Deputy Head - School of Music and Education

What You Will Do

As Deputy Head of School, you will contribute to the strategic, academic and operational leadership of the School, supporting excellence in teaching, learning, student experience and curriculum development.

You will work closely with Programme Leaders and academic colleagues to drive innovation across the portfolio while supporting the development of new programmes and pathways that reflect emerging opportunities within music and music education.

Key responsibilities include:

• Supporting the strategic leadership and development of the School of Music.
• Leading curriculum innovation and enhancement across multiple disciplines.
• Playing a key role in the development of new academic provision, including Music Education.
• Designing and developing new programmes and modules in response to sector and student demand.
• Ensuring high standards of academic quality, student outcomes and educational experience.
• Supporting and developing academic teams through effective leadership and collaboration.
• Building relationships with schools, industry partners, professional bodies and the wider education sector.
• Contributing to student recruitment, external engagement and institutional initiatives.

About You

We are looking for an ambitious and forward-thinking academic leader with a passion for music education and curriculum innovation with:

• Significant experience within higher education, conservatoire education or a related educational setting.
• A strong understanding of music performance, composition, production and/or music education.
• Experience of curriculum design, validation and programme development.
• A track record of leading academic teams and managing change.
• Knowledge of quality assurance and regulatory requirements within higher education.
• A commitment to inclusive education, student success and educational excellence.
• The vision and creativity to develop new opportunities that respond to the evolving music and education sectors.

Benefits

At Leeds Conservatoire, there are plenty of benefits available to our staff members, here are just a few:

• Annual leave entitlement - If you work full time, you'll get at least 35 days plus bank holidays (pro rata for part time staff).
• Generous Pension schemes
  • Local Government Pension Scheme 
  • The People’s Pension
• Memberships and discounts - employees can sign up to various membership cards and discount schemes such as TOTUM card (formerly NUS card). Staff can also receive discounted tickets to ‘The Venue’.
• Travel and commuting - discounted travel available through Metro card, Northern Rail, First Bus, Arriva Bus and Cycle to work schemes.
• Learning and development opportunities - including staff development days
• Employee wellbeing initiatives
• Flexible and hybrid working opportunities - this will vary depending on role requirements

About Us

Leeds Conservatoire is a successful higher education provider dedicated to music, theatre, and performance, offering a vibrant and supportive learning environment for aspiring artists. Our strong industry connections provide students with invaluable real-world experience and opportunities, equipping them for successful careers in the creative sectors.

We pride ourselves on creating a rewarding and stimulating workplace for our staff, fostering collaboration and innovation within a supportive and creative community. We are committed to nurturing the next generation of artists and are proud to contribute to the vibrant cultural landscape of Leeds and beyond.

At Leeds Conservatoire, we offer development opportunities, allowing our staff to thrive alongside a diverse team of leading professionals and talented students. Our state-of-the-art facilities and thriving student community further enhance our creative environment, making it an inspiring place to work and grow.

As an organisation committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, we are constantly striving to recruit staff which are representative of our student body and the wider region, to enable us to bring new voices to our community.

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

We welcome applications from all backgrounds and select candidates on merit against the person specification.

Our processes are designed to:

• provide equal opportunity and comply with relevant equality legislation;
• reduce bias through structured, evidence-based assessment;
• make reasonable adjustments where needed so candidates can perform at their best.

We are committed to a respectful working environment where people are treated with dignity, and where a range of perspectives can be expressed and discussed appropriately within the law and our policies.

To learn more about our approach and objectives, please click here.

RECRUITMENT AGENCIES

We kindly request that recruitment agencies do not forward any unsolicited CVs in relation to any of our advertised roles or speculatively. If we require support with any of our vacancies we will get in touch with agencies directly.

• We do not recognise submissions of unsolicited or speculative CV applications from recruitment agencies.
• We shall not be liable for any fee / commission in the event we employ a candidate that may have been submitted as an unsolicited/speculative application from an uninstructed recruitment agency.