Professor and Head of the School of Chemistry
WORLD CHANGERS TOGETHER
The University of Glasgow is the fourth oldest university in the English-speaking world. It has consistently been at the forefront of innovation, transforming lives and delivering world-changing impact for almost 600 years.
We are proud of being nationally and internationally recognised:
- Scottish University of the Year by the Times & Sunday Times in 2024
- World’s top 100 universities (QS World University Rankings and Times Higher Education)
- UK top 25 University (Guardian University Guide)
- Top 20 universities in the world for sustainability (QS and THE).
With a unique history and reputation for excellence, Glasgow remains firmly focused on the future, investing in infrastructure and people to be the home of the world changers of today and tomorrow. As such, there has never been a better time to join the University.
The University of Glasgow is now seeking an innovative, forward-thinking leader to join the College of Science & Engineering as Professor and Head of the School of Chemistry – a world top 100 school.
The School of Chemistry offers a rich teaching programme at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, world-leading research, strategic industry partnerships, and a long and proud history of innovation and accomplishment. In fact, the University has been associated with eight Nobel Prizes – five directly linked to the School of Chemistry.
Alongside driving the success of the School across all areas of its mission (including high quality student experience and knowledge exchange), the post-holder will play a key role in the College Management Group, contributing to the overall leadership of the College and working with colleagues to drive excellence in Science and Engineering and across the wider University.
The post-holder will bring ambition, a track record of delivery and of leading strategic change in a complex, research-led environment through a collegiate and inclusive leadership style.
Thank you for your interest in the University of Glasgow; we look forward to hearing from you.
The College of Science & Engineering
The College of Science & Engineering has been at the forefront of delivering world-renowned teaching, learning and research in science and engineering since 1451.
Our groundbreaking research and its significant impact on the global economy make the College a dynamic and inspiring place to work. With research spanning six academic schools, we engage in everything from fundamental discoveries to addressing major societal challenges and developing innovative technologies.
Our teaching, informed by our world-class research, equips graduates with the knowledge and skills to become future leaders. We are deeply committed to the University values and the development of our staff at every stage of their careers.
The Schools
The College of Science & Engineering is home to six Schools and a national facility, renowned for their world-leading research and a wide range of internationally recognised research-led undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes:
- School of Chemistry
- School of Computing Science
- James Watt School of Engineering
- School of Geographical & Earth Sciences
- School of Mathematics & Statistics
- School of Physics & Astronomy
- SUERC Centre for the Isotope Sciences
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
The College of Science & Engineering is committed to fostering equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in everything we do. We value the unique perspectives and experiences that each member of our community brings and we strive to create an environment where everyone feels welcome, supported and empowered to succeed.
The School of Chemistry is committed to these values, which is highlighted by its Athena SWAN Bronze Award.
About the School of Chemistry
The School of Chemistry is the third oldest school of chemistry in the UK. Its long history of innovation and accomplishment is reflected in international recognition:
- World top 100 of the QS World University Rankings
- UK top 20 in the Complete University Guide
- UK top 15 in the Times & Sunday Times Good University Guide.
The School is home to 380 undergraduate students, 30 postgraduate taught students, 100 postgraduate research students and around 80 members of staff from across the world, around half of whom are academics engaged in teaching, scholarship and research. We typically have a further 60 post-doctoral research associates based within our vibrant research groups.
Research highlights
The School of Chemistry is internationally recognised for the outstanding quality, rigour and real-world application of its research. Our annual research income of approximately £11.5 million advances fundamental and applied science, leading to new emerging technologies.
Building on a rich heritage of scientific innovation and discovery, the School is at the forefront of cutting-edge research that addresses global challenges in energy, healthcare technology, sustainability and materials science.
The School has been home to some of the most important contributions to science:
- Isotopes: the very word was coined here by Frederick Soddy (1913)
- Thermodynamics: Joseph Black’s work on calorimetry (1756) laid the foundations of modern energy science
- Nobel Prize-winning innovation: Sir David MacMillan (Glasgow graduate, 1989) was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2021 for pioneering asymmetric organocatalysis.
This legacy continues as we are still home to world-leading experts across all major branches of chemistry – including synthetic chemistry, chemical biology, materials chemistry, heterogeneous catalysis, and theoretical and computational chemistry.
Research is focused on seven sections:
- Chemical biology and organic synthesis
- Chemical photonics
- Complex chemistry
- Energy conversion and storage
- Heterogeneous catalysis
- Functional molecules and assemblies
- Chemistry higher education research, practice and scholarship
Through strong partnerships with Industry, government and international research networks, we continue to shape the future of science and deliver lasting impact across society.
Research impact
REF is the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. In REF2021, the impact of our research beyond academia was assessed across four case studies. The quality of these case studies was judged to be ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ for 75% of our submissions. Similarly, 100% of our research environment was judged to be ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’.
Research is intertwined with our graduate and undergraduate programmes and greatly influences the content of our academic curriculum.
The School of Chemistry currently hosts three Future Leadership Fellowships and has secured substantial strategic equipment awards from EPSRC over the past five years. Many of the labs in the School have received a Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework Silver award.
Our research has a range of applications including in the medical and healthcare sector, defence, energy, gas sequestration, 3D printing and innovative materials.
Our College is home to three of the seven UKRI Impact Accelerator Awards (IAA) held by the University, with a combined value of over £10 million: EPSRC, STFC and Place-Based IAA, as well as the Photonics and Quantum Accelerator. The School of Chemistry benefits from these awards, which support high-quality, impactful partnership and knowledge exchange activities.
Research engagement and industry partnerships
The School drives real-world innovation through collaborative projects in partnership with industry leaders such as GSK, Sellafield, Sabic, Johnson Matthey, Syngenta, Chemify and Keltic Pharma Therapeutics.
These collaborations take shape through applied research, consultancy, bespoke services (e.g. analytical and manufacturing support) and staff training to provide tangible benefits for both organisations and for our students.
The Chemistry Higher Education Research, Practice and Scholarship research section has a wide range of expertise in chemical education. It puts student co-creation at the heart of projects and welcomes collaborative links to drive forward innovations in pedagogy of our teaching. Initiatives span the diverse themes of laboratory teaching, outreach projects, graduate teaching assistant support and maths skills development. We maintain close links with the Royal Society of Chemistry and are active in several higher education networks.
In 2022, the School of Chemistry marked its 275th anniversary with a series of seminars featuring distinguished alumni, celebrating our legacy and current research. The highlight of our annual seminar calendar is “The MacMillan Lecture”, named after our Nobel Laureate alumnus, Professor Sir David MacMillan. It was inaugurated in 2025 by Professor John Hartwig from UC Berkeley.
The School’s Outreach programme brings chemistry to schools, communities and public events – sparking curiosity, building confidence and broadening horizons. Audiences of all ages, including under-represented groups, learn how research shapes our everyday lives.
Research facilities
Research at the School of Chemistry is underpinned by state-of-the-art facilities and equipment in the Joseph Black Building and the Mazumdar-Shaw Advanced Research Centre.
These facilities are essential in supporting our research and teaching needs, and can be made available to external organisations.
- NMR: a suite of 400 + 600 MHz Bruker spectrometers
- X-ray crystallography: single crystal and powder diffraction facilities
- Mass spectrometry: electron ionisation, chemical ionisation and electrospray ionisation possibilities
- SEM: scanning electron microscope coupled with an energy dispersive spectrometer
- Thermal analysis: a series of techniques that measure material properties as a function of temperature, time and atmosphere
- BET Analysis: Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis
- Circular Dichroism: applied Photophysics Chirascan VX
- MicroCT Facility: micro-computed tomography with Zeiss Xraida 620 Versa X-ray microscope
- Raman spectroscopy: high-resolution confocal Raman microscopy
- Microanalysis: carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen quantification
- FTIR spectroscopy
- ICP-OES: inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy
- UV-Vis-NIR absorption and fluorescence spectrometer
- Glassblowing: specialist facilities for the design, manufacture and repair of scientific glassware.
Teaching highlights
The School of Chemistry offers a rich and rigorous teaching programme spanning undergraduate and postgraduate levels, anchored in world-leading research and strong links with Industry.
Our students benefit from state-of-the-art facilities, hands-on research opportunities and a supportive academic community dedicated to nurturing curiosity and developing expertise at all levels.
Overall, our teaching is designed to develop not only subject-specific knowledge but also a wide range of transferable skills, including problem-solving, data analysis, communication and teamwork, which equip graduates for successful careers in academia, research, industry and beyond.
Undergraduate Studies
At the undergraduate level, our degree programmes include a four-year BSc (Hons) in Chemistry and a five-year MSci with an integrated work placement. Students undertake a broad range of modules spanning organic, inorganic and physical chemistry, as well as specialised topics such as medicinal chemistry, spectroscopy, catalysis, quantum mechanics and materials chemistry.
The curriculum is designed to integrate lectures, tutorials, laboratory practicals and independent research projects, ensuring that students develop both a strong theoretical foundation and essential practical skills.
During the first two years of study, our programmes provide the flexibility to explore a broad range of courses alongside chemistry before specialising. Although this breadth of study is not unique to Glasgow, it remains a distinctive feature that students consistently highlight as one of the most attractive aspects of our degrees.
Postgraduate Studies and Graduate School
At postgraduate level, the School offers taught master’s degrees (MSc) and research degrees. The MSc in Chemistry combines advanced lecture courses, specialist modules and a substantial research project undertaken in one of the School’s cutting-edge research groups. Students also benefit from industrial input integrated into selected teaching components.
The School of Chemistry Graduate School has over 100 postgraduate researchers and is a vibrant, inspiring environment for ambitious scientists ready to take the next step in their journey.
The School combines innovative facilities with world-leading expertise to deliver an outstanding postgraduate experience. It has strong international partnerships and close links to Industry, so whether students choose a PhD or MSc by Research, we provide them with expert supervision, professional development training and opportunities to present their research on the world stage.
Furthermore, the School of Chemistry co-hosts the recently launched EPSRC-funded DiveIn Centre for Doctoral Training in diversity-led, mission-driven research
About the School of Chemistry
School staff are located primarily in the Joseph Black Building on the Gilmorehill campus in the West End of Glasgow, with a small number of staff also based within the adjacent Mazumdar-Shaw Advanced Research Centre (ARC). The ARC co-locates diverse research teams and ideas in a space designed to stimulate cross-disciplinary activities by removing disciplinary and organisational structures and external barriers. The School of Chemistry teams in the ARC include the Digital Chemistry Group led by Professor Lee Cronin, focused on the digitization and automation of chemistry; and Professor Andrew Jamieson’s group, specialised in chemical biology.
The School is a lively environment offering a range of cultural and social events for students and staff, as well as a full programme of seminars and research events.
Job purpose
The Head of School reports to the VP/Head of College and performs a pivotal and instrumental academic leadership role in the University’s organisational structure and carries significant accountability for providing a coherent academic vision and direction for the School, through the Vice Principal/Head of College to the Principal and ultimately the University Court.
The School is a key organisational unit of the University, each led by an appointed Head of School with accountability for the strategic leadership and development of the subject disciplines within the School. The Head of School is financially accountable and the recognised budget holder for their respective School, and a full member of the College Management Group. The Head of School is responsible for determining and successfully delivering the strategic direction of the academic disciplines within its remit aligned with the strategic imperatives of the College supporting the School’s research and knowledge transfer; learning, teaching & scholarship and internationalisation ambitions, and contributing to the success of the University. This role embodies responsibility for academic staff and students in the School.
Purpose:
- Champion the provision of high-quality teaching, research and scholarly activities within the School ensuring a stimulating, collegial and well-managed environment. The post holder will work in partnership with a School Executive.
- Contribute to the delivery of the College’s strategy including promoting excellence in the School’s contribution to the University’s Research & Knowledge Exchange, Learning & Teaching and Internationalisation strategies.
- Be accountable for ensuring the overall delivery of the student experience.
- Be accountable for the effective governance and leadership of the school including, adherence to academic, research and relevant policy related principles.
- Lead, develop and motivate a high performing School and its staff, engendering a culture of excellence, accountability and transparency, ensuring alignment with the University’s Strategic Plan.
- Be responsible for the effective and efficient use of allocated resources to maximise the School’s contribution to the College and University strategy.
- Play a major role in the strategic development of the College.
Main Duties & Responsibilities
- Develop and deliver a compelling, cohesive and ambitious vision for the School aligned to College strategic objectives.
- Actively influence and contribute to the development and delivery of a compelling and sustainable University strategy.
- Manage the School’s academic, physical and financial resources to maximize its contribution to the growth and success of the University.
- Provide academic leadership and direction to the School, embracing the range of subject disciplines represented in the School, by providing a coherent academic vision and direction accordingly.
- Lead, develop and motivate a high performing School and its staff, engendering a culture of excellence, accountability and transparency, including responsibility for the career development and performance management of academic staff within the school.
- Attract, manage and retain staff to achieve academic excellence, supported by Performance and Development Review processes, and contribute to the successful development of the School and the College.
- Identify, promote and contribute resources to developing the School’s research strengths and broader research portfolio. This will include identifying and supporting opportunities for research and programme developments internally, externally and internationally, both within existing funding streams, and where possible, through multi-disciplinary.
- Formulate and implement local aspects of the Learning and Teaching strategy which enhance the quality of the provision, ensuring that students are engaged fully and that the quality assurance of all provision is carried out in line with University policies.
- Promote engagement of students in critical evaluation of the education provision on an ongoing basis, taking cognisance of the needs of the diverse student body.
- Ensure academic staff in the School design, develop and deliver (undergraduate and postgraduate) degree programmes and relevant courses for agreed interdisciplinary degree programmes to the necessary standards.
- Actively develop and promote the School’s international academic profile and enhance its international recruitment and partnership development in line with the University’s Internationalisation strategy.
- Develop School strategies and associated financial and operational plans in partnership with staff and the VP/Head of College; to allocate School resources accordingly, with clear objectives, targets and associated measurements.
- Support cross-School and College developments in research, teaching and internationalisation.
- Support and promote knowledge transfer between the University and non-academic users of research through appropriate mechanisms.
- Ensure close links are maintained with the relevant professional, statutory and regulatory bodies and that the School meets the required quality, accreditation training and development needs of the professions.
- Encourage, support and facilitate entrepreneurial activity, identifying and pursuing external funding and income–generating activities for the School.
- Ensure that all relevant University policies and procedures are communicated across the school.
- Forge and maintain external relations essential to the School’s business, promoting the University as required to external bodies and organisations and enhancing its reputation, profile and influence in Scottish, UK and international forums.
- Act as an ambassador for the School and College raising its profile externally including internationally and embodying good practice.
- Deputise, when required, for the Head of College, in connection with College.
Knowledge and qualifications
Essential
-
Academic – Level 10 (Professor).
-
PhD or demonstrable evidence of equivalent training and experience.
Skills & Experience
Essential
- Successful and sustained leadership that is evidenced
- Successful track record of academic leadership and team building
- Leadership style that engenders a positive collaborative culture, sustaining high performing and effective teams that engage with colleagues across the University
- Significant experience at a senior level in an academic based environment
- Well-developed understanding of the priorities, operation and strategy of relevant funding bodies as evidenced by a track record of funded research
- Proven experience of managing staff and their performance
- History of successful training and development of early career academics, including PhD
- Demonstrable track record in strategic and operational management and planning
- Experience of financial planning and resource allocation
- Experience of leading and successfully initiating and implementing change
Experience
Essential
- Ability to identify, create and articulate a coherent academic vision for the School.
- Ability to combine and integrate the skills and expertise of highly motivated staff into multi-disciplinary teams, developing and building upon existing collaborations as well as creating/facilitating new opportunities.
- Ability to engage a range of internal and external stakeholders to collaborate in identifying problems and appropriate solutions, within agreed timetables and budgets.
- Ability to manage resources to ensure that the School is self-sustaining from income generated from research funders and other sources including teaching and research student supervision.
- Ability to motivate academic staff to create, develop and deliver innovative postgraduate taught degree programmes, working closely with Heads of College.
- Experienced in encouraging and supporting entrepreneurial activity.
- Fellowship of a subject specific society and international visiting appointment at a leading (top 200 global or top 3 in a specific country) international university.
Campus development plan
Our Vision
Over the next 10 years, the major investment will expand our campus footprint by 25%, creating a new urban quarter with the University at the heart of a revitalised west end. This is the largest development since the creation of the original campus in 1870.
This is a unique opportunity for a University to extend the boundaries of its historic core in a central city location. It will create:
- New learning and teaching facilities
- Refurbishment and repurposing of existing iconic buildings for specialist uses
- Identification and design of social spaces that support the student and community experience.
The expansion of our Gilmorehill campus into the 14 acre, former Western Infirmary site will transform the West End of Glasgow. The Masterplan for the site will incorporate:
- New learning and teaching facilities supporting our students and making sure they get the best in modern teaching and learning styles and approaches
- Creation of a Research Hub, housing large-scale multidisciplinary projects and incubator space for spin out collaborations with industry. This will encourage further innovation development
- New public cycle and pedestrian routes and a new central square which will link Byres Road to the up-and-coming cultural quarter for the West End, with new links to Kelvingrove and the newly-refurbished Kelvin Hall
- Refurbishment of five listed buildings: The Chapel, the Outpatients building, the Macgregor building, the Tennent Institute and Anderson College
- Commercial opportunities, including a hotel, restaurant, bars and cafes
- The state of the art Learning and Teaching Hub adjacent to the Boyd Orr building on University Avenue will be completed next year.
Find out more
Living in Glasgow
A UNESCO City of Music, a vibrant arts and culture scene, a food-lover’s delight, and a shopper’s paradise. Just some of the highlights of the ‘friendliest city in the world’. As well as that accolade by the Rough Guides poll, Glasgow has also been named a must visit destination by publications including the New York Times, The Guardian, and Wanderlust.
Music
The city hosts an average of 130 music events a week catering for every taste; from rock to rap, and classical to country. Glasgow also has a world class club scene playing host to some of the world’s top DJs.
Shopping
Outside of London’s West End, Glasgow is frequently voted the best place for shopping in the UK. A must-visit destination for any shop-a-holic, it houses high street chains, international designers, and independent retailers. The West End, home to the University of Glasgow, is bustling with vintage fashion, vinyl stores, and second-hand bookshops.
Arts and Culture
Glasgow’s arts scene has gone from strength to strength, and is the base for five internationally renowned performing arts companies including the National Theatre of Scotland and Scottish Ballet. The city has several world-class museums, which are free to the public, and the city’s architecture is a work of art in itself.
Food and drink
You can be in Glasgow and taste the world with its many diverse restaurants, cafes, and bars. And if you’ve yet to sample the delights of haggis and whisky, Glasgow is the place to be.
The City and Beyond
Glasgow has all the opportunities and excitement of a big city but its compact size means you can quickly travel from one vibrant district to the next. You could be relaxing in one of its many parks, before shopping in the quirky West End, and then dancing until the wee small hours in the Merchant City.
And when you fancy getting out of the city you can reach the stunning Loch Lomond in just 30 minutes, climb one of our many breath-taking Munros, play golf at one of Scotland’s many world-class courses, visit one of our ancient castles, or go further North and search for Nessie! Scotland has also just been named the world’s most beautiful country by Rough Guides.
Relocating to Glasgow
Choosing to relocate to Glasgow is a big decision. There are numerous things to be considered, such as the costs of moving, the cost of living, and where exactly to relocate to. We have created two guides to aide you in the decision making process.
Find out more on relocating to Glasgow at the below link:
WORLD CHANGERS TOGETHER
WORLD CHANGING GLASGOW 2025
Our outstanding disciplinary breadth and expertise has enabled us to make world-changing advances in fields as diverse as medicine, physics, linguistics, public policy and global development.
The key to our success is our talented staff and students pushing back at the boundaries of knowledge and understanding together.
Our World Changers Together strategy recognises the fundamental importance of a culture of open cooperation: not just as colleagues and mentors or students and teachers, but as a community of discovery that reaches beyond its walls and draws inspiration and strength from its connections and partnerships worldwide: excellence that's part of something bigger. The strategy is articulated across three themes:
COMMUNITY
- People centred, globally engaged
CONNECTIVITY
- Collaboratively minded, digitally enhanced
CHALLENGES
- Solution focused, impact oriented
Find out more
How to apply
Full details of the role and how to apply can be found by visiting our website:
The closing date for applications is the 16th of November 2025
For a confidential, informal conversation about the role, please contact Martina Cooper at martina.cooper@glasgow.ac.uk.
Terms & Conditions
Salary will be within the Professorial range and subject to negotiation.
Individuals are appointed to the role of Head of School for a period of 4 years in the first instance. Subject to satisfactory performance, appointments may be renewed on a mutually agreeable basis, normally for a further 2 years. The Head of School will become a substantive Professorial member of staff within the School on demitting office.
Relocation assistance will be provided where appropriate
As part of Team UofG you will be a member of a world changing, inclusive community, which values ambition, excellence, integrity and curiosity.
As a valued member of our team, you can expect:
A warm welcoming and engaging organisational culture, where your talents are developed and nurtured, and success is celebrated and shared.
An excellent employment package with generous terms and conditions including 41 days of leave for full time staff, pension, benefits and discount packages.
A flexible approach to working.
A commitment to support your health and wellbeing, including a free 6-month UofG Sport membership for all new staff joining the University .
We believe that we can only reach our full potential through the talents of all. Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our values. Applications are particularly welcome from across our communities and in particular people from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community, and other protected characteristics who are under-represented within the University. Read more on how the University promotes and embeds all aspects of equality and diversity within our community here.
We endorse the principles of Athena Swan and hold bronze, silver and gold awards across the University.
We are investing in our organisation, and we will invest in you too. Please visit our website https://www.gla.ac.uk/explore/jobs/ for more information.
It is the University of Glasgow’s mission to foster an inclusive climate, which ensures equality in our working, learning, research and teaching environment. We strongly endorse the principles of Athena SWAN, including a supportive and flexible working environment, with commitment from all levels of the organisation in promoting gender equity.
Our values
The future holds innumerable challenges for our sector, our society, and our world. We will have to adapt and change what we do and what we offer if we are to navigate these successfully. Our strategy and approach may evolve as the landscape changes, but our values will remain constant: a fixed point of certainty in uncertain times.
We have identified our values in consultation and partnership with our staff and student community. Living and upholding these values will ensure that we remain true to the spirit of our community and ourselves:
Ambition and Excellence
- We strive for excellence through our work
- We defend academic freedom globally
- We recognise and celebrate shared success
- We have an unrelenting focus on development
Curiosity and Discovery
- We innovate and solve problems together
- We lead by influence and example
- We engage with lifelong learning and personal development
- We learn from our mistakes
Integrity and Truth
- We uphold honesty, integrity and fairness
- We share our work widely and generously
- We do the right thing, not the easy thing - or we don’t do it
- We take responsibility
An Inclusive Community
- We are one Glasgow team, and we care for and respect one another
- We advocate for diversity and believe in variety as a vital part of a healthy university
- We champion education as an engine for social progress
- We practise and advance sustainability