments and activities to achieve College/School and University objectives.
2. Manage and support staff within the Subject with respect to academic workload planning, undertaking development and performance reviews, coaching and mentoring as required.
3. Utilise management information to monitor achievement of objectives, setting clear performance targets and addressing issues of underperformance in an objective and supportive manner when necessary.
4. Work proactively with the Head of School to ensure the effective planning and management of resources within an agreed budget and engage with College planning and budgeting.
5. Engage in UK and International student recruitment activities by working effectively with recruitment and marketing colleagues to develop the profile of the Subject including its promotion through marketing and the media.
6. Ensure all new staff in the Subject area receive comprehensive and effective induction and support during their probationary period.
7. Manage staff in ways consistent with the University’s core values and behaviours.
8. Ensure that staff in the Subject engage with staff development opportunities to gain and continuously enhance their skills and contribution, leading by example.

Quality Assurance and Governance

1. Take lead responsibility for the health, performance and quality of the Subject’s courses by monitoring and responding to key information and metrics, including student feedback.
2. Be accountable for ensuring effective continual monitoring at programme level, adhering to University policy and strategy working closely with professional services and students.
3. Ensure compliance with institutional performance expectations within the HE sector, including the regulatory requirements of, for example the Office for Students, the Designated Quality Body, the Competition & Market Authority, and other relevant regulatory agencies.
4. Take the lead to maintain and enhance quality assurance standards and the reputation for excellence in teaching and learning of the Subject area.
5. Take responsibility for portfolio and curricula development/review for the Subject area(s), ensuring curricula content and delivery is both academically excellent and current, research-informed and industry engaged with appropriate pedagogy and assessment, ensuring it is inspiring, as well as sustainable in resource terms.
6. As appropriate in the Subject, act as a point of liaison with Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Bodies, and working with the quality team as appropriate to ensure any course is compliant with relevant PSRB requirements.