Professor

Faculty of Business and Law

De Montfort University (DMU) is seeking an exceptional academic leader to join the Faculty of Business and Law as a Professor with a discipline aligned to the School of Leadership, Management and Marketing. The post comes with an initial three-year renewable Directorship of the Institute for Responsible Business and Social Justice (IRBSJ) .

This is a distinctive opportunity to shape the next phase of research and innovation in a large, diverse and ambitious faculty with strong local roots and an increasingly global reach.

You will lead the development of a world-class research and innovation profile in business, working with colleagues across the University and with external partners to deliver research with reach, relevance and meaningful social impact. Through the Directorship of IRBSJ, you will have a platform to grow our applied research, knowledge exchange and enterprise activity regionally, nationally and internationally.

Faculty

The Faculty of Business and Law is a vibrant, internationally focused community of more than 8,000 students from over 100 nationalities. Based in the in the £35 million Hugh Aston Building, the faculty combines a strong local presence with excellent links to business, public sector organisations and professional bodies, alongside a significant global footprint through overseas campuses and partners.

The School of Leadership, Management and Marketing, the largest of the faculty's three schools, with over 4,000 students and 128 academic staff. Its portfolio spans undergraduate study through to DBA and PhD provision.

The Institute for Responsible Business and Social Justice, a multidisciplinary research and innovation community of 100 full and associate members, is the faculty’s principal vehicle for delivering research and innovation strategies. Its multidisciplinary hubs focus on sustainable growth and economic productivity, ethical business models and social equity. It further seeks to expand its work in the areas of AI and changing business practice and green logistics and the circular economy.

Role

As a Professor and the Director of the institute, you will provide visible, strategic and collaborative leadership for research, innovation and enterprise across the Faculty of Business and Law.

You will take a hands-on approach to building research and innovation capability, supporting high-quality outputs, growing income and developing partnerships with businesses, public bodies and third-sector organisations. A key emphasis of the role will be to lead the faculty’s enterprise and industrialisation strategy, including research grants, Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, contract research, consultancy, training and other responses to government and sector priorities.

Ideal candidate

We are looking for a distinguished scholar in a discipline aligned to business. You will either hold or aspire to hold a Chair. You will bring an internationally recognised research profile, a strong record of high-quality publications and successful experience of securing external funding through research grants, consultancy, contract research or Knowledge Transfer Partnerships. You will also have substantial experience of leadership, whether through a research centre, institute, department, school or faculty executive role, and the credibility to work at senior level across the university and with external partners.

You will be an inclusive and generous academic leader who can mentor colleagues, build teams of scholars and create the conditions for others to thrive. You will understand the importance of REF, KEF and wider research and innovation agendas, while bringing the imagination and energy to turn strategy into delivery.

Above all, you will share DMU’s commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, and our ambition to deliver research and innovation that transforms lives, strengthens communities and creates meaningful societal impact.

If you are inspired by the opportunity to lead ambitious research and innovation with purpose, we would be delighted to hear from you.

The salary for this post is £76,240 up to £129,119. Candidates meeting our Professorial criteria, will be assessed against the appropriate banding.

Interviews will be held at De Montfort University, Leicester on Wednesday 21st October 2026.

The deadline for applications is Sunday 4th October 2026 (midnight).