This study, conducted as part of an unfunded research project, presents the findings of an empirical investigation aimed at developing a comprehensive framework of key competencies for heads of academic departments. The framework is designed to support both the preparation of academics for leadership roles and the ongoing development and evaluation of current academic leaders. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was employed, integrating both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Data were collected from 22 academic experts across 10 Saudi universities during the second semester of the 2024-2025 academic year, using two instruments: a semistructured interview guide and a structured questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using content analysis and descriptive statistics. The resulting framework comprises four competency domains: professional competencies (8), leadership competencies (13), managerial competencies (9), and competencies related to aligning academic programs with employability (5). These findings contribute to the development of evidence-based criteria for the selection and assessment of academic leaders and offer higher education institutions practical guidance for designing targeted training programs to enhance the leadership capacity of department heads.