Preparing a Position Description
for a Head of Department
- Role and Responsibilities of Heads
- Academic Leadership
- Department Governance
- Staff Guidance and Management for Performance
- Financial and Infrastructure Management
- Environmental Health & Safety
Head of Department Position Description Proforma (.rtf)
This document sets out the generic requirements for the role of Head of Department. It has been approved by the Human Resources Committee and the Academic Board and noted by Council at its meeting on 29 March 1999.
Role and Responsibilities of Heads
Heads of Department are appointed by Council and are responsible to their Dean, and ultimately to the Vice-Chancellor, for the management of their department within organisational, policy and strategic framework established by the University. For the carrying out of their responsibilities Heads have delegated authority from Council.
The prime roles of a Head of Department are to provide the academic leadership and management to facilitate a collegial, productive and safe working environment in the department, the faculty and the University.
Heads have responsibility for ensuring that legal and policy requirements are met. These include ensuring compliance with relevant legislative requirements and with University policies including, but not limited to, environment, health and safety, finance, information technology, competitive neutrality, equal opportunity, anti-discrimination and employment matters.
The role involves the following general responsibilities:
- the guidance and facilitation of the research, and undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, and continuing education and outreach activities of the Department;
- the governance of the Department and the establishment and development of its strategic direction;
- the guidance and development of staff and the management of personnel-related issues in the Department;
- overseeing and guiding the academic development of students;
- the management of the Department's finances and infrastructure through effective budgeting and expenditure control;
- exercising a proper duty of care for staff, students and visitors to the department;
- ensuring compliance with legislative and University EH&S requirements in their area of responsibility by implementing regular reviews of EH&S procedures including safety systems, risk management, reporting of incidents, emergency procedures, EH&S responsibility delegations and consultative committees;
- ensuring fair and equitable treatment of all staff and students; and
- establishment of mechanisms to ensure that the University's Cultural Diversity policy is implemented.
The Head is expected to exercise appropriate leadership and management of his/her Department with due regard to:
- the strategic and operational plans of the University;
- ensuring that staff responsibilities are met;
- ensuring that collegiality is exercised in the management of the department and in interaction with the broader University; and
- ensuring that legitimate academic freedom is protected.
Specific responsibilities of Heads include:
Academic Leadership
- encouraging the pursuit of excellence in teaching and learning and in research;
- seeking new opportunities for enhancing the international standing of the University and department;
- promoting collaboration with other Departments or Centres;
- developing a culture of evaluation and benchmarking and striving for continuous improvement;
- maintaining personal academic standing;
- representing the interests and needs of the University to the Department and to the external community;
- promoting the discipline and the department in the external community;
- representing the interests and needs of the Department within the University through active engagement with the Academic Board, Faculty and other University groups and committees; and
- the pursuit of excellence and innovation in teaching and learning responsiveness.
Department Governance
- the establishment and maintenance of a suitable Departmental organisational and committee structure;
- the regular consultation with a departmental consultative committee;
- the development and maintenance of the strategic and academic planning functions of the Department including the setting of goals and targets and the initiation and revision of course offerings;
- the implementation of quality assurance processes particularly in relation to teaching, research and the supervision of students;
- the allocation of duties to staff to ensure the effective and efficient performance of the Department's teaching, research and service functions;
- the promulgation and implementation of University policies within the Department; and
- the communication of information to and from relevant University authorities.
Staff Guidance and Management for Performance
- fostering the development of staff (including induction of new staff and appropriate career development and guidance support for staff on probation) within the department;
- ensuring the management of personnel issues within the Department including recruitment and selection of staff, annual staff performance assessment, and other relevant staff performance management issues (including advice on promotion and probation matters) and staff grievances;
- the establishment of mechanisms to ensure that duty of care (eg in relation to fieldwork) workplace health and safety policies are observed; and
- ensuring the ethical conduct in and by the department, including ethical use of communications networks.
Financial and Infrastructure Management
- the financial management of the Department, including establishment of budgets and planning for equipment, other infrastructure expenditure, and monitoring of expenditure against allocations;
- actively pursuing opportunities to increase revenue for the department;
- the management and maintenance of departmental space and infrastructure resources;
- ensuring environmentally responsible work practice and staff and student training; and
- ensuring compliance with legislation, University policy and regulations and University financial management and reporting requirements.
Environment Health and Safety
See Head of Department Position Description Proforma.