Academic Director (Principal Lecturer) DClin Psy

About the role 

Come and join our brilliant and friendly team! As part of the growth and development of our Clinical Psychology provision and the current postholder’s promotion, we are looking for an inspiring and innovative Clinical Psychologist to join the team as a Principal Lecturer in Clinical Psychology/Academic Director to lead on curriculum design and development for the programme and to contribute to our high-quality research profile. 

The University of Staffordshire Professional Doctorate in Clinical Psychology is delivered in partnership with local clinical psychologists in Shropshire and Staffordshire. The over-arching framework for the programme is the impact of Society and Context on psychological well-being and there is an emphasis on prevention, early intervention, innovative practice, and the importance of critical and contextual thinking. Our service user and carer group has a central role in contributing to and influencing all aspects of programme delivery. As a programme we are committed to fostering an inclusive culture which promotes equality and diversity. 

Applications are sought from highly motivated, aspirational, flexible and organised individuals who are curious and committed to their own and others lifelong learning.  

Our trainee cohorts remain comparatively small at an intake of 24 per year. This means we prioritise working closely and supportively with both colleagues and our trainees. We benefit from superb purpose-built facilities in a £30 million Science Centre, and we work across the region with several organisations and agencies, including NHS, third sector, social enterprise and charitable organisations. Putting the students first is at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to providing an excellent student experience through exciting and innovative programmes and research and practice informed teaching at every level. 

Programme staff are employed by the University of Staffordshire and the Academic Director is responsible to the Programme Director for the DClinPsy and will have managerial responsibility for the academic tutors in the team. 

Main Responsibilities 

Successful applicants will be a Clinical Psychologist registered with the Health and Care Professions’ Council and have up-to-date knowledge of clinical psychology practice. Applicants should have substantial experience of working post-qualification (minimum of five years). We are looking for applicants with substantive experience of course design, leadership and quality assurance processes ideally on a clinical psychology training programme or relevant professional psychology training programmes. Applicants will have significant teaching experience in higher education relevant to clinical psychology practice that demonstrates successful delivery, development, and impact. Applicants will have a demonstrable record of engagement in research and innovation and/or advanced scholarly activity and knowledge exchange in their subject specialism and experience of postgraduate research supervision and supervision of small-scale research (e.g., service evaluation). A track record of publications would be advantageous. There is an expectation that the post holder will engage in research supervision of Doctoral trainees. 

You will have experience of the personal and professional development of Trainee Clinical Psychologists or other psychological professions in an academic and/or clinical context. The role involves oversight responsibility of the academic strand of the programme but you will be expected to contribute to core areas of business of the programme, as appropriate. Working directly with the academic tutors, the post holder will be responsible for teaching and curriculum delivery on the programme, quality monitoring and co-ordination of the overall academic timetable. You will be required to collaborate with NHS partners, Experts by Experience and External Examiners to support with curriculum design, delivery and improvements.      

This role is an exciting opportunity to influence the next generation of clinical psychologists while advancing your own career in a thriving academic environment. For a detailed breakdown of responsibilities, please refer to the person specification in the application pack.

Contact For Informal Discussion

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Dr Yvonne Melia, Programme Director and Principal Lecturer in Clinical Psychology/Academic Director at yvonne.melia@staffs.ac.uk

Closing Date: 18 May 2025

Department: Academic

Salary: £56,021 to £64,914 Per Annum Pro Rata Part Time 30 Hours Permanent Plus Market Supplement to NHS Band 8C Permanent