POSITION OVERVIEW

School: International Business School Suzhou (IBSS)
Department: Department of Accounting (ACC)
Position: Head of Accounting Department
Location: Suzhou, China
Contract Type: Fixed-term, renewable. 3rd contract is open-ended
Advertisement closing date: 31 August 2023

ABOUT XJTLU

In 2006 Xi an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) was created by the University of Liverpool and Xi an Jiaotong University a top ten university in China. Offering a unique international education experience, XJTLU brings together excellent research practice and expertise from both institutions and gives students the skills and knowledge they need to secure careers in a global marketplace. XJTLU now has over 25,000 enrolled students in both Suzhou and Liverpool in the UK, with plans to grow to about 28,000 students by 2025. There are currently about 2,000 staff, among which about 1,000 academic staff, with an almost even split between citizens of the People s Republic of China and international passport holders. XJTLU offers our undergraduates and postgraduates over 100 programmes with a diverse spectrum of courses.

XJTLU is entering a new and exciting phase of its development as part of its strategic priorities for the next ten years. Adopting a new higher education model based on the concept of Syntegrative Education (SE), XJTLU is currently opening a new Entrepreneurial Education site in Taicang, part of wider Suzhou, where the Entrepreneur College (Taicang) is located. The Taicang site will be a pioneer of, and educational model for, the future campus in addressing challenges arising from the 4th Industrial Revolution. Other new initiatives include new working partnerships with Xi an Jiaotong University, the continued development of the four new Academies, and exploration of further potential locations to develop the SE model.

With a focus on innovative learning and teaching, and research, XJTLU draws on the strengths of its parent universities, and plays a pivotal role in facilitating access to China for UK and other institutional partners. At same time, XJTLU is exploring future education by blending the educational theory, best practice and culture from west and east.

For detailed information about the university, please visit www.xjtlu.edu.cn.

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS SCHOOL SUZHOU (IBSS)

International Business School Suzhou (IBSS) at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University is growing in size and influence in pursuit of its vision to be a leading international business school. The school is based on strong principles of internationalism, innovation, inspiration and integrity, which together ensure that we have a positive impact on society through our teaching, research and business engagement. In that pursuit, IBSS became the youngest business school to be accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) in 2016, and again, the youngest School to receive EQUIS accreditation in 2018. Receiving joint accreditation of AMBA and BGA in 2020, IBSS became the world s 103rd triple accredited business school.

The five departments of IBSS are Accounting, Economics, Finance, Intelligent Operations and Marketing, and Strategic Management and Organizations with over 160 faculty members and more than 6,000 students from over 60 different countries. IBSS delivers a range of undergraduate, postgraduate, MBA, PhD and Executive Education programmes across all major business disciplines.

The Department of Accounting is set to become an independent academic unit with the beginning of the 2020/21 academic year, as a result of splitting the original Department of Accounting and Finance. At present, the Accounting Department has a team of 29 academic staff, publishing in high-quality international accounting journals and also maintaining a balance of academic research and professional engagement. More than 80% of our accounting faculty members are affiliated with at least one of the professional accounting bodies as follows: AICPA, UK CIMA/ICAEW/ACCA, CA/CPA Australia, CICPA/HKICPA. Members of the department mainly teach BA Accounting programme and MSc Professional Accounting programme, and also support widely many other business-related programmes. Our MSc Professional Accounting programme has received professional accreditation from ICAEW with up to 12 ACA exemptions. BA Accounting programme has received professional accreditations from the ACCA, CIMA, CPA Australia and ICAEW, and it is the first undergraduate programme in China to have obtained 9 ACCA exemptions. In addition, our BA Accounting students have been performing well in national/international competitions organized by professional accounting bodies: for example, our students won the champion (2020) in CIMA GBC competition (Both in China and in North Asia region).

Role Overview

The position of Head of Department [HoD] is crucial to the effective operation of the business school. Its five Departments are the discipline-specific academic units within IBSS. Reporting to the Dean, the HoD provides both strategic guidance and operational support to the faculty in the areas of Research, Teaching, and Service. The HoD is responsible for teaching and service assignments of faculty, mentoring, performance evaluation, and hiring decisions. As a member of the school s Senior Management Team (BSMT), the HoD participates in the development of policies and programs, and provides crucial input for the strategic decision making of IBSS. 

ROLE & RESPONSIBILITIES

Supporting its rapid expansion, IBSS now seeks to appoint a Head for the Strategic Management and Organizations Department to join the business school's leadership team. This is an exciting opportunity for a senior academic and established researcher to become part of a young, fast-growing, and internationally recognized institution situated in the heart of one of China s most innovative and entrepreneurial economic areas.

IBSS offers a truly research-conducive environment, a low teaching load, and a range of research support opportunities. Research activities include the publication of research articles, the development of external grant applications, and the presentation of scholarly work at international conferences. Research performance in the School is benchmarked on internationally recognized lists of journal quality such as the Academic Journal Guide (UK) a.k.a. the ABS list and the ABDC list (AUS). The target levels on those lists are ABS3/ABDC-A or above.

Areas of responsibilities: (1) Strategic leadership and management; (2) Academic leadership; (3) Managing people and resources. The Head of Department is responsible for the strategic planning of the department, and is to provide leadership, academic direction and oversight to the department. He/she will oversee the quality assurance process of teaching and assessment, provide faculty development guidance and assess performance criteria as well as direct the department s external engagement. The Head of Department also assumes budgetary responsibilities.

QUALIFICATION AND EXPERIENCE

The ideal candidate for the position of the Department Head is expected to hold the rank of Full Professor, or Senior Associate Professor, and to possess the following qualifications/experience:

• A PhD degree in Accounting or a related field,
• Excellent teaching record in higher education,
• A significant record of high-quality academic publications,
• A number of external research grants awards,
• Successful experience in PhD supervision.
• Administrative experience, e.g., as Department Head, or Associate Dean,
• A motivational leadership style and a solid wide range of managerial skills,
• A motivation to mentor junior faculty,
• Good interpersonal and communication skills,
• Curriculum design and programme development experience,
• Engagement with professional community,
• Professional accounting qualifications such as ACCA/CIMA/CPA etc.,
• Adaptability in working in a collegial environment

CAREER DEVELOPMENT

• Clear career development path with annual review.
• Professional development trainings are provided.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

The Head of Department of Accounting is eligible to receive a duty allowance.

SALARY: Competitive salary in the market

BENEFITS:

1.  Allowance: XJTLU provide various month/annual/one-off allowances as 
   • Housing allowance Travel allowance Relocation allowance Etc.
2. Commercial insurance: international insurance plans customized for XJTLU staff and family members. (details refer to the University Policy)
3. Paid holidays: 
   • Statutory Holidays (11 days) Annual Leave (36 days) Family Matters Leave Paid Sick Leave Marriage Leave Paternity Leave Parental leave Etc.
4. Working visa and residence permit in China ; XJTLU sponsors working visa and residence permit in China for the staff.

CITIZENSHIP AND VISA REGULATIONS

Employment at Xi an Jiaotong-Liverpool University is regulated by Chinese Labour Laws, and must comply with the regulations of the provincial government. These regulations stipulate who is eligible for legal employment with regard to obtaining work permits and visas. Please be advised candidates over 65 may be not eligible for a work visa in the P.R. China.

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit your application on our university website through this link: https://career15.sapsf.cn/sfcareer/jobreqcareer?jobId=3359&company=xjtlu.

Applications must be submitted in a single pdf file that includes 3 parts in the order of:

• A cover letter
• A current CV, including date of birth, country of citizenship, and highest degree level
• Contact Details for Three References

For specific enquiries relating to the position, please email Dean of IBSS, Prof. Jorg Bley at Jorg.Bley @xjtlu.edu.cn. Informal enquiries may be addressed to the HRBP at ye.lan@xjtlu.edu.cn. Please quote the position and job ID in your enquiry.