Position Overview
The institute Le Cordon Bleu, an elite hub for global gastronomy management education is seeking highly qualified and dynamic individuals to advance the institution’s academic vision through strategic leadership for programme delivery, curriculum development, quality assurance compliance and regulatory accreditation and faculty governance. Extending beyond academic administration this role is meant to encompass a potential progression for contributing to institutional governance and policy…
development in the strategic planning of its academic mission.
The successful candidate will demonstrate proven experience in teaching and student mentoring, academic compliance requirements, administration of academic affairs.
About the institution
Founded in 1895, Le Cordon Bleu (LCB) continues to uphold a tradition of excellence in Gastronomy and Culinary arts with its international network of Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Art Institutes present in more than 20 countries. True to its unique gastronomic heritage, the LCB Institutes combine tradition with innovation and creativity to offer training programmes for advanced culinary skills, design thinking and business strategies. In partnership with selected universities worldwide, it offers higher education programmes leading to Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in the areas of gastronomy and hospitality management and tourism.
Key roles & Responsibilities
In carrying out his or her role, the “Head/director academic affairs” is meant to ensure academic leadership for teaching and mentoring teaching practices, fostering and guiding the development of programs and their delivery, oversee implementation of best student-centred academic administrative and teaching practices in compliance with quality assurance requirements. Specific expectations withing these domains are as follows:
Academic leadership
- Provide leadership in support of institutional philosophy and principles for the deployment of strategic academic initiatives
- Provide insight into advances and emerging trends in the areas of Hospitality, Gastronomy & Food systems, Food & Beverage experiences, Food product development and innovation.
- Contribute to teaching of programmes, deploying best practices and introducing innovative pedagogical approaches.
- Overseeing design and implementation of comprehensive teaching and assessment frameworks to respect curricular intentions, teaching goals, learning and assessment objectives.
- Ensure coordination and coherence within and across programmes with respect to distinctive attributes, content breadth, depth and logical progression
- Work closely with the “Head of Management Education and Career Integration” to optimize learning and employment opportunities in alignment with evolving work-place expectations
Administrative Excellence
- Oversee academic resources management including work assignment for effective programme development and delivery in support of student learning and mentoring.
- In collaboration with the Institution senior administrative team, contribute to continued development of academic staff for advancing disciplinary content and contemporary practices
- Working in close collaboration with senior management, carry out data analysis and prepare detailed reports with actionable recommendations for optimizing programme delivery and revenue generating initiatives
Academic Quality Assurance
- Lead the implementation and maintenance of academic quality assurance principles including transparency, equity, trackability, and accountability to ensure compliance with qualification standards
- Monitor key performance indicators for academic excellence
- Lead and oversee academic cycle activities and contribute to the Academic Council according to approved Terms of References
Required Qualifications
Education & Experience
- Minimum requirement of a Master’s degree with a preference for a doctorate in areas of: Education, Hospitality Management, Gastronomy or Business
- Minimum 5+ years regular teaching responsibilities (including in higher education)
- Strong knowledge of gastronomy trends, food culture, or hospitality business models.
- Experience for integrating mandatory compliance requirement and handling of regulatory body audits is an asset.
Leadership & Management Skills
- Experience in academic affairs management/coordination experience in programme management, student affairs or academic operations management
- Proven leadership ability with experience managing academic teams and working effectively with senior management
- Track record of successful project management and delivery
Technical Skills & Competencies
- Experience with academic quality assurance processes reviews
- Experience in programme mapping, assessment design and data analysis across all levels of academic programmes and training.
- Proficiency in the use of educational technology and learning management systems and evolving best practices
Essential Personal and Professional Attributes
- Language proficiency: Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; Minimum of Intermediate verbal proficiency in French language (professional working level).
- Willingness to relocate to Paris. France for full-time, on-site presence
- Rigorous Standards: Unwavering commitment to academic excellence and process adherence
- Integrity & Transparency: Commitment to honest communication about capabilities, challenges, and progress
- Adaptability: Willingness to learn and improve based on feedback and changing requirements
- Collaborative Leadership: Ability to work effectively across departments and with diverse stakeholders
- Capacity to accept and implement senior management decisions constructively
- An understanding of the European competency certification framework and of French education system and regulatory bodies will be an asset
Compensation & Benefits
Competitive salary: Commensurate with experience, plus comprehensive benefits package including professional development.
Application, required documents and selection process:
Required documents are:
- A short-structured cover letter to include the reason for applying relevant experience in alignment with the job description, career trajectory and goals outlining mutual benefits.
- Comprehensive CV
- Three professional references
- Teaching evaluations or portfolio (if available)
Position Start Date: as of 1 February 2027 ( negotiable)
The selection process includes the following:
- Initial application review and selection of a short list of candidates
- Video or in-person interview with hiring committee of short- listed candidates
- Triage for selection of final short list of candidates of interest
- Second task-oriented interview with senior institutional management
Le Cordon Bleu is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion in education. We encourage applications from qualified candidates of all backgrounds.