Inaugural Dean, College of Health Sciences

Company Name: Abu Dhabi University
Location: UAE

The inaugural Dean provides strategic and operational leadership for this new College, intended to become a leading provider of health science education, research and consultancy in the UAE. You will develop structures and hire faculty and staff worthy of an ambitious College to deliver the College’s plans for growth while establishing the highest standards of academic quality and clinical skills. You will secure professional body accreditations at national and international levels, enhance collaborations with world class higher education institutions, and establish clinical partnerships to further both teaching and research. You will establish laboratory facilities for clinical teaching and research and develop models for their efficient use, including by students and colleagues from other Colleges of the University. Under your leadership, the College will contribute to the enhancement of the University’s reputation for teaching, research, industry engagement and employability. With students at the heart of what we do, you will strive constantly to enhance student success in education and employment, provide opportunities for them to excel in curricular and extra-curricular activities, and create partnerships to enable first class training in clinical skills.

The Dean is a senior leader in the University and a key member of the Provost’s leadership team. A senior clinically qualified academic, you will have the stature as academic and clinical leader to command respect, including of international partners, and both academic and professional accrediting bodies.

Responsibilities

Leadership & Management

• Lead the development, growth and sustainability of the College of Health Sciences, through attractive and financially viable teaching programs at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, exploiting synergies with programs in other ADU Colleges, and productive partnerships with external partners.
• Develop strong relationships with national and regional health care planners, commissioners, providers, professional bodies and health professions accreditors to ensure that our teaching and research are aligned with professional standards and our graduates are sought after by employers.
• Personally and through College faculty, establish and strengthen links with relevant regulatory authorities, governmental bodies, hospitals, primary care providers and other stakeholders to ensure that our taught programs and research are impacting on and responding to national and regional health care and professional health workforce priorities.
• Develop and implement best practice in laboratory provision and use, pedagogy, assessment, quality enhancement, professional ethics and clinical skills development.
• Be committed continually to improving student success (as measured by student engagement and satisfaction, retention, completions, GPA, employability) at the College level and to contribute to such efforts across the University.
• Ensure that the College engages in research that addresses national and regional challenges and contributes to teaching, pedagogic and clinical skills developments.
• Lead in the recruitment and selection of highly qualified faculty and staff, ensure the effective leadership and development of faculty and staff, and manage faculty and staff workloads, performance evaluations and promotions.
• Ensure that relations with accreditors (the CAA, WASC, ADEK, KHDA and health care professional bodies) are developed and enhanced, that requirements for accreditations are met, and that new accreditations are secured where these would enhance program reputation and improve student employability.
• Ensure that leadership and governance at College level is of the highest quality. Participate in and lead in University level governance arrangements.
• Serve as a key member of the Provost’s leadership team, playing a central role in delivering the University’s Strategic Plan, meeting performance indicators and leading endeavours that will develop and enhance the reputation of the College and the University.
• Undertake other leadership duties as may reasonably be assigned by the Provost or Chancellor.
  

Marketing and Enrolment Management

• Working closely with marketing and enrolment colleagues, develop and implement College plans to attract well qualified students to the College and ensure growth of the College.
• Plan and implement strategies to increase the number of programs at undergraduate level (in the first phase likely to be Pharmacy, Nutrition and Dietetics, Genetics and Genetic Counselling, Radiography, Medical Laboratory Science) and introduce programs at postgraduate level.
• Embed practices and support systems to ensure strong student retention and high levels of student engagement and satisfaction.
• Ensure that our marketing efforts are well targeted at potential national and international markets.
  

Financial and Strategic Planning

• Participate actively in delivering the University’s Strategic Plan at the College and University levels.
• Ensure financial feasibility of the College and its constituent programs, including attracting corporate and public sector funding for education, training or research.
• Develop College action plans, implementation strategies and continuous improvement feedback mechanisms.
• Manage the budget for the College.
  

Reporting and Accreditation

• Be responsible for quality and standards, including course approvals and reviews, applications for accreditation and ensure that reporting requirements are met fully and on time. Maintain strong links with accrediting and review bodies.
  

Required Qualifications

• Research Doctorate from well-regarded HE institution in a health science subject.
• Clinical qualification at a suitable level.
• 4 years of experience as Department Chair (or higher) or an Associate Dean in an appropriate discipline, with experience of developing and launching programs and enhancing student success.
• Record of achievements that would command the respect of peers and external stakeholders, including accrediting bodies, health care authorities and professionals in relevant fields.
• Ability to attract high calibre faculty, clinical, technical and professional services staff to a newly established College.
• Evidence of being student focused.
• If not already a Professor, a senior academic or clinician with the credentials to be appointed as Professor.
• Leadership skills to create and deliver an ambitious vision for the new College through carefully designed strategy and plans and the ability to implement to deadlines, quality and budgets.
• People and communication skills that will enable you to deal with a range of external and internal stakeholders.
• Ability to enthuse, motivate and persuade students, faculty, staff and external stakeholders.
• A commitment to putting students first.
• Experience of change management.
• Passion for collaboration, including with clinical partners.
• Ability and willingness to develop provision jointly with other Colleges of the University, exploiting synergies and offering programs that would set us apart from competitors.
• Fluency in English is a must, Bilingual (English + Arabic) is desirable.
  

• Seniority level

  Director

• Employment type

  Full-time

• Job function

  EducationTraining

• Industries

  Nonprofit Organization ManagementHigher EducationEducation Management