Head of Teaching
18 hours ago
City of London
Job Title: Head of Teaching Salary: Competitive Location: London – Bedford Square Department: Director’s Office Reporting Depts: Foundation, Undergraduate programmes, Postgraduate programmes, Core Studies and Part 3 Reporting to: School Director Starting Date: 1 May 2026 Contract Type: Permanent Hours of work: Full-time (In person) About us The AA is an independent architectural school and an international cultural institution that serves as a forum for ideas. Being a major Centre for debate, the AA offers an unparalleled public programme of lectures, symposia, and exhibitions, together with accompanying publications. The Architectural Association was founded in 1847, opening as a day school in 1901. The AA is committed to public benefit attained by the learning, teaching, discussion and promotion of architecture. The School is recognised as a worldwide leader in architectural education, with graduates that include many of the world’s leading architects, scholars, critics and educators. The academic and professional programmes of study at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, up to and including doctoral level, are validated by external professional and academic bodies. The AA campus is located in historic 18th century Bedford Square in London with a 350 acre woodland setting in Hooke Park in Dorset. The AA has an annual revenue of £18 million, a student body of 1000 students, 200 faculty, 90 staff, 6,500 members and thousands of visitors that come to engage with the most relevant debates in architecture today. About the Role The Head of Teaching is a critical role within the Architectural Association, helping to shape the academic direction of a school that has a uniquely flexible and rapidly evolving curricular focus. The AA may be the oldest school of architecture in the UK, but its independent status has always enabled it to shape the debate. With graduates from over 130 different countries, this is an international and ever-growing conversation with a network of collaborators that include some of the most significant voices in the field. The Head of Teaching is a senior academic role (and member of the Senior Management Team) that oversees the delivery, assessment, staffing and monitoring of the existing academic offering and the development of new courses and programmes. They support and oversee the performance of academic staff in their delivery of the school’s curriculum. They are also responsible for the preparation of materials for regulatory oversight and internal revalidations. The role requires an individual with an active understanding and involvement with the current landscape in UK architectural education, evidence of clarity and rigour in the development of academic frameworks, and excellent communication skills and transparency in their interaction with colleagues. Main Responsibilities As a senior academic the Head of Teaching is expected to engage in teaching activity and research/professional progression as part of their role in addition to the following: Academic Leadership • Help align the academic direction to the strategic aims of the AA., • Keep informed and inform others of current architectural, cultural and higher education developments and advise the school and Director., • Support the Director in the development of a long-term academic staffing strategy, succession planning, and leave cover., • Review new and current unit, programme and studio staff, teaching materials, design briefs and integration in the annual induction process, • Assist the Director and academic staff with review of new teaching proposals and teaching applications., • Prepare annual programme guides for the Intermediate and Diploma programmes., • Oversee preparation of annual programme guides for Foundation and postgraduate programmes, PhD, and Part 3., • Lead on annual academic appointment process with support from HR and Finance., • Communicate clearly and regularly with AA SMT groups and Director, especially concerning areas of staff difficulty or dissatisfaction, academic issues, and areas that effect policy, risk or regulatory obligations., • Lead the annual NSS review, response and production of the action plan., • Coordinate student feedback and survey responses for review by Academic Group. Academic Programme Recruitment and Outreach • Support Admissions and Outreach on the AA strategy for widening participation and recruitment activities, and regularly monitor and report progress to SMT., • Support the visibility and promotion of financial support to a wider and more diverse cohort, and regularly monitor and report progress to SMT., • Support academic programmes with articulation of content for recruitment initiatives. Staff support • Supporting new and existing academic staff development., • Lead on the induction and mentoring of new academic staff., • Conduct probationary reviews of academic staff., • Conduct annual reviews of academic programmes heads., • Assist the Director with annual feedback to academic staff., • Provide clarity and sensitivity to the support of academic staff., • Ensure that discussions with staff are carefully documented and difficulties resolved in a timely and conclusive manner., • Manage the AA’s Complaints procedure in relation to formal complaints raised by academic staff. Monitoring • Maintain and review procedures for monitoring academic standards., • Attend and contribute to school-wide formative and summative assessment events., • Chair annual external examination events for foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate awards., • Review annual academic monitoring; development of academic action plans; and proposals for new academic courses., • Prepare Intermediate and Diploma School annual monitoring and regular RIBA re-validation/ARB monitoring and re-prescription materials., • Communicate regulatory requirements and the school’s response to the AA community and Council members. Budget • Oversee academic budget planning and expenditure in line with budgetary constraints. The above list of job duties is not exclusive or exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post. Person Specification • Experienced academic/professional with a proven track record of academic leadership in the field of architecture, • Record of research/practice making a significant contribution to the discipline., • Network of national and international contacts in the wider field., • Postgraduate degree in Architecture required; PhD or PhD-track preferable, • Regulatory knowledge around UK HE and ARB/RIBA Parts 1, 2, 3, • Support and manage performance by providing ongoing guidance, constructive feedback, and resolving performance-related issues. Knowledge, Skills and Experience • Knowledge of the contemporary field of architecture, including its trends and directions, • Ability to understand, interpret and communicate processes and regulations accurately, • Ability to work under pressure and multi-task whilst maintaining collegiality, • Good planning and organisational skills with excellent attention to detail, • Excellent communication and influencing skills, including excellent spoken and written English, in formal documents, briefs, letters, emails and other communications, • Proactive approach with the ability to work independently and flexibly, managing and prioritising own workload, • Proven ability to maintain confidentiality and experience of working with data and information both of a confidential and / or sensitive nature, • Ability to work with colleagues at all levels, within and outside the organisation, being responsive, polite, friendly and efficient, • Commitment and duty of care to all students, • Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, actively addressing areas of potential bias How to Apply Please apply directly by emailing your application to by the closing date of 16 February 2026. Please include the job title in the subject line. Applicants are required to submit the following: • AA Application Form. This must be downloaded from the AA website at ___, • Cover letter or email, no more than two pages, setting out why you are suitable for the role, • Full CV, • Your salary expectations We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible. Informal enquires should be addressed to . We are committed to creating an inclusive culture where all members of our community are supported to thrive. Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented within our working community. Reasonable adjustments are available for interviews and workplaces. Please note that it will not be possible for the AA School to issue a Certificate of Sponsorship for successful candidates. Therefore, the appointed candidate will need to be eligible to work in the UK for the duration of their employment with the AA School, in accordance with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006. Thank you for your interest in the AA and this role.