Associate Dean of Knowledge Exchange

The opportunity

London College of Fashion, UAL, is seeking an exceptional senior academic leader to join us as Associate Dean of Knowledge Exchange (ADKE), based at our landmark East Bank campus in Stratford.

This is a rare opportunity to shape and champion the College's knowledge exchange agenda at a pivotal moment in its history. You will work at the heart of one of the world's leading creative institutions, bridging the worlds of academic scholarship, industry, community and public policy to deliver meaningful, lasting impact.

As ADKE, you will lead the development and delivery of knowledge exchange strategy across the College and at UAL level, cultivating partnerships with community, government and industry stakeholders both nationally and internationally. You will foster dynamic communities of practice, enabling cutting-edge academic thinking to flow into industry and society — while ensuring that community-led insight enriches our curriculum in return.

Alongside strategic leadership, you will maintain your own academic or artistic practice and support colleagues to do the same, contributing to a vibrant research and KE culture that reflects the College's distinctive creative mission.

We are looking for a compelling communicator and experienced leader with a strong track record in higher education and the creative industries, who thrives on building relationships, identifying new opportunities, and driving innovation.

Your profile

You will bring a postgraduate qualification and a strong track record in higher education, with demonstrable knowledge of the creative industries. An experienced leader and manager, you will have a proven ability to manage resources, influence strategy, and deliver complex projects with long-term impact.

You will be an engaging and adaptable communicator, equally at home with academic colleagues, industry partners, and community stakeholders. You will have experience building effective teams and cross-organisational networks, with a genuine commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

A record of research, scholarly activity or professional practice in your specialist area is essential, as is the ability to apply that expertise to develop learning and drive innovation across the institution.

We are UAL

University of the Arts London (UAL) generates and inspires the creativity the world needs for a better future. Since 1842, our colleges have been defining creative education. With curiosity, imagination and intent we make work which creates lasting change for people and our planet. London is core to who we are, a place where we meet and share ideas with people from different backgrounds and cultures.

Our creative network influences learning, culture, industry and society on a global scale. Our academics and practitioners deliver creative education and inspire new ways of thinking through research and innovation. We work with students at every level from pre-degree and short courses to postgraduate and online learning, enabling them to build the careers they want. Together, we are a community of makers, thinkers, pioneers and storytellers redesigning the future.

As a University, we are ranked second in the world for Art and Design. We are formed of 6 Colleges with unique histories and identities: Camberwell College of Arts, Central Saint Martins, Chelsea College of Arts, London College of Communication, London College of Fashion and Wimbledon College of Arts. UAL also has 4 Institutes, 5 Research Centres, 1 Pre-Degree School and 2 subsidiary companies delivering specialist activities.

We are a global University, welcoming over 22,000 students and 6,000 staff from 130 countries. We aim to be a university where people can be themselves and feel supported to reach their full potential. That’s why we are proud to hold a Bronze Award from the Race Equality Charter (REC), are members of the Business Disability Forum and Employers for Carers, and maintain our status as a Disability Confident Scheme and Living Wage employer.

Application process

We operate a fair and open anonymous selection process. Thus, you will need to create an account and submit an application through our job board. As part of this, you will need to provide a supporting statement/answer some competency questions to demonstrate your suitability. Our recruitment process involves: Application, Shortlisting, Interview and Assessment, Offer, Onboarding.

We understand the benefits of using AI in work. But, if you are thinking of using it to submit an application, we ask you to think about what value it adds. AI tools tend to lack the personal touch and authenticity we value in candidates. We encourage you to showcase your unique knowledge and skills using your own voice.

If we receive a high volume of applications, the closing day date might close early. We aim to communicate any changes to the closing date with at least 24 hours’ notice. If you have any general questions or have accessibility needs, please refer to our Contact us page.

Start your application

Candidates are advised to submit applications early.