Head of School, Physical Sciences

Job Summary

The Head of School provides outstanding academic and strategic leadership to the School, advances excellence in teaching, ensures high quality student graduates, and enables research outputs that have national and international impact. The School of Physical Sciences is one of four Schools that comprise the Faculty of Sciences.

Research in the School of Physical Sciences includes theoretical understandings of the universe, healthcare and cancer treatments, medical technology and synthetic drug development, renewable energy research, management of the earth’s resources, and investigating how the universe was formed and life evolved. Reporting to the Executive Dean, the Head of School contributes to the overall management of the Faculty as a core member of the Faculty Executive Group, comprising other Heads of School, the Faculty Executive Manager and Deputy Deans of Research, Learning & Teaching, and Internationalisation, and the Director of Gender, Equity and Diversity.

In the School, the Head is responsible for maintaining research excellence, focus and scale, ensuring excellence in the student learning experience and continuing effective community engagement by the School. With exemplary interpersonal skills, the Head of School inspires, motivates and develops staff, promoting a culture of high engagement, commitment and performance, all the while leading change effectively as the School adapts and responds to changes influencing the whole of the higher education sector. The Head of School works collaboratively across the University, promoting interdisciplinary initiatives, and engages outside of the University with industry and community partners, to promote and enhance the national and international profile of the School and the University.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic and operational leadership

• Contribute to a one team culture built on respect, trust, cross- collaboration, understanding, shared accountability and purpose.
• Shares the responsibility for developing the overall Faculty strategy as a member of the Faculty Executive Group.
• Conceives of, and plans initiatives that change the way things are done to improve business sustainability and maximise return on investment.
• Ensure University and Faculty strategies and initiatives are articulated into a School plan and implementation is enabled and monitored.
• Manage School operations and infrastructure prudently, within the financial resources allocated, and actively pursue new funding opportunities.

Academic Leadership

• Lead initiatives to refresh and reimagine program offerings to ensure contemporary and innovative curricula that respond to global needs and align with graduate qualities, and ensuring successful professional re‐registration from time to time.
• Implement a Faculty research strategic plan including alignment of strategic funding with new research themes.
• Monitor and plan initiatives to improve student recruitment, retention and completion rates.
• Oversee the School’s higher degree supervision and research training and ensure mentoring of early career researchers
• Maintain and review periodically the academic workload allocation model.
• Monitor and maintain quality standards in education and research. People Leadership
• Create and communicate a compelling vision for the School that generates excitement, enthusiasm and commitment.
• Demonstrate and promote the University’s values in interactions with staff through a strong and visible presence within the School and Faculty, and set the ethical and behavioural standard for others by demonstrating moral integrity in all situations.
• Ensure implementation of the performance framework across the School and align individual staff performance with the strategic direction of the School, leading by example by preparing effectively for regular Planning, Development and Review meetings with staff, to provide clarity in expectations, to support and monitor performance, and to enable staff development.
• Actively promote strategies and processes to ensure an equitable and inclusive workplace that values diversity.
• Take personal responsibility for delivery of strategic outcomes, inspiring staff to take personal accountability for their conduct and performance.
• Develop and maintain a School staffing plan to facilitate the availability of suitably qualified staff for the School’s needs. Foster external relationships
• Promulgate the strengths of the School locally, nationally and internationally.
• Drive engagement with industry and with Australian and international partners for both academic and research collaboration.
• Develop and implement strategies to achieve future research funding outcomes consistent with the University’s standing in the Group of Eight.
• Support the Executive Dean in implementing external engagement strategies and ensure continuing and deep engagement with the alumni community and key external stakeholders.
• Maintain professional networks, participating in discipline‐specific and Group of Eight networks.

Selection Criteria

Essential

• A record of academic distinction and significant professional standing in the field of physical sciences which encompasses physics, chemistry and earth sciences.
• Established reputation as a respected leader including experience in strategy development and planning, leading change, and evidence of an effective contribution to a leadership team.
• Evidence of an inspirational leadership style which promotes a culture of high engagement, commitment and performance.
• The ability to effectively manage all operational aspects of a School including demonstrated financial acumen.
• The ability to forge meaningful external relationships and represent the School and the University locally, nationally and internationally, to community, industry and other academic institutions and partners.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and capacity to work effectively with the Executive Dean and other senior leaders.
• Commitment to the principles of equity and diversity.

Desirable

• Personal values and attributes
• Passionate and unequivocal commitment to excellence in research and education.
• Exemplary personal qualities of integrity, energy, tenacity and sound judgement.

Leadership Effectiveness

• Takes the lead in initiating and holding the space for cross collaboration
• Creates and communicates a compelling vision, around a vision and strategy, that generates excitement, enthusiasm and commitment
• Forecasts trends and anticipates future needs
• Identifies relevant information and variables from outside the immediate environment and field of expertise
• Generates breakthrough ideas, fresh perspectives and new opportunities
• Inspires staff and builds determination to deliver
• Is visible and accessible and models the University’s values
• Takes personal responsibility for delivery of strategic outcomes
• An adaptive leader that is comfortable with ambiguity