Vice-Chancellor and Principal

Overview

We are now looking to appoint a dynamic individual as our Vice-Chancellor and Principal. As Chief Executive of the University, the Vice-Chancellor and Principal is responsible to the Governing Body for the academic and organisational leadership and management of the University. The post holder will develop, promote, and champion the distinctiveness, quality and profile of the University through clear vision, informed academic and professional service leadership, and sound management.

The Vice-Chancellor will continue with the implementation of the University’s strategy: Vision 2030 and continue to build on the University’s strong foundations, enhance its reputation, and strengthen its distinctive position within a rapidly changing external market. Externally, the Vice-Chancellor will be expected to engage with the local community, businesses, and official bodies as well as regional, national, and international partners to build and develop a strong set of relationships for the benefit of the University.

This is an exciting time to be joining Canterbury Christ Church University. Our recent investment in academic and physical infrastructure is bearing fruit and our strength through partnerships and collaboration allows us to think ambitiously as we work towards our recently adopted Vision 2030. This year we will see our first cohort of doctors qualify from the Kent and Medway Medical School, a collaboration with the University of Kent. Our success in the most recent Research Excellence Framework reflects our enhanced research capacity, which we are continuing to build upon, including through our world-class doctoral programme in Applied Clinical Psychology at our Tunbridge Wells campus. We have TEF silver status and are among the most successful universities in delivering regional economic impact as shown in the Knowledge Exchange Framework. We are renowned for our success in the employability of our students. In 2023 we were ranked 1^st in the country for this as 94% of our students were in employment or further learning within 15 months of leaving the university.

In September 2025 we are introducing a range of further postgraduate courses at our Medway campus, expanding our offer in this iconic example of cross-institutional collaboration. Investment in our facilities in Medway and in Canterbury means we have world-class learning opportunities for students, including cutting-edge simulation suites in Health and state of the art digital facilities in Creative Arts (including our flagship games design courses). Our main campus in Canterbury is on a UNESCO World Heritage site and our graduation ceremonies are held in Canterbury and Rochester Cathedrals. Added to this, the scale of our partnership activity means we are now a university of over 30,000 students with a profitable turnover of over £350 million, placing us in a strong position for the future.

The Higher Education sector of course faces considerable challenge, and we are not immune to the risks that come from that. However, we are well-placed to respond to difficulties with a Board and Senior Management Team who are proud to keep ahead of changing circumstances, rooted in our Church of England foundation and committed to our values of social justice, sustainability and inclusion.

Next Steps

We recommend that you download the Candidate Pack for a more detailed overview of the positon.

Saxton Bampfylde Ltd is acting as an employment agency advisor to Canterbury Christ Church University on this appointment.

For further information about the role, including details about how to apply, please visit Saxton Bampfylde's website. Alternatively, telephone +44 (0)20 7227 0880 (during office hours).