Professor and Dean, School of CHIPS

Location: Suzhou, China

Contract Type: Fixed-term, renewable. 3rd contract is open-ended

Advertisement End Date: 11/30/2026 (early submission of applications is encouraged)

ABOUT XJTLU

In 2006, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) was founded by a partnership between the University of Liverpool, UK, and Xi'an Jiaotong University, China. Offering a unique international education experience, XJTLU brings together excellent research practice and expertise from both institutions and gives students the skills and knowledge they need to secure careers in a global marketplace. XJTLU now has over 25,000 enrolled students studying in both Suzhou and Liverpool in the UK. There are currently about 2,500 staff, including more than 1,300 academic staff from over 60 countries. XJTLU offers our undergraduates and postgraduates over 120 programmes with a diverse spectrum of courses.

With a focus on innovative education and research, XJTLU draws on the strengths of its parent universities, and plays a pivotal role in facilitating access to China for UK and other institutional partners. At the same time, XJTLU is exploring future education by blending the educational theory, best practice and culture from the West and the East.

The year 2026 marks the 20th anniversary of XJTLU. As part of its strategic priorities for the coming decade, the university is entering a new and exciting phase of development. XJTLU continues to innovate in education models, and is now transitioning from a collection of distinct approaches toward a unified, integrated Academy model a syntegrative ecosystem designed to break down silos, enhance agility, and solidify XJTLU's position at the forefront of global education and research.

For detailed information about the university, please visit www.xjtlu.edu.cn.

ABOUT THE SCHOOL OF CHIPS

The School focuses on high-end technologies in the field of chips, concentrating on cutting-edge scientific issues and technical challenges. It strengthens interdisciplinary integration and industry cooperation to cultivate high-level talents in the chips field that the country urgently needs, who possess innovation capabilities, international perspectives, and entrepreneurial spirit.

Currently, the School offers undergraduate programs in Microelectronics Science and Engineering, master's programs in Advanced Microelectronics Technology and Materials, and doctoral programs. The undergraduate program aims to enable students to widely acquire industry skills, deeply study the knowledge and applications of integrated circuit hardware, and solidly master semiconductor and chip technologies. The master's program mainly focuses on in-depth lectures on microelectronic devices and micro-nano manufacturing technologies. The master's and doctoral projects explore the frontiers of research in microelectronic technology in areas such as sensing technology, AI technology, new chip materials, and big health.

With the rapid growth of student numbers, the School will strive to build a high-level international faculty team to meet the needs of student development. At the same time, in the future, it will actively explore a blended education model to cultivate integrated talents who are proficient both in chip technology and management.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

The School of CHIPS is adopting a new higher education model based upon the concept of Syntegrative Education (SE). SE is a new model developed by the University to address an increasingly networked and complex future of work in the 4th Industrial Revolution. The model is core to the University's strategy for its next ten-year development focusing on innovation and entrepreneurship. SE aims to train syntegrative leaders with management skills, international perspective, discipline-specific knowledge, and adaptability in industry (MIDI).

The position will attract academic leaders embodying these SE values and are passionate in engaging in a future-focused co-learning ecosystem comprising students, academics, practitioners, university, industry, and community. The School seeks a visionary leader who thrive by creating impact through authentic engagement, cross-boundary collaboration, collective learning and discovery, and action-oriented inquiries. The Dean is also a creative educator who adopts a systems mindset and use their knowledge, skills, and experiences to co-design and deliver an enriching educational experience for students. They view education as an integrative and life-long transformative process.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES

We are looking for an academic leader from candidates in the fields of electrical and electronics engineering, microelectronics engineering, integrated circuits design, integrated circuits fabrication, integrated circuits engineering, microprocessor systems, electromechanics systems, power electronics, digital VLSI design, CMOS digital integrated circuits. The Dean will be responsible for:

• Providing strategic leadership to drive the School's next phase of development;
• Daily operation and administration in the School;
• Lead on the development and implementation of appropriate academic programmes at undergraduate, postgraduate taught and research levels;
• Lead the development and implementation of a strategic plan for the development of the school within the microelectronics industry, aligned to overarching College and University objectives.
• Reporting to and implementing decisions made by the Taicang Leadership Team;
• Preparing both the annual budget and report on financial accounts of the School;
• Developing School infrastructure, regulations and rules;
• Delivering excellent learning and teaching, industry-enhanced research, and enterprise engagement activities in the School;
• Personnel decisions including recruitment, staff development, retention, promotion, discipline, and contract termination in the School;
• Working collaboratively with relevant School(s), College, University and founding partner University's to identify opportunities for meaningful and genuine partnership and successful impact-creation for research;
• Engage actively with new educational models and embrace innovative, interactive, technology-enhanced learning, teaching, and assessment approaches; understand and have an entrepreneur and innovative mindset in line with College ethos;
• Maintain a strong personal external network to be able to access early-stage intelligence and good practice from across the research and entrepreneurial community and exert influence.
• Grow collaborations with companies and other non-academic organisations.
• Develop new income streams for the School, consistent with College and University strategies and goals.
• Be responsible for effective workforce planning within the School to assure delivery of the Strategic plan.
• Represent the XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang) at a senior level in government meetings, external forums, recruitment fairs, regional and national bodies.
• Perform any other worked related tasks assigned by the line manager, XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang) Leadership Team or the University Senior Management Team.

QUALIFICATIONS/EXPERIENCES

• Candidates must have a doctoral research (normally PhD) degree or be able to demonstrate an equivalent professional practice and engagement.
• Candidates must be willing/able to actively engage with new educational models such as Syntegrative Education (SE).
• Demonstrable success in developing and implementing future-focused strategic plans which maximise opportunities and manage risk.
• Substantial experience and significant achievement at the leadership level in leaning and teaching, research, and business engagement and innovation in a higher education institution, or a similar industry context.
• Substantial experience of successful staff management with the demonstrated ability to exercise formal and informal leadership, to bring fresh thinking to tasks, to lead by example and support colleagues to succeed with a demonstrable commitment to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Candidates must have an international reputation and demonstrate impacts in relevant research fields and are expected to have a good sense of the technology trends and relevant research experience on industrial projects. Candidates should have experience to cooperate with industrial partners to develop R&D projects.
• Candidates must have rich experience in research, academic leadership, financial management, strategic planning, people management, as well as senior academic management experience in a university, research institution or similar functions/areas.
• Candidates must demonstrate a good track record of engagement with students and industry.
• A highly-developed external network and proven experience of operating at the most senior levels with a wide range of external stakeholders, sector networks, funders and government departments and agencies.
• A strong customer service ethos, ability and achievement in a services planning, coordination and delivery role, in driving team performance and implementing customer service measures.
• Credibility amongst academic leaders and external partners, personal authority and the ability to take key strategic decisions and represent the institution at a senior level.
• Candidates must have a high level of communicative competence in English.
• Candidates with administration and management experience in international universities or Sino-foreign joint universities are preferred.
• Candidates with knowledge of Chinese and UK regulatory frameworks of higher education would be an advantage.
• Some experience of working in a relevant industry would be an advantage.

CAREER DEVELOPMENT

1. Clear career development path with annual review.
2. Professional development trainings are provided.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

SALARY: Competitive salary in the market

BENEFITS

1. Allowance: XJTLU provide various month/annual/one-off allowances as
   • Housing allowance
   • Travel allowance
   • Children's education allowance
   • Relocation allowance
   • Etc.
2. Commercial insurance: international insurance plans customized for XJTLU staff and family members. (details refer to the University Policy)
3. Paid holidays:
   • Statutory Holidays (13 days)
   • Full Paid Holidays (34 days per academic year including university close days and annual leave)
   • Family Matters Leave
   • Paid Sick Leave
   • Marriage Leave
   • Paternity Leave
   • Parental Leave
   • Etc.
4. Working visa and residence permit in China: XJTLU sponsors working visa and residence permit in China for the staff.

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit your application on our university website by Click https://career15.sapsf.cn/career?career_company=xjtlu

Applications must be submitted in a single pdf file that includes 3 parts in the order of:

• A cover letter that explains how you fulfil the criteria specified in this job description, including specifying which of the three highlighted areas you can contribute to, and which modules you would be able to teach.
• A current CV, including date of birth, country of citizenship, and highest degree level
• Contact Details for Three References

For enquiries relating to the position, please email to HRBP Ms. Mingyu Yuan at mingyu.yuan@xjtlu.edu.cn. Please quote the position in your enquiry.

Organization

Recruiting for over 80 academic positions

Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) is a truly unique institution. It is the only international collaborative university in China with dual degree awarding powers, from the Chinese Ministry of Education and from the University of Liverpool. We are now recruiting highly-qualified and motivated academic staff for the start of the academic year 2012/13. We already have a diverse and talented team of over two hundred and fifty academic staff, with twenty five-plus nationalities. We aim to recruit eighty more staff in a variety of disciplines.