Academic Dean

Academic Dean
Permanent contract /Abu Dhabi
Les Roches Global Hospitality Education, in the top ‎3 for Employer Reputation
of Hospitality & Leisure Management graduates by the QS World University
Ranking, is a brand of the Sommet Education Group. Founded in ‎1954, Les Roches
is a private institution based on the Swiss model of experiential learning,
offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in the fields of hospitality,
tourism and event management. Les Roches prepares entrepreneurial and
innovative graduates across a global network of campuses.
Our values: Development, Distinctiveness, Joint commitment, Openness and Sense
of service.
Les Roches, in collaboration with the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu
Dhabi, is opening a world-class hospitality management academy in Abu Dhabi in
September ‎2024. As part of the pre-opening preparations, we are recruiting the
members of the Les Roches Abu Dhabi Executive Management Committee.
The Academic Dean will be based in Abu Dhabi and will report to the Campus
Managing Director.
The Academic Dean oversees undergraduate and graduate program planning and
development, student academic progress and satisfaction and is responsible for
the hiring, managing and development of Faculty to achieve institutional
goals.
He/she drives excellence in teaching, managing, and learning through
pedagogical innovations and solutions. He/she will make the academy embody
Emirati hospitality identity through a bespoke curriculum and approach where
practices and values of authentic Emirati traditions are brought to the
forefront. He/she ensures integration of Emirati hospitality values and
principles into curriculum development and faculty training initiatives.
For the role of Academic Dean of this new pioneering academy, we look for
a leader, a team player, and a communicator with strong problem-solving
skills, combined with an in-depth understanding of the academic world in the
hospitality domain.
To be eligible for the role, you need to hold a Ph.D. in a business-related
discipline, an MBA or equivalent degree and have at least ‎5 years of
managerial experience in the field of education at university level in an
international environment and have a minimum of ‎3 years of experience in
teaching.
You are a pragmatic and entrepreneurial leader with highly developed
interpersonal skills and expertise in stakeholder management. You have a
teaching qualification, excellent communication skills and a fluent level of
spoken and written English.

As Academic Dean your main missions will be to:
* Develop, monitor, improve and run state-of-the-art undergraduate and graduate programs and be responsible for (and participate in) teaching and learning activities on the campus. Hire, onboard, develop and allocate faculty into graduate and post-graduate programs.
* Manage the Faculty team to achieve the planning, delivery, quality, and development of the programs within the academic budget.
* Establish strategic partnership with Emirati hospitality leaders to bring authentic industry practices into the academic environment and enhance student employability within the local context. Implement strategies to ensure cross-campus collaboration and consistency of student and faculty experiences.
* Be key contributor to obtaining accreditation, implementing, and maintaining required standards. Foster a culture and an environment conducive to academic excellence, respect, and trust in accordance with the brand/academy spirit and values.
* Develop, communicate, and promote the academy 's strategy and program portfolio. Network actively with the hospitality industry to seek external expertise, provide guest speakers for the programs and potential employers for students.
* Ensure supervisory activities such as: create, update, and monitor semester work plans based on the workload model; approve availability for professional development, scholarship, and emerging projects and regulatory oversights and quality assurance.
* Ensure a seamless student academic experience, coordinate student admissions, - induction and - discipline and ensure student support and guidance. Promote and evaluate a student-centred learning approach, champion the use of appropriate teaching technology and enhance student employability.
* Participate in external marketing, open days, public relations, relationship with companies, student recruitment activities to promote and develop the program. Communicate effectively with all involved stakeholders.