ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the role of the programme leader, a teaching leadership and management role responsible for the conception, delivery, and/or maintenance of a program or programmes of study, often with some level of oversight of the teaching staff involved in the delivery of that curricula, in UK higher education. The precise terminology for this role varies across the sector and includes course, programme or portfolio co-ordinators, leaders, convenors, and directors. That very variation points to the somewhat amorphous nature of the role and its requirements, which can differ both by and within institution. In the UK, and internationally, the leadership of teaching and of academic programmes is becoming increasingly important, even as the definition of these roles and the work involved remains ambiguous and variable. It is thus useful to take the opportunity to pause and consider what we might mean by programme leadership, the contexts for this work, and how such leadership can be embedded and supported.
