CITY, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON: Director – The Finsbury Institute

City, University of London is building its reputation as a leading institution for business, practice, and the professions. It aims to establish itself as a distinctive university that is outward facing, building leaders for the world of work and undertaking research at the frontier of practice. It sees itself as the ‘opposite of an ivory tower’, open, engaged and porous.

A key element of this is the 2024 launch of The Finsbury Institute, anchored in City’s School of Policy and Global Affairs but with strong interdisciplinary engagements across the University. This initiative has been established with the strong personal support of City’s President, Professor Sir Anthony Finkelstein.

This new, outward-facing hub for policy research and practice is being developed to meet the dynamic analysis, research, advisory and professional development needs of the UK policy community. Whilst most existing policy initiatives tend principally to face towards Whitehall, we aim to support and engage with business and the professions through our unique platform in the City of London. 

We are seeking a dynamic Director to lead this groundbreaking Institute. The Director will build and shape an influential Institute that will bring together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, campaigners, and other key organisations to address the most pressing local, national and global policy issues of our time. This role is designed to foster external engagement and will operate outside conventional research structures and with a strong emphasis on entrepreneurial innovation. The Director will be licensed to take risks and try new things.

The ideal candidate will have extensive experience within the UK policy community or similar sectors and a robust network of influential contacts. They will be credible in engaging with business and have the intellectual heft to make best use of cutting-edge research in the social sciences and beyond. They will possess the entrepreneurial spirit to convert their expertise and connections into revenue through innovative CPD programs, policy papers, commissioned research, and consultancy services.

This inaugural appointment is a unique opportunity to bridge theory and practice in a city renowned for its global influence. The first Director of the Finsbury Institute will play a pivotal role in shaping conversations and actions around some of the most critical questions of our time.

Anderson Quigley is proud to partner with the Appointment Panel to discover a diverse and talented pool of candidates. We strongly encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, especially those from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic communities, and anyone with protected characteristics under the Equalities Act, such as race, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, and religion or belief. Your unique perspectives and experiences are invaluable, and we are committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable recruitment process.

The role is a Professorial appointment and can be offered on 0.6, 0.8 or full-time basis (thereby allowing other engagements with practice). To find out more, please visit: 

www.andersonquigley.com/the-finsbury-institute

The closing date for applications is noon on Monday 29 July 2024