Dean of Academic Operations

Whitecliffe

Whitecliffe is a leading independent tertiary institution in New Zealand, renowned for delivering innovative, industry-connected education. With campuses in Auckland, Manukau, Wellington, and Christchurch, we pride ourselves on having teaching staff with extensive industry experience who support our graduates to turn creativity into a career.

About You

You can effectively manage diverse academic and professional staff, to evolve and develop their teaching practices and adopt new technologies and tools. Your exceptional communication skills allow you to build meaningful relationships with stakeholders across academic, industry, and regulatory spheres. You are committed to student-centred approaches and understand the importance of work-integrated learning in preparing graduates for successful careers.

You have a passion for educational excellence and innovation. You thrive in collaborative environments where you can align learning delivery with industry needs while maintaining high academic standards. Your leadership style inspires teams to achieve exceptional results in teaching, research, and student outcomes.

Whitecliffe prides itself on creativity and innovation and delivers high standards of education and research across undergraduate, and postgraduate offerings. We have a focus on producing work-ready graduates who meet industry demands while maintaining high academic standards. We are seeking an academic leader who can foster productivity, performance, and enable change in a culture that values creativity and innovation.

Key Responsibilities

As Dean of Academic Operations, you will:

• Oversee programme delivery and academic excellence across all programmes .
• Lead and support faculty leadership
• Champion initiatives that enhance student engagement, satisfaction, and success
• Maintain programme accreditations and compliance with school and regulatory standards
• Drive continuous improvement of teaching and learning outcomes

What You Will Bring

• PhD or equivalent terminal degree in a relevant discipline
• Minimum 5 years of academic leadership experience at the program or department level
• Multi school/faculty leadership experience preferred
• Exceptional team leadership abilities with experience managing diverse academic and professional staff
• Strong change management skills and ability to lead the implementation of educational innovation
• Experience in research supervision and management
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to build relationships with diverse stakeholders
• Commitment to educational excellence and student-centred approaches
• Adaptability and resilience in a changing higher education environment

Join us in shaping the future of education at Whitecliffe, where your leadership will directly impact the success of our faculties, students and programmes. If this sounds like you and you'd like to find out more, please APPLY NOW!