Head of the School of Engineering

Ambitious growth plans for a world-leading School of Engineering.

Distinguished Professor Peter Atkinson Executive Dean Faculty of Science & Technology

Vibrant world leading research and a great collaborative environment are the driving forces for the School of Engineering at Lancaster University.

Thank you for considering applying to become the next Head of the School of Engineering at Lancaster University.

We are seeking a new Head from early summer 2025 for four years, with the possibility of renewal for a further four years. The successful applicant will also hold an indefinite academic position in the School.

The School is one of a small number in the UK that offers expertise across Chemical, Electrical/Electronics, Mechanical, Mechatronics and Nuclear engineering. The School has a strong focus on research with 95% of our research rated as significant or world leading in originality, significance and rigour in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework, and all our academic staff are research active.

Significant investment has taken place over the last decade, and the School estate now includes two outstanding new buildings that provide state-of-the-art facilities for both teaching and research. We have recently recruited more than 30 academics from top, institutions globally over the same period, raising our international profile and bringing a diversity and depth of subject expertise into our teaching and research. With the strategic leadership and ambition of the new Head, we plan to grow further in-line with student demand and regional research and engagement priorities. Our size, great facilities and friendly campus environment are popular with staff and students alike, and we recruit up to 250 undergraduates and 50 postgraduate students and post-doctoral researchers each year.

Through this investment, we enjoy high rankings across the UK university league tables of higher education providers, and the National Student Survey, and our graduates leave Lancaster well-equipped to progress into their chosen careers.

Our University

Lancaster University is an international leader in the provision of inspiring teaching and research;this reputation is reflected in our ranking in the UK top 15 in all three major UK rankings (Times/Sunday Times, Guardian, and the Complete University Guide).

The University was awarded the Educate North's University of the Year in 2023. The University is also ranked 1st in the North West, Best Campus University, 155th in the Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2024, and 122nd in the latest QS global league table, remaining the highest-ranked non-Russell Group institution in England.Lancaster University has been awarded a gold overall rating in the government’s Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), which aims to recognise and reward excellence in teaching and learning in UK institutions. Our TEF Gold rating indicates that student experience and student outcomes are typically outstanding.

The University’s research has also been rated as world-leading in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework, which assesses the quality and impact of research submitted by UK universities across all subjects. In the last research assessment exercise, 83% of our research was rated ‘internationally excellent’ or ‘world-leading’.

Our research

Our research is truly international in focus with research partnerships in over 60 countries around the world. Lancaster University is also proud to be a member of the N8 Group, a research partnership of the eight most research-intensive universities in the North of England.

A major strength of Lancaster University is its thriving ecosystem of interdisciplinary research. This collaborative approach is fostered by its mixture of formal and informal structures - including Institutes and University Research Centres - bringing together experts from different disciplines to address regional, national, and global challenges. The University comprises 13,500 students and around 3,400 staff.

Lancaster is one of only a handful of universities with a collegiate system which has helped to forge a strong sense of identity and loyalty, and continues to be a distinctive feature of Lancaster University life. More than £450 million has been invested into the Campus since 2003, creating new academic facilities, student social facilities, and improved teaching space.

Our campus has transformed over recent years due to a number of significant redevelopment projects, including the refurbishment of the library and multi- million pound investments in other facilities across the University.

Our strategy

Our strategy is to become a university that is globally significant – a leader in higher education that provides the highest quality research and teaching, and engages locally and internationally on the issues and debates of the day and of the future.

Driven by research and stimulating learning, the globally significant university informs and changes practice and thinking worldwide. Our strategy is founded on three priorities of equal importance. Success across all three of these domains will be critical if we are to fully realise our strategic goals. In the rapidly changing context of UK higher education, the University community has identified that we now need to increase our engagement with third parties, enhance our reputation and continue to grow in scale. We have reviewed and updated our objectives to reflect these factors, and new or revised objectives are highlighted against each of our three overarching priorities.

The priorities are to deliver:

Research that changes practice and thinking.
Teaching that transforms society and the lives of people in it.
Active engagement with students, businesses and our communities.

Further details on our Strategic Plan can be found at: www.lancaster.ac.uk/about-us/strategic-plan

Our people

Lancaster’s success depends on talented, creative and committed people who work hard to make this University so special and distinctive.

Our vision for the future is to be a sustainable and an academically excellent institution recognised as one of the leading universities in the world.

You will be joining a university which is amongst the best on any objective measure, but also modern, forward thinking, and quick and nimble in adopting the latest developments in teaching and research.

Lancaster University is committed to attracting, developing and retaining the best staff, celebrating equality and diversity, and recognising how all staff contribute to and enhance the overall success of the University. Our People and Culture Plan clearly articulates that the core strength of the university is our people.

For further information about working and living in Lancaster please visit: www.lancaster.ac.uk/working-at-lancaster

Our local and global impact

Being part of Lancaster University means sharing in the feeling that you’re making a difference to people and places. From our campus in Lancaster, our regional partnerships in north-west England and our international partnerships in China, Germany, Ghana, Indonesia and Malaysia, the impact of our research, teaching and community work extends across the globe.

Find out about some of the many ways our teams are changing the world:

Listen to some podcasts about research projects
Working with partners to connect with our local community

Seven Lancaster University engineering students at Parasolar Awards — Lancaster University engineering students advanced to the final stages of the Engineers in Business competition,

Our vision

By building upon our well-established reputation for interdisciplinary, industry facing research and with continued investment in people, spaces and equipment we will create an influential School of Engineering that values people and fosters ground-breaking research through its interdisciplinary collaborations. This approach will underpin and inform engaging and innovative teaching, will deliver a best-in-class student experience, and be situated within an engineering curriculum that supports the net zero energy transition.

Head of School and Professor of Engineering - job description

Directly responsible to: Executive Dean, Faculty of Science & Technology (FST)

Line management responsibility for: Senior academic and technical staff in the School; research staff.

Other Contacts:

Internal - All academics, professional staff and students within Engineering and Faculty of Science and Technology and university professional services and support staff.

External - Industry partners, manufacturers and users, Government Departments, professional and statutory regulatory bodies, such as the IChemE, IET and IMechE, and funding bodies. Research Councils, especially the EPSRC, and academics in other universities. Potential students and their parents, nationally/ internationally prestigious research collaborations/ institutions.

The role:

Provide strategic leadership in the School, taking responsibility for setting and advancing its direction, in collaboration with the Executive Dean of FST, and senior academic colleagues
Develop and regularly review strategic plans
Lead strategic development and enhancement of the School’s taught portfolio
Maintain an inclusive and innovative portfolio that exploits new interdisciplinary advances, and meets excellent quality indicators, including external accreditation, equality of outcomes, high student satisfaction ratings, employability indicators and completion rates
Strategically support research and teaching staff to achieve a high quality REF submission and appropriate levels of external research income
Ensure the School is working effectively and innovatively with local, regional and international partners to support local and national strategic priorities
Consolidate the School’s reputation as an attractive and successful environment where excellent staff from all backgrounds choose to pursue their careers

Person specification

The successful candidate will possess a PhD or equivalent qualification in a subject relevant to Engineering, although substantial industrial experience combined with demonstrated leadership may be considered as an alternative. They will have a proven ability to adopt a strategic approach to research impact, coupled with a successful track record of external engagement across academic and/or industry sectors, both nationally and internationally, as well as within relevant policy networks. High-level expertise and an established international and national reputation in research are essential, alongside a significant record of research publications or other outputs suitable for submission to the next Research Excellence Framework (REF).

A strategic vision is required, with the ability to unite the School’s disciplines by building on established strengths and opportunities. The ideal candidate will encourage creativity and innovation while setting realistic and achievable goals. A clear and demonstrable record of delivering a high-quality student experience is essential, including teaching and supervising undergraduates, postgraduates, and doctoral students. While not mandatory, Chartered Engineer status is considered desirable.

In addition, the candidate must demonstrate proven skills in financial, resource, and project management, as well as the ability to plan effectively for the future. They should be a highly regarded, visible, and supportive people leader with a strong commitment to staff development, excellence, equality of opportunity, diversity, and inclusion. This role requires an individual who can seamlessly integrate strategic leadership with academic and operational excellence.

A full job description and person specification is available on the Lancaster University recruitment portal.

Join us on a virtual tour of Engineering Building 1 (EB1)

The School of Engineering has two key facilities EB1 and EB2 with plans to expand the facilities within the Science and Technology estate.

Virtual tour

Recruitment Statement

We want to provide you with full information at an early stage to enable you to make an informed decision as to whether you are committed to pursuing this position and to outline the University’s expectations of all candidates taking part in our recruitment process.

Once you have reviewed the information below, and in fairness to everyone concerned, we would ask that you give serious consideration to proceeding further with this process if you think you may not accept the position should it be offered to you.

The role will be located on the Lancaster University Bailrigg Campus, in north Lancashire, and there is a requirement that the successful candidate will live within reasonable commuting distance of the campus. If this might involve a re-locationfor you, it is of course important that candidates consider how the move might affect anyone who may accompany you (for example, early consideration may need to be given to local schooling, housing and other employment opportunities where other family members are involved, as early as possible). We will support you as much as possible with this and are happy to discuss any concerns you may have.

We would ask you to agree to undertaking a positive, open, and transparent dialogue with us throughout the recruitment process, raising questions and any concerns as early as possible.

Contract and contact:
If you are happy to continue in your application for the position in light of the above expectations, we would very much look forward to hearing from you.

Applicants will normally be Professorial level staff. However, applicants at Senior Lecturer level will be considered on an exceptional basis.

If you would like to have an informal discussion about the opportunity, please do contact the Executive Dean, Professor Peter M. Atkinson, pma@lancaster.ac.uk or Professor Phil Barker, p.barker@lancaster.ac.uk

This post is offered on a full-time, permanent basis with a hybrid work pattern, or you can choose to be fully on-campus. We are happy to discuss flexible working options.

Derwentwater, with Catbells in the distance. — Derwentwater in the Lake District

Remuneration and benefits

Lancaster University engages in a variety of domestic and international benchmarking exercises to ensure we are extremely competitive in the levels of reward and recognition we provide, therefore we are confident that any offer made will be strong and competitive. The final offer is subject to the experience and expertise of the successful candidate as part of a well-developed framework that allows reward progression.

Pension

For this role the University offers the opportunity to join the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS).

Discounts and Perks

As an employee you can take advantage of our sports centre membership deal on campus, retail discounts in Lancaster city and 300+ brands online, home technology, childcare, medical and dental insurance, free streaming services, loans towards professional development and membership fees and free and confidential emergency, wellbeing, financial, legal and counselling support for you and your family.

Be yourself

Enjoy being part of a staff community of over 4,000 people from different backgrounds, interests, faiths, and lifestyles. We have numerous staff networks, events, and facilities to help you find friends and settle in.

Travel

We encourage more environmentally friendly transport to work. We also offer discounts and opportunities to purchase bicycles or electric/hybrid cars, and season ticket loans to spread the cost of commuting.

Annual leave

The standard University leave year currently runs from 1 October to 30 September. The entitlement for a full year is 39 days (pro rata for part time staff). This is made up of 25 days holiday plus 8 bank holidays plus 6 University closure days. As a compassionate employer we also offer paid special leave to help you cope with family emergencies.

Make a difference, with great rewarding work

Make a difference Be a part of a team that wants to make a positive impact in the world, from the wellbeing of our students and local community, to the future of our planet. We believe everyone at Lancaster University has a part to play in delivering positive change. Find out more about our award-winning sustainability actions at lancaster.ac.uk/sustainability Any staff member, whatever their role, can be recognised and rewarded for making an outstanding contribution to the University’s work with our staff awards, long service awards schemes and pay progression.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

Our employee community across the UK and the world comprises people from 85 nationalities. They practise different faiths, have different lifestyles and are at different stages in their lives. It is this mixture of life experience that adds diversity of thought and approach to make Lancaster University a force for good.

We are committed to creating an environment where everyone can feel welcome, thrive and fulfil their potential. Our equality, diversity and inclusion leaders are involved with everything from policy creation to celebratory events to help us be a fairer and more inclusive employer.

Our chartermarks

As an organisation, we have successfully achieved the following chartermarks demonstrating our positive actions to address equality, diversity and inclusion issues.

Athena Swan

As well as our institutional Athena Swan Bronze award, Lancaster is very proud to have achieved Athena Swan awards in all our departments or faculties, recognising our commitment to advancing gender equality within higher education and research.

Disability Confident Employer (Level 2)

Lancaster University is a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2). We are committed to actions to improve how we recruit, retain and develop disabled people.

Race Equality Charter

Lancaster is proud of our Bronze award, demonstrating our commitment to improving the representation, progression and success of minority ethnic staff and students at Lancaster.

AccessAble

We have made significant investments in accessibility improvements at our Lancaster campus.

Application process and deadlines