Overview

Permanent Whole Time Post

UCC wishes to appoint an experienced academic to the role of Chair of Business Analytics. Cork University Business School (CUBS), UCC is one of Ireland’s largest business schools with almost 4,000 students and 200 staff. Double accredited by AMBA and AACSB, PRME Champion and Athena Swan Bronze Awardee, CUBS’ vision is to shape leaders for a sustainable future. Building on existing strengths, Cork University Business School (CUBS) wishes to appoint a Chair of Business Analytics to lead the School’s research, scholarship and educational provision in business analytics and artificial intelligence.

As the Chair of Business Analytics, you will bring to the role a globally excellent reputation that should be evidenced through the production of world class research in leading academic journals. You should have led major funding bids and have successfully managed resources to deliver successful research projects. You should have sufficient experience supervising PhD students and demonstrate understanding of how to attract high quality candidates to the area of business analytics and artificial intelligence. You will be expected to act as a mentor to other scholars and be willing to act as a leader in a formal capacity (e.g. as Head of Department; Vice Dean). Given this, you should have demonstratable leadership skills and experience. It is expected that the appointee will play a key leadership role in advancing the UCC Futures: AI & Data Analytics area.

You will also be an experienced educator with a proven track record of high-quality teaching and pedagogical innovations across all levels (UG, MSc, MBA), as well as in the design and development of courses and programmes. We welcome applications from candidates with a well-established research profile in the area of business analytics and artificial intelligence. The ideal candidate will have a proven ability to innovate, engage and motivate students and colleagues helping build a strong academic and collegial environment.

Please note that Garda vetting and/or an international police clearance check may form part of the selection process. For an information package including full details of the post, selection criteria and application process see https://ore.ucc.ie/. The University, at its discretion, may undertake to make an additional appointment(s) from this competition following the conclusion of the process.

Informal enquiries can be made in confidence to Professor Anthony McDonnell, Dean of CUBS, and Professor Thia Hennessy.

This position is being filled as part of UCC Futures - Artificial Intelligence & Data Analytics.

What is UCC Futures – Artificial Intelligence & Data Analytics?

The staggering expansion and influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Analytics in our daily lives is a defining feature of the 21st century. With a complementary relationship, AI and Data Analytics are rapidly becoming two of the most important technologies in the world today. Their impact is transformational, disrupting society and industry alike. Over the last decade alone, the availability of vast amounts of digital data, the availability of powerful computing architectures, and advances in AI techniques such as machine learning have led to major advances across multiple sectors. There have been significant AI-enabled and data driven developments in smart manufacturing, autonomous vehicles, healthcare, home/service robots, education, cybersecurity, to name but a few.

Fundamental scientific advances in automated reasoning, Boolean satisfiability, and complex problem solving, have brought within reach a variety of intractable AI tasks that arise in scheduling, diagnosis, model-based reasoning, security, verification, and planning. Building on the legacy of Professor George Boole at University College Cork, UCC Futures – AI & Data Analytics promotes interdisciplinary collaboration at the cutting edge of AI and Data Analytics.

Duties of the post

UCC wishes to appoint a Chair (Full Professor) of Business Analytics. Reporting to the Dean of Cork University Business School, the postholder must demonstrate research leadership at both national and international level, an outstanding record of research output and securing research funding in one or more areas of Business Analytics and excellence in teaching. It is expected that the appointee will play key managerial and leadership roles which will include, inter alia, advancing the UCC Futures: AI & Data Analytics area.

Candidates with a proven track record of research and teaching that focuses on business analytics as evidenced by a body of high-quality publications and a record of achievement in research funding in business analytics are invited to apply. An experienced leader, the Chair will have the capacity and experience to assemble and lead multidisciplinary research and teaching teams. The Chair will mobilise and maximise the impact of the numerous faculty studying and teaching business analytics in the School and will reach across the University to build new multi-disciplinary collaborations, particularly with academics in the UCC Futures: AI and Data Analytics area.

The successful candidate will engage strongly with Irish businesses and relevant networks to build on the University’s leadership position in education and training in business analytics in industry and enterprise.

In accordance with the University’s strategic objective as a research-led institution, the duties of all academic staff will include research, research-led teaching and contributions to the university (e.g. Programme Director, Vice Deanships, Head of Department), the discipline and the community. The academic staff member shall teach and examine, undertake administrative duties and carry out other duties appropriate to the post under the general direction of the Dean of Cork University Business School or nominee.

The roles and responsibilities outlined below are to be interpreted in the context of the relevant Statutes and where there is any difference arising from interpretation, that statutory provisions take precedent. For the sake of clarity, the relevant elements of the statutes not already incorporated in the numbered sections are appended in italics under each subheading.

Leadership | Research | Teaching & Examining | Contributions

Leadership

1. Demonstrate academic leadership in the development of Business Analytics through teaching, research and scholarship;
2. Mentor, support and advise staff as appropriate and assist in their academic career development in teaching and research and foster the research and scholarship of other individuals and groups within their academic unit and the University.

Research

3. Engage in high quality and productive research and scholarship of international standing and contribute to the advancement of knowledge within their discipline and publish their research in high quality peer-reviewed publications such as 3 and 4 star Association of Business School journals, creative works or other forms of scholarship appropriate to the discipline;
4. Carry out and lead as appropriate, initiatives in generating research income and assist in the co-ordination of research funding activities within the discipline, department and school, as appropriate to the discipline;
5. Attract and supervise students undertaking research projects (especially at PhD level);
6. Engage in other scholarly activities relevant both to the discipline and the senior level of the post.

Teaching & Examining

7. Promote excellence in teaching and learning and encourage/support both the development and the application of innovative teaching and learning methodologies within Cork University Business School and within other academic units in the University, as appropriate;
8. Teach and examine on courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level and where appropriate, adult and continuing education courses and make a significant contribution to teaching at all levels;
9. Supervise undergraduate and postgraduate students;
10. Contribute to, and take a leadership role where appropriate in the regular evaluation of curricula, and the development of new curricular initiatives;
11. Perform a significant role in the development of postgraduate studies at UCC;
12. Lead in the maintenance of academic standards and in the development of the curriculum within their subject areas

• to give the students attending their ordinary lectures assistance in their studies, by advice, by informal instruction, by occasional and periodic examination, and otherwise, as they may judge to be expedient; also, to make such arrangements as they see fit to make to meet students who have individual queries;
• to give instruction to their students and assist them in the pursuit of knowledge;
• to hold, or assist at, all University examinations in the subjects with which they are examiner.

Contributions

13. Promote the discipline both inside and outside the University and contribute to the overall intellectual life of the University and society;
14. Serve, if required as head of one of the College’s academic units and/or as a Vice Dean within the School;, subject to relevant University regulations, statutes and management requirements;
15. Develop links with professional bodies and external agencies, where appropriate;
16. Contribute to the administrative duties of the discipline, department and school and act as a member of such committees as may be required within the University;
17. Fulfil other duties appropriate to the post as may be assigned by the Dean and Head of Discipline/Department;
18. Carry out other duties which may arise as identified in the University statutes

• to carry out administrative and other appropriate duties lawfully allocated to them within their School  or other academic unit;
• if a member of the Academic Council, to attend its meetings;
• to serve upon all the committees to which they may be appointed by the Governing Body or the Academic Council, and to assist and co-operate with the Governing Body in such other reasonable ways as the Governing Body may prescribe, for the maintenance of discipline and good conduct among the students, or for the general business of the University.

Selection Criteria

The successful candidate will be expected to have:

Qualifications | Leadership | Teaching and Examining | Research | Contributions | Other

Qualifications

Essential Criteria

1. A doctorate in a relevant discipline, and a significant record of research and publication in the area of business analytics.

Leadership

Essential Criteria

2. The ability to provide vision and leadership in the development of Cork University Business School within the strategic frameworks of the College of Business and Law and the University;
3. The vision to develop and build complementary and collaborative research links in Cork University Business School;
4. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills commensurate with leading and supporting a team of committed academic and administrative colleagues together with the demonstrated ability and willingness to work in a collaborative environment;
5. Demonstrable experience of leadership capability as evidenced through a track record of undertaking substantial roles of responsibility including the management, support and advancement of others, and in promoting gender equality.

Research

Essential Criteria

6. International standing as a leading researcher and scholar in Business Analytics as evidenced through an outstanding contribution to its advancement through research outputs including peer reviewed publications, creative works or other appropriate forms of scholarship and a significant research funding record;
7. A record of successful leadership and international recognition through research and scholarly activity including research supervision, examining, editing and refereeing.

Desirable Criteria

8. Evidence of current collaboration with relevant research bodies.

Teaching and Examining

Essential Criteria

9. Evidence of significant achievement in and commitment to excellence in research-led teaching and learning at undergraduate and postgraduate level and a willingness to both contribute to and lead in the development of the teaching programmes offered by the academic unit;
10. Evidence of a contribution to innovation in teaching and in curriculum or programme development, review and evaluation;
11. The ability to teach, inspire and supervise students, communicate ideas and concepts in a teaching and learning environment and where the opportunity has existed, to develop and lead postgraduate supervision to doctorate level.

Desirable Criteria

12. A familiarity with, and willingness to use modern teaching technologies.

Contributions

Essential Criteria

13. Proven senior administrative experience and the capacity and willingness to act as head of an academic unit and/or Vice Dean;
14. Evidence of participation in relevant academic and professional associations/ bodies;
15. Ability to participate in and contribute to the overall intellectual life of the University, the academic discipline and society at large.

Other

Essential Criteria

16. An understanding of, and empathy with, the concerns of students;
17. Evidence of ability to work on own initiative as well as part of a team;
18. A commitment to the long term development of the business analytics area and UCC Futures - Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics.

As the university continues to expand and evolve, it is likely that flexibility in regard to the allocation of specific duties will be necessary.  Accordingly, the list of duties specified above is not intended to be exclusive or restrictive; duties may be added or withdrawn but any such alteration will take place after consultation with the appointee.

Salary Information

Applications for this post

How to apply

Applications for this post are received through UCC's online application portal. You'll be required to set up a profile (if you don't already have one). 

You can find the posts associated with UCC Futures - AI & Data Analytics by selecting 'Academic UCC Futures' in the search by vacancy type field.

Queries relating to the online application process should be referred to uccfuturesrecruitment@ucc.ie, quoting the job title.

What to include in your application

Applications should consist of your academic CV and a cover letter demonstrating your academic and research achievements. We would also like to hear about your research ambitions and how your academic and research profile aligns with the UCC Futures - AI & Data Analytics initiative.

Details of the following should also be included, as appropriate:

• Publications
• Research Interests
• Teaching Interests and Abilities
• Teaching Objectives and Methods

Who to contact

Informal enquiries can be made in confidence to Professor Anthony McDonnell, Dean of CUBS, and Professor Thia Hennessy.

Deadline for applications

Candidates should apply, in confidence, before 12pm (Irish Standard Time) on Thursday 30 January 2025. No late applications will be accepted.

Equality statement

University College Cork is committed to being a fully inclusive global university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) are core values under our UCC Strategic Plan 2023-2028. UCC holds a Bronze Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advancing equality in higher education. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from everybody, regardless of age, care-giving status, disability, ethnicity, gender and/or gender identity or expression status, nationality, marital status/civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion/creed, and/or sexual orientation. We are committed to supporting all staff through flexible working schemes, family-friendly policies, training and development, and staff networks. We value the enrichment that comes from a diverse community and seek to promote equality, prevent discrimination and protect the human rights of each individual in line with equality legislation. We encourage applicants to consult our Dignity and Respect Policy and learn more about our EDI related initiatives.