Summary of the overall purpose of this role

To provide leadership to the Department of European and International Studies (EIS) at a time of change and challenge; to work closely with the school and faculty in driving innovation in teaching and financial management; to stimulate a dynamic interdisciplinary research culture, based on collaboration and attracting external funding; and to sustain and move forward the identity of EIS based on its historic roots in European studies and more recent expansion in international political economy.

Role purpose

The Department of European & International Studies (EIS) is recruiting for a new Head of Department to start in post in January 2026. This four-year position may be held at professorial or reader level, with the successful candidate becoming a full-time member of the department when completing their term of office. EIS is at a crucial point in its development. Moving from an arts-based European studies department into one that embraces international political economy (IPE), it has experienced rapid expansion of its PGT degrees and is about to launch a new undergraduate degree. We are looking for someone to lead EIS to its next stage, keen to seize new opportunities, and acutely aware of the constraints of higher education in a time of fiscal austerity. There is the need to ensure financial sustainability as well as growth in student numbers. At the same time, there is a need to help forge EIS’s identity between IPE and studies of European politics. The key challenge is being able to work with school and departmental staff and be able to manage upward to the faculty and beyond in a time of change and challenge. The postholder will need to engage in the faculty’s continuing efforts to renew the education offering and ensure that the department leads innovation in teaching practice and delivery. At the same time, there are opportunities to develop research, such as large grants, research student, and supporting research clusters. The aim is to develop EIS as a place for innovative interdisciplinary research. These are times of opportunity as the faculty implements a fundamental review of the education portfolio with programme ideas moving into the development stage. This work runs in parallel to the launch of a revised SSPP Strategy 2030, Shaping Global Change. SSPP is also launching a Methods Centre and a faculty wide platform to support professional education, CPD and other forms of third stream education and research. For REF 2029, the faculty will submit to five UoAs and in 23/24 SSPP generated £26m in research grants and taught almost 8,000 students.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Department to foster cultures, behaviours and collaborations leading to excellent education and learning, and ambitious research commensurate with a leading university • Focus on quality of education and research • Ensure the College and Faculty Equality, Diversity and Inclusion principles, values and practices are embedded in all activities • Develop and manage departmental planning, ensuring alignment to School strategy and policies • Contribute to the leadership of the School through membership of the School Leadership Team and the Faculty Extended Senior Leadership Team (SLT+) • Communicate and engage with staff over Faculty priorities • Manage the Department non-pay budget, within the overall budget for the School • Overview of Department level I&E and other performance indicators • Work with Head of School and Head of School Administration over budget performance and planning • Develop research strategy and opportunities • Identify research opportunities and encourage staff to prepare research grant applications • Lead and develop research through collaboration and research execution • Lead and manage the creation of new programmes, teaching delivery, student interaction, marking, assessing student work and student feedback • Collaborate with other departments on interdisciplinary teaching, to provide an effective joined- up experience for students • Manage administration and citizenship across the Department (for example collegiality, professional networks, working groups), based on the Academic Performance Framework and Workload Allocation Model • Promote and further embed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion principles within the Department • The HoD will play a pivotal role in ensuring equitable and diverse representation across all faculty committees, fostering inclusive decision-making processes. • Responsible for standards of quality in education and research across the Department • Prepare the Research and Teaching Excellence Framework submissions for the Department, ensuring high quality • Based on the Academic Performance Framework, drive impact and innovation at Department level • Recruit, mentor and performance manage academic staff to support a high performance culture • The HoD will be the primary liaison for handling informal HR issues including capability, discipline, and grievances, working in tandem with the HoS to address and resolve matters informally before managing any escalations as part of a formal HR process. • Prepare cases for academic probation and promotions • Manage academic workloads across the Department to ensure the effective utilisation of people in line with the strategy, plans and the Workload Allocation Model • Overview and input into professional services plans and support to Departments through School Leadership Team meetings The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.