Academic Lead

UP International College supports international students from all over the world to successfully transition into English speaking universities in Australia and New Zealand.   

We partner with three leading Universities in New Zealand: The University of Auckland, AUT University and Victoria University of Wellington delivering a range of specialised Foundation Studies courses and English language programmes.  

We believe learning should be defined by the exceptional! For over two decades, we have built an innovative, student-centred learning community that provides outstanding education opportunities for students seeking a tertiary study experience in New Zealand or Australia.   

To find out more about us, please visit https://www.up.education/study/university-partnerships

Academic Lead  
Location: Auckland CBD
Full-time | Permanent | UPIC Auckland CBD

About the role:

We are seeking five experienced educators with strong leadership capability to join UP International College New Zealand as Academic Leads, with one position available across each of the following subject areas:

• English
• Arts and Communication
• Business
• Science
• Maths

This is a unique opportunity to combine your passion for teaching with academic and people leadership. Each Academic Lead will take responsibility for their specialist subject area, providing leadership to teaching staff while maintaining a reduced but active teaching load.

Reporting to the Principal – University Partnerships NZ/AU, you will play an important role in ensuring high-quality academic delivery, robust assessment practices, and a positive and collaborative environment for both staff and students.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Leading academic delivery and assessment quality across your specialist subject area.
• Managing, supporting, and developing teaching staff, including onboarding and professional development.
• Ensuring assessment, moderation, results, and academic processes meet programme and regulatory requirements.
• Supporting curriculum and course reviews in collaboration with the Quality team.
• Maintaining an active teaching load while modelling high-quality teaching practice and academic professionalism.
• Supporting student matters and fostering a positive, collaborative environment for staff and students.
• Working closely with senior academic leadership to support departmental planning, resourcing, reporting, and continuity of academic operations.

About you:

You are an experienced educator who is passionate about both excellent teaching and supporting others to succeed. You will be comfortable balancing academic leadership responsibilities with classroom delivery and will bring a collaborative, organised, and solutions-focused approach to your work.

To be successful in this role, you will ideally have:

• A minimum Bachelor's degree in a discipline relevant to your subject area.
• Strong teaching experience within an educational environment.
• Experience in leadership, mentoring, coordination, or supporting other educators.
• An understanding of academic quality, assessment, and moderation practices.
• Familiarity with NZQA and Ministry of Education requirements and frameworks.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• A commitment to academic quality, continuous improvement, and professional development.
• A collaborative approach and the ability to build strong relationships across academic and operational teams.

A postgraduate qualification and previous experience with curriculum or assessment oversight would be advantageous. Teaching Council registration may be required depending on programme delivery obligations.

Why work with us  

Join a leading pathway provider as part of our top-notch faculty. Our faculty is passionate about teaching and is committed to delivering an engaging, efficient, and effective curriculum.  

• Academically focused role   

• Rapidly growing and well-established school with 26 years of presence in the market   

• Help shape the future of the college! 

To Apply: 

To apply for this position, please submit your resume and a cover letter detailing your relevant experience and interest in the role. Suitable candidates will be contacted as applications are received.

Questions about your identity help us appreciate the diversity of individuals looking to work with us, ensuring we’re attracting applications from people with identities and perspectives that are as diverse as our students. 

We are an equal opportunity employer. As part of our commitment to equity, we work to ensure a fair and consistent interview process. We celebrate diversity and we are committed to an inclusive work environment.