Tertiary Education Academic Program Leaders( IT, Accounting, Project Management)

Job description

Overview

The Academic Programme Leader – Business provides academic, operational, and pastoral leadership for business qualifications at Canterbury Institute of Management (CIM).

These include the Bachelor of Business (with majors in Accounting, Management, and Information Systems), the Postgraduate Certificate and Diploma in Business, and the Master of Business.

The Programme Leader works closely with the Dean and the Campus Director to maintain educational quality, student achievement, academic integrity, staff development, and ensure programmes are delivered to high academic standards and aligned with NZQA programme approval documents, the NZQCF, and the Code of Practice 2021.

Key Responsibilities

Academic Programme Leadership and Specialisation

• Provide strategic and academic leadership across the Bachelor of Business, Postgraduate Certificate/Diploma in Business, and Master of Business programmes.
  
  
• Coordinate academic activities and quality assurance across the three specialisation strands or majors:
• Accounting – Ensure curriculum aligns with current financial, auditing, and taxation practices, and meets expectations for professional body alignment (e.g. CAANZ/CPA pathways).
  
  
• Management – Guide course development in subject areas.
  
  
• Information Systems – Oversee delivery of various as per curriculum.
  
  
• Ensure all courses meet NZQF requirements.
  
  
• Oversee all relevant academic processes.
  
  

Teaching and Assessment Oversight

• Teach at undergraduate and/or postgraduate level in one of the business specialisation areas (Accounting, Management, or Information Systems).
  
  
• Supervise academic staff in designing valid, reliable, and NZQA-compliant assessments.
  
  
• Lead assessment moderation (internal and external) and verification processes in accordance with CIM’s Quality Management System.
  
  
• Ensure alignment of course learning outcomes with assessment rubrics, graduate outcomes, and programme-level competencies.
  
  

Staff Leadership and Professional Development

• Lead and mentor academic staff across the business programmes.
  
  
• Contribute to academic staff induction, training, and annual performance reviews.
  
  
• Organise peer observations and teaching evaluations to foster continuous improvement.
  
  
• Facilitate academic meetings and encourage participation in research, industry engagement, and professional development activities.
  
  

Research Integration and Scholarly Development

• Promote a research-informed teaching environment aligned with NZQA expectations at Levels 7 and above.
  
  
• Guide research supervision practices ethically and competently.
  
  
• Encourage and support academic staff to engage in applied research, scholarly inquiry, and publication relevant to their fields and facilitate internal research seminars, scholarly forums etc.
  
  
• Ensure integration of current research, case studies, and industry insights into course content and assessment tasks.
  
  
• Contribute to the annual review of CIM’s Research Plan and support staff participation in research-related CPD.
  
  

Programme Monitoring, Evaluation, and Compliance

• Maintain programme documentation in line with NZQA accreditation and approval requirements.
  
  
• Conduct annual programme self-assessment reports and contribute to external evaluation and review (EER) preparation and programmes monitoring.
  
  
• Ensure academic delivery adheres to CIM’s QMS, NZQA rules, and programme-specific approval and accreditation conditions.
  
  
• Maintain proper records of academic performance indicators.
  
  

Student Support and Pastoral Care

• Act as a key academic advisor and support point for students within the business programmes.
  
  
• Monitor learner progress and collaborate with Student Support Officers to develop individual support plans for at-risk learners.
  
  
• Participate in orientation, academic skills workshops, and support service planning to uphold the Code of Pastoral Care.
  
  
• Respond to academic appeals, academic misconduct, and complaints, ensuring fairness and transparency.
  
  

Academic Operations and Resource Management

• Assist in preparing academic timetables and coordinating teaching allocation.
  
  
• Review and select textbooks, case studies, and digital resources for each course.
  
  
• Ensure Canvas (LMS) platforms are consistently updated and student-ready.
  
  
• Collaborate with the Campus Director/General Manager.
  
  

Industry Engagement and Programme Relevance

• Network with Industry, facilitate guest lectures, employer panels, internships, and project-based learning opportunities.
  
  
• Ensure ongoing curriculum enhancements and academic planning.
  
  

Qualifications

• Doctoral level qualification in Management / Project Management preferred.
  
  A minimum of a relevant Masters Degree with a high grade is essential.
  
  
• Comprehensive experience and strong achievement in higher education teaching.
  
  
• Record of scholarly activity demonstrated through research, publication, professional association membership and professional development.
  
  
• Experience in managing academic staff and ability to work collaboratively.
  
  
• Excellent communication skills.
  
  
• Demonstrable commitment to academic scholarship and professional development and flexibility to teach across all levels of courses as required.
  
  

Equal Opportunity

CIM is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing a workplace free from all forms of unlawful discrimination, harassment, bullying, vilification and victimisation.

CIM makes all decisions on employment, promotion and reward on the basis of merit.

Required Skill Profession

Project & Process Management