Head of School of Psychology

Faculty of Health and Human Sciences

The School of Psychology at Plymouth is a large and successful single discipline school with more than 40 full-time academics and around 1000 undergraduate and postgraduate students. Our flagship programme is the single honours BSc (hons) in Psychology. There are also combined honours programmes with minor subjects in Criminology and Criminal Justice, Sociology and Human Biology. We have also introduced an innovative MPsych in Advanced Psychology with pathways in Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Behaviour Change and Foundations of Clinical Psychology. Alongside these programmes we have postgraduate programmes in MSc Psychology (conversion), MSc in Psychological Research Methods and a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. The School is also committed to ensuring a high quality student experience and this is evidenced through our 91% satisfaction rating in the 2015 National Student Survey.

Staff in the school form a substantial membership of the multidisciplinary Cognition Institute and contribute to themes on Innovation and Creativity, Behaviour, Society and Environment, Cognitive, Sensory and Perceptual Systems, Robotics and Neural Systems, Brain and Neural Sciences and Health and Wellbeing. The School’s REF2014 profile places it in the top third of psychology departments in the UK, with 83% of its research activity rated as internationally excellent or better. Our research groups work in recently-built dedicated research facilities, and are supported by a team of excellently qualified technicians and Teaching and Research Associates.

The Head of School will lead this strategic business unit and be responsible for the delivery of local plans in response to Institutional strategy. 

You will have an outstanding academic track record with a publication and research funding profile that demonstrates an internationally excellent standing in your field. You will be a research-leader, demonstrating both personal research excellence, and the potential to drive forward the research agenda of the School. You will also possess proven experience in academic leadership and in the formulation of strategy and the translation of strategy to action.

The role will be for 5 years initially, with the potential to extend for a further 2 years, at which point the successful candidate will move to an appropriate substantive post. This is a full-time post working 37 hours per week.  Clearance from the Disclosure and Barring Service will be required for this position.

For an informal discussion of the post, please contact Professor Patricia Livsey, Executive Dean of Faculty of Health & Human Sciences on 01752 586740. 

Closing date: 12 midnight, Wednesday 1 June 2016

Plymouth University is committed to an inclusive culture and respecting diversity, and welcomes applications from all sections of the community and is a Stonewall diversity champion.

The University and the School of Psychology hold a Bronze Athena SWAN Award which recognises commitment to advancing women’s career in STEMM academia.  The School is currently in the process of submitting an application for a Silver Award.

Plymouth University has been recognised by Bloomberg as one of the 50 best UK employers for 2016.