Professor & Chair of Department of Film & Animation, School of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities

Swinburne University of Technology’s School of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (ASSH) invites applications for the role of Department Chair of Film and Animation. We seek a senior academic who will lead a group of scholars teaching and researching in the fields of Film and Television, Screen Production, Animation, Games and Interactivity, and Digital Marketing Technology. The successful candidate will have a strong history working in one or more of the Department’s discipline areas and will offer broad knowledge of creative industries and preferably experience in a creative screen production domain.

The appointee will bring expertise that contributes to the Australian fields of research codes 1902 (Film, Television and Digital Media), and FoR 2001 (Communication and Media Studies). The recent 2018 Excellence in Research assessment ranked Swinburne as one of only four Australian institutions to achieve Above World Standard research nationally in FoR code 1902 and as one of 11 at Above World Standard in FoR 2001.

The Department of Film and Animation hosts five named degrees in Film and Television, Animation, Games and Interactivity, Screen Production, and Digital Marketing Technology. It has strong ties with the School’s Centre for Transformative Media Technologies that pursues research across the broad themes of Techmedia Culture, Creative Arts 4.0, and Digital Cultural Heritage as well as external partnership with screen industries.

The Department’s programs have their genesis in Australia’s first film school established at Swinburne in 1966 and the Department curriculum offerings now encompass a broad range of contemporary screen production practices and cultures. The Department continues to support the production of internationally celebrated student work and graduates across creative screen industries with a 2017 Games and Interactivity team taking out the inaugural Best Student Game Award at the Global Game Awards in LA and recent undergraduate student film work winning awards at numerous prestigious national and international film festivals in open categories annually.

The Department Chair is responsible for the academic leadership in the area and the senior role is focused on leadership and research. Competitive candidates will have substantial academic leadership experience and demonstrated capacity to manage and further develop the breadth and depth of the Department’s academic staff and programs. The successful candidate will also initiate and lead high-profile external partnerships and projects with industry and community in addition to extending existing internal and external engagement projects across the department’s teaching and research portfolios.

The role is a three-year appointment with the possibility of renewal and is supported by an underpinning, ongoing, substantive Professorial position at Level E.

Benefits

• Participate in regular staff and management development programs
• Paid parental leave for primary caregivers and secondary caregivers
• Onsite childcare
• Private health insurance discounts

To find out more about the extensive range of benefits offered to Swinburne employees please visit Employee Benefits

Further information
Should you require further support for an interview due to special needs or consideration, please contact our Diversity Consultant, Dr Walter Robles, on inclusion@swin.edu.au. For support or queries related to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment, please contact DeadlyCareers@swin.edu.au

Swinburne is a large and culturally diverse organisation. We are proud to be recognised by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency as an Employer of Choice for women for 10 years in a row and of key initiatives such as our Pride@Swinburne Strategic Action Plan and our Reconciliation Action Plan. Equity and diversity are integral to our 2025 vision to be a world-class university creating social and economic impact through science, technology and innovation.

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How to apply
Please submit your application by clicking on the ‘Apply’ link, and submit a resume, cover letter and a response to the Key Selection Criteria, as listed in the relevant position description. In your cover letter, please refer to the Department Chair vacancy or vacancies you are applying for.

For further information about this position, contact Professor Mia Lindgren, Dean of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities mlindgren@swin.edu.au or +61 3 92146102. If you are experiencing technical difficulties with your application, please contact the Recruitment team on staffrecruitment@swin.edu.au

Applications close at 5pm on 20 November 2019.