Chair/Reader in Accounting

Job Purpose

This is a replacement post that forms part of the Birmingham Business School’s continuing strategic commitment to the expansion of its Accounting Department with the aim of developing its research profile and contributing to teaching in accounting on the School’s thriving undergraduate and masters programmes in Birmingham and overseas. It is expected that the successful applicant will have strong teaching, including Ph.D. supervision, and research leadership qualities and a willingness to serve as head of department when the opportunity arises.

The successful candidate will be able to make a strong contribution to REF 2021 as well as teaching quality assessments, programme development and research funding applications.

Person Specification

The College comprises four Schools; the Birmingham Business School together with the Schools of Education; Government and Society, and Social Policy.

The four Schools collectively offer a large and diverse set of successful undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing professional development programmes ranging from the traditional subject-specific campus-based undergraduate degree programme, such as the BSc Accounting and Finance, through to postgraduate taught courses, including MA, MSc and MBA courses, and graduate research programmes to short courses and web based continuing professional and management development opportunities. The College of Social Sciences is the largest college on campus in terms of student numbers with over 30% of the University’s students, some of whom are registered at the University for four years whilst others are here for only a few months. Around 20% of the CoSS student body is international, although this percentage is much higher in the Business School.

The Birmingham Business School is a dynamic and internationally-focused Business School offering programmes across the full range of Business School disciplines. The School has been a major player in business education for more than a century and it continues to invest in its academic staff and facilities as it works towards its ambition of becoming a Top Ten UK and internationally recognised Business School. The School has recently opened a state-of-the-art Postgraduate Teaching Centre in 2016 and is currently in the planning stages of developing a £25m extension and refurbishment to University House, home to BBS. The School currently comprises six departments and employs over 200 academic staff, around 80 professional services staff and teaches around 5000 students. The School has an ambitious growth agenda and expects student numbers to grow considerably over the next five years.

 

Main Duties:

• To provide leadership in securing research funding in the Accounting subject area and publications in highly ranked (3* and 4*) journals.
• To bolster the capacity of the Accounting Department, especially in areas such as Financial Reporting, Management Accounting and Critical Accounting.
• To undertake a leading administrative task as identified by the Head of Department, School or College, including possibly Head of Department of Accounting.
• To participate in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and module and/or programme leadership.
• To supervise and examine dissertations at postgraduate Masters and Ph.D. levels.
• To contribute to debates on the development of accounting beyond the University, and critically at the interface of University and accounting profession in order to foster engagement, influence and impact.
• To develop and/or sustain key external partnerships which underpin the delivery of teaching and research collaborations.
• To take full part in the Schools’ overall research and teaching activities, as well as contributing to those of other Schools and Departments, where beneficial.
• To contribute to the development of academic leaders within the University, where appropriate.
• To contribute to the determination of the academic quality standards framework throughout the University.
• To ensure that the teaching activity achieves the educational quality standards of the School and University.
• To make major contributions to the broader theoretical and/or methodological debates of the discipline through rigorous scholarship and/or original or impactful research.
• To publish the outcomes of this scholarship in leading research and/or professional journals and/or books which further develop the University’s reputation in the Accounting subject area.
• To take an active part in the life of the Department, School and College and its Centres, including participation in Department of Accounting and other research seminars and attending of Departmental meetings.
• To promote and market the work of the Department, School, College and Centres in the Accounting subject area both nationally and internationally.

 

Person Specification:

Essential:

• A reputation for excellence in scholarship and research in the Accounting subject area, including publications in good refereed journals and grant awards.
• Established track record as an experienced and innovative education leader in the Accounting subject area.
• Experience of undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and administration at different levels, including successful supervision of Ph.D.’s to completion.
• A PhD in Accounting or a related field and/or professional qualification(s).
• Excellent presentation skills and a collegial attitude.
• Experience of working with, and mentoring/leading other staff in an education, or similar, environment.
• Ability to work across institutional and discipline boundaries

 

Desirable:

• Experience with international collaborations.
• Involvement with professional associations and institutes and accreditation bodies in the accounting area.
• Involvement with funding bodies and journal editorship.
• Willingness to engage with the media.