Job Description

Position Details

Department of Nursing and Midwifery, School of Health Sciences, College of Medicine and Health

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is competitive for an outstanding candidate

Grade: Professor (Education or Education and Research career pathway)

Full Time, Permanent

Closing date: 5th June 2026

We are seeking an outstanding candidate who will provide significant strategic leadership which will positively enhance the profile of the institution. The post holder will be expected to have an excellent reputation and profile, based on an extensive track record of delivery on the teaching and learning agenda, including delivery which has had a major quantifiable impact in the disciplinary area. The post holder will also make a significant contribution to the leadership and management activity and act as a role model in respect of citizenship. Candidate may also demonstrate an excellent reputation, based on an extensive track record of innovative research which has a major quantifiable influence in the subject area.

In addition, there is an opportunity to become the Head of Department of Nursing and Midwifery from the start of the next academic year for an initial three-year term of office. The primary role of the Head of Department is to provide strong academic leadership in support of the Head of School. They will lead, manage, and develop the department to ensure it achieves the highest possible standards of excellence in all its activities. The Head of Department will exercise leadership, demonstrate vision, and empower others to deliver the agreed departmental strategy within the school.

The Head of Department is responsible for academic leadership and the day-to-day management of the Department including all aspects of student education and staffing. They will be an active member of the School’s Senior Management Team contributing to leadership and management of the school and assist with meeting its mission and objectives. The Head of Department will be a respected academic leader and have a proven track record of operating successfully in challenging environments. They will have a good knowledge of the challenges facing Universities, the School and the Department as well as excellent team working, communication and organisational skills.

Main Duties

Education

• Leading the development of high quality, inclusive and academically challenging practice in research-intensive teaching, learning and assessment. This will include leadership of curriculum design to ensure the curriculum offer is contemporary, inclusive, engaging, international and academically challenging.
• Ensuring that the teaching in the Department embeds and embraces the input of external stakeholders. Designing and leading policies and practices to ensure the active engagement of students in curriculum design and the running of the Department and promoting best practice across the University and beyond. Leading innovative approaches to digital resources/environments and supporting colleagues to use them in the delivery of teaching, learning and assessment. Providing leadership on effective feedback on assessments and/or contribution to the design of assessment policies and strategies within and beyond the institution
• Leading the development and implementation of a wider vision and culture that promotes equality and values diversity and inclusion in all education related activity, and which has a quantifiable impact.

Research

• An outstanding Professor of Nursing and Midwifery will develop, plan and lead research activities/programmes of superb quality in the disciplinary area, including publishing high quality innovative, distinctive and significant outputs which are world-leading in terms of originality, significance and rigour.
• Regularly contribute to other research-related activities such as conference papers and keynote speaker invitations at conferences.
• Provide leadership on the generation of research income, supporting colleagues to maximise funding opportunities, promoting collaboration with external researchers and organisations. Lead the development of strategies, policies and procedures which have a positive and quantifiable impact on equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Maintain a sustained track record of income generation appropriate to the discipline to support own work;
• As appropriate for the discipline, lead a major research group, managing people and resources to deliver an ambitious research vision;

Person Specification or Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

The post holder will have an outstanding and sustained profile of achievement evidenced by the following:

• PhD or equivalent qualification or an equivalent body of work;
• A substantial record of pedagogical/scholarly outputs;
• A solid track record of delivery of a range of teaching and learning interventions;
• An excellent and widely recognised reputation amongst peers nationally;
• Proven ability to plan and lead the delivery of curriculum development, assessment strategies;
• A sustained record of teaching-related funding, as appropriate to the discipline;
• Track record in translating education-related output into impact on other academic staff and on the wider community through engagement with policy and practice, consultancy and advisory work.

Candidates with a research profile should additionally evidence:

• A substantial record of international quality outputs with an excellent and widely recognised reputation amongst peers internationally;
• A track record in influencing other scholars and the wider community through publication, engagement with policy and practice, consultancy and advisory work;
• Proven ability to plan and lead the delivery of research with a sustained track record of attracting significant funding as appropriate to the discipline;
• A track record in translating research into impact on other scholars and on the wider community through publication, engagement with policy and practice, consultancy and advisory work.

Further particulars can be found here

Informal enquiries to Sally Steele, email: s.l.steele@bham.ac.uk

Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyoneon our website