Director of Education and Academic Affairs
CIArb News / 13 May 2010
The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) is seeking a highly motivated leader and project manager to be its Director of Education and Academic Affairs.
The postholder will direct CIArb's educational Object, as laid down in its Royal Charter, of providing education, training and professional qualifications in alternative dispute resolution (ADR). He / she will be responsible for ensuring that the Institute's renowned global standards of knowledge and practice are maintained.
Founded in 1915, CIArb is the leading global organisation for alternative dispute resolution professionals. Its qualifications in arbitration, mediation and adjudication have set an industry benchmark for excellence in ADR.
A key element in achieving CIArb's mission "to promote and facilitate ADR worldwide" is the Institute's role as a learned society, and the postholder will also be responsible for leading the Institute's external relations and academic activities to increase the profile of the Institute and the professional credibility and international recognition that CIArb membership confers.
This is a unique opportunity to help shape the future of education and training in ADR, at a time when its critical importance to the development of the profession has been recognised by judiciaries and governments in the UK and internationally. As Director of Education and Academic Affairs for the world's leading professional body for ADR, this is an exciting opportunity with tremendous potential to help influence the profession worldwide.
Main responsibilities
Education and Training
- Manage the education and training team so that all stages of the education and training process - development, delivery, implementation and quality assurance - are effective, efficient, customer driven and accessible by all.
- Project-manage the development and implementation of key projects.
- Meet the diverse cultural and educational needs of CIArb's international branch network while ensuring that consistent global standards are satisfied.
- Ensure that the content of all educational programmes is fit-for-purpose and up-to-date, drawing on both your own knowledge and that of others.
- Maintain rigorous quality standards of training course delivery, assessment and examination.
- Work with the marketing and events team to help identify target audiences in order to promote education and training activities.
- Develop links and partnerships with educational institutions.
External Relations and Academic Affairs
- Work with academics, Higher Education Institutes and accreditation bodies to develop the Recognised Course Provider scheme.
- Oversee the effective publication and dissemination of research projects, to enhance CIAb's position as a Learned Society in the ADR community and in academia.
- Promote the use of ADR to decision-makers and influencers on an international basis, which may include governments, judiciaries and businesses (large corporates and small and medium-sized enterprises).
- Oversee the management of the Institute's internship and scholarship programmes.
- Work with the Director General and other directors to develop productive relationships with other institutions with an interest in dispute resolution.
Cross-institute working
- Liaise with the Institute's boards and committees and, where appropriate, training contractors, to expedite the decision-making process, while maintaining effective governance.
- Liaise with the membership team, branches, training contractors and boards and committees to ensure that global consistency is applied to alternative training routes, exemptions and progression to all membership grades.
- Work across the organisation to ensure that education and training plays an effective part in the Institute's membership growth and retention.
- Contribute to the academic content of events (including identifying speakers), and explore new commercial markets for the Institute's training activities, to provide new outlets for bespoke programmes, for example Continuous Professional Development (CPD).
- With the Director of Membership, Marketing & Events, and Director of Legal Services, ensure that the close relationships required to develop and deliver programmes, events, courses, publications, academic initiatives and other activities, are actively fostered and mutually reinforced.
Other tasks and responsibilities
- Produce and manage the Education & Training and Learned Society departmental annual budgets.
- Contribute effectively to the overall management of the Institute.
- With the Director of Administration & Finance, ensure that the IT systems required are both effective and properly maintained.
- With the Director of Legal Services, respond to enquiries from CIArb members and members of the public on all aspects of dispute resolution.
Person Specification
Knowledge and experience
Essential
- Educated to degree level with a relevant postgraduate and/or professional qualification in a legal and/or dispute resolution discipline.
- Successful background as a senior professional in a comparable organisation and/or an academic in the field of education.
- Experience in developing educational programmes through the use of research and the development of strategy and plans.
- A proven track record in the development of curriculum, assessment and delivery.
- Experience of implementing robust quality assurance processes.
- Experience in developing and managing partnership relationships.
- Proven success in leading teams to deliver training and education in the private, public or voluntary sectors.
- Knowledge of new learning technologies and the education market.
- Experience of managing resources, budgets and business plans and meeting financial targets effectively.
Desirable
- Experience and knowledge of working within a governance structure in the not-for-profit sector
- An understanding of the needs of a membership-based organisation.
Skills and abilities
- A highly motivated leader and project manager with a strong commitment to meeting corporate objectives.
- Excellent presentational and interpersonal skills: a highly effective communicator, with the ability to promote CIArb's Objects to a range of audiences.
- Excellent people and team leadership skills: able to lead, motivate and development functional teams and work as part of a successful senior leadership team.
- Excellent negotiating and networking skills: able to form beneficial relationships internally and externally with political sensitivity.
- Entrepreneurial and creative, with a results-driven commercial focus.
- Financially and IT literate.
How to apply
To apply, please send a CV and covering letter to Clare Hughes, Director of Administration and Finance E: chughes@ciarb.org