Job Description
Director of Aston Digital Futures Institute
Location: Aston University Main Campus
Basis: Full Time
Closing Date: 23.59 hours GMT on Wednesday 15 March 2023
Reference: R230024
Release Date: Wednesday 01 February 2023
Aston University is establishing a new interdisciplinary research institute to create impact and provide thought leadership on one of the defining trends for the 2020s - the evolution of developed economies towards Industry 4.0.
This will bring together big data, machine learning, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things and autonomous systems. It is the next frontier in the development of the global digital economy and digital society. Industry 4.0 presents enormous opportunities such as smart manufacturing, digital health and personalised healthcare, smart cities, sustainable technologies, and intelligent transport.
To realise the vision of Aston Digital Futures Institute, we are recruiting an exceptional and ambitious individual at professorial level for the role of Director. The successful candidate will have international credentials in AI and data science and will provide academic, managerial and strategic leadership to the Institute.
A start-up grant will be available to establish a research team and the required research infrastructure.
Reflecting the nature and strategic importance of this appointment, a sector-leading salary will be available to the right candidate. We welcome expressions of interest from candidates from under-represented groups in higher education.
About Aston University
Aston University is one of the UK’s top 25 universities and top three for Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, located in Birmingham, the UK’s second-largest city, in the centre of the UK.
The Aston University 2030 Strategy will position the University as a globally relevant university, a leader in science, technology and enterprise. Our new strategy places digital innovation at the heart of all we do across the entire enterprise to drive digital transformation across industry sectors and society.
Digital health and health tech have been identified alongside smart manufacturing, gamification and professional services as key drivers of innovation in the West Midlands region. As the UK’s second-largest city with numerous specialist large-scale hospitals, digital tech companies and professional services, Aston University located in the heart of the city of Birmingham is ideally placed to advance this agenda.
If you share our vision to build a new leading-edge research institute please contact our partners Anderson Quigley, who are conducting an executive search process in addition to the public advertisement.
The closing date for applications is noon on 15 March 2023.
Should you wish to discuss the role in strict confidence, please contact one of the following
Aston University is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. It promotes equality and diversity in all aspects of its work. We strive to have robust inclusivity strategies in place, including race and sexual orientation, to encourage colleagues to have the confidence and freedom to be themselves in the workplace. For more information, visit: https://www2.aston.ac.uk/about/inclusive-aston ”
If you require the job details document or an application form in an alternative format please contact the recruitment team at recruitment@aston.ac.uk