About this role
Fashion Styling & Image Making
The School of Arts at Birmingham City University is one of the UK's leading centres for fashion, textiles and creative practice. We are seeking an enthusiastic and inspiring academic to join our BA (Hons) Fashion Communication team.
This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to one of the UK's longest-established Fashion Communication programmes. We are looking for a creative practitioner with expertise in fashion styling, fashion imaging and visual storytelling who can inspire the next generation of fashion communicators.
Fashion Communication at BCU is an interdisciplinary course where students communicate fashion through image, narrative and creative direction. Combining styling, photography, art direction, graphic design, film, animation, branding and emerging digital technologies, students create compelling visual experiences for contemporary audiences.
You will help students conceive, style, direct and produce fashion imagery in professional studios and on location, supporting the creation of editorials, campaigns, publications, fashion films and digital content. Working alongside a collaborative team of industry specialists, you will deliver innovative studio-based teaching while contributing fresh perspectives in styling, photography and image creation.
Key Responsibilities
Deliver engaging, high-quality teaching using innovative learning, teaching and assessment methods. Support the delivery and ongoing development of the BA (Hons) Fashion Communication course. Supervise student projects, provide constructive feedback and act as a Personal Tutor. Develop inclusive, industry-relevant curriculum content that embeds employability and live projects. Contribute to research, scholarship, knowledge exchange and professional practice. Build partnerships with industry, employers and external organisations to enhance teaching and student opportunities. Support programme development, quality assurance, recruitment, outreach and academic administration.
About You
You are a creative practitioner with professional experience in fashion styling, photography, creative direction, image creation or fashion publishing. You have a strong understanding of both historical and contemporary fashion, visual culture and art history, enabling you to inspire students and encourage critically informed creative practice.
You thrive in a studio environment, guiding students from concept development and research through to styling, art direction and the production of high-quality fashion imagery. Passionate about helping students develop distinctive visual identities and industry-ready portfolios, you bring current industry knowledge alongside excellent communication, mentoring and collaborative skills.
We welcome applications from experienced fashion professionals considering a move into higher education and will support the development of your academic and teaching career.
Essential Criteria
Degree in a fashion-related discipline. Experience of teaching in Higher Education or relevant professional experience. Teaching qualification, or willingness to achieve one. Experience of curriculum development, assessment and quality enhancement. Strong subject knowledge in fashion communication, styling and image making. Evidence of scholarship, research or professional practice. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Ability to build effective external partnerships. Eligibility for Fellowship of Advance HE.
Desirable
Experience leading research projects or securing external funding. Experience generating income through consultancy, research or industry collaboration.
For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Adam Guy, Course Director and Senior Lecturer in Fashion Communication at [email protected]
Why Join Birmingham City University?
Work-life balance: Generous annual leave and hybrid working (role dependent). Career development: Excellent opportunities for professional growth and progression. Reward and wellbeing: Competitive salary, pension scheme and comprehensive staff benefits. Inclusive culture: A welcoming, diverse community where everyone can thrive.
Be part of a forward-thinking School of Arts & help shape the future of fashion communication by inspiring creative, confident & industry-ready graduates.