Person specification for the deputy vice-chancellor
Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Lund University
Are you ready to help shape the future of Lund University together with the Vice‑Chancellor?
Lund University is one of Europe’s leading universities with a long tradition of academic excellence and a vision of being a world-class university that understands, explains and improves our world and the human condition. The University offers outstanding education and research, covering a wide range of subjects and involving cross-disciplinary external engagement with the wider world. Strong student influence, collegial governance and global engagement are all key to delivering high-quality outcomes across the organisation, establishing Lund University as a hub for innovation and strategic development.
Lund University is now seeking a deputy vice-chancellor to work alongside the Vice-Chancellor in developing the University's teaching, research and external engagement. The successful candidate will also be expected to capitalise on the opportunities offered by this diverse institution.
The deputy vice-chancellor assists the Vice-Chancellor in their role as head of the public authority and figurehead for the University. The deputy vice-chancellor deputises for the Vice-Chancellor when the Vice-Chancellor is unavailable. The deputy vice-chancellor is a member of the University Management and the Vice-Chancellor’s Management Council, amongst other bodies. At Lund University, the Vice-Chancellor and the deputy vice-chancellor are expected to work as a team, complementing one another and leading the University together.
Lund University operates in an ever-changing world of unforeseen opportunities and challenges. The University is to be a place where academic freedom and diversity flourish, and where innovation drives education, research and external engagement. As deputy vice-chancellor, you work alongside the Vice-Chancellor to safeguard the University’s internal affairs and the well-being of students and staff. Within an international context, you play a key role in shaping the university of the future for generations to come.
We are looking for someone who is deeply committed to the development of the University and eager to take advantage of opportunities to address the complex societal challenges of our time.
The applicant is to:
- be a professor with a strong academic background, with solid, up-to-date experience of and very strong ability in conducting, developing and leading teaching, research and external engagement with the wider community
- be an experienced and clear-sighted academic leader and manager with personal integrity and decisiveness, capable of turning visions into action and adopting a strategic approach
- be responsive, accountable and committed, and demonstrate an empathetic approach in which a high level of ethical awareness and the ability to reflect on operations, colleagues, students and their own leadership are of the utmost importance
- be a relationship builder with a strong ability to foster consensus on visions and strategic goals, and have experience of championing university issues at local, national and international levels
- have extensive experience of working in an international context and the ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, in Swedish and English.
Alongside the Vice-Chancellor, the deputy vice-chancellor’s duties include:
- safeguarding and promoting collegial decision-making, academic freedom and the University’s autonomy
- safeguarding and promoting sustainable and strong student influence, which is central to the University’s activities at various levels
- working to ensure that education and research are of the highest international standard, enrich one another and are closely intertwined
- acting as the University’s principal representative, working to strengthen external engagement with the wider community, and actively participating in public debate
- working towards a sustainable and attractive study and work environment where equality, diversity and equal opportunities, as well as a sense of belonging, are central to students and staff
- working towards sustainable financial conditions that bolster the University’s long-term competitiveness and quality, and harness the potential of research infrastructures that are important to the University
- combining the role of academic leader with the Vice-Chancellor’s role as the head of a public authority
- promoting openness balanced by systematic security management
- operating and communicating within a complex and decentralised organisation by establishing effective and collaborative management structures.
We welcome applicants who can demonstrate the qualifications required to undertake a role of this nature.
