Durham University
A globally outstanding centre of teaching and research excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, a unique and historic setting – Durham is a university like no other.
We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things in the world.
As part of Durham University, you’ll be working with exceptional minds, all with the desire to ask, and answer, the big questions. Access to leading edge facilities and an active contributor to the global research and university community means you’ll be part of an international and diverse network of partners spanning the world’s best research institutions, organisations and businesses. And all this within the evocative and historic surroundings of the city, county and community that is Durham.
We find it easy to be proud of the extraordinary people we have at Durham. We offer the inspiration, they achieve the outstanding. We invite you to join them.
Applications are particularly welcome from women and black and minority ethnic candidates, who are under-represented in academic posts in the University. We are committed to equality: if for any reason you have taken a career break or periods of leave that may have impacted on your career path, such as maternity, adoption or parental leave, you may wish to disclose this in your application. The selection committee will recognise that this may have reduced the quantity of your research accordingly.
Durham University’s Athena Swan institutional award recognises and celebrates good practice in recruiting and supporting the development of women. We have also signed up to the Race Equality Charter, a national framework for improving the representation, progression and success of minority ethnic staff and students within higher education.
About Durham University
As one of the UK’s leading universities, Durham is an incredible place to define your career while enjoying a high quality work/life balance. We are home to some of the most talented scholars and researchers from around the world who are tackling global issues and making a difference to people's lives.
The University sits in a beautiful historic city where it shares ownership of a UNESCO World Heritage Site with Durham Cathedral. A collegiate University, Durham recruits outstanding students from across the world and offers an unmatched wider student experience.
Less than 3 hours north of London, and an hour and a half south of Edinburgh, County Durham is a region steeped in history and natural beauty. The Durham Dales, including the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, are home to breathtaking scenery and attractions. Durham offers an excellent choice of city, suburban and rural residential locations. The University provides a range of benefits including pension and childcare provision and the University’s Relocation Manager can assist with potential schooling requirements.
If you’d like to
The Department
Durham University’s Department of Archaeology is one of the UK’s leading Departments of Archaeology with an outstanding reputation for excellence in teaching, research and employability of our students. We are regularly ranked one of the top two Archaeology departments in the UK (e.g. Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021, The Times Good University Guide 2026) and one of the top 5 globally (World University QS Rankings 2026).
Our vision is to build upon our strengths as a world-class research department, whilst remaining ethical, authentic and sincere. We are firmly committed to the principles of equality and diversity for all our staff and students. We will offer broad thematic, chronological and geographical coverage, with world-class fieldwork projects, scientific expertise and a laboratory and commercial infrastructure to match. We are an outward-looking community – collaborating strategically with a worldwide network of scholars, institutions and heritage agencies and our archaeological and interdisciplinary research creates demonstrable societal and economic impacts, both in the UK and around the world.
The Department of Archaeology at Durham University seeks to appoint a talented individual to the role of Lecturer (Teaching) in Conservation. We welcome applications from those with teaching and research interests in the broad field of conservation.
This post offers an exciting opportunity to make a major contribution to the development of internationally excellent teaching in our Conservation team, while allowing unrivalled opportunities to progress and embed your career in an exciting and progressive institution. For more information, please visit our Department pages at https://www.durham.ac.uk/departments/academic/archaeology/
The Role
The University is committed to enabling all of our colleagues to achieve their full potential. We promote and maintain an inclusive and supportive environment to ensure that all colleagues can thrive.
Applications are invited for a Lecturer (Teaching) in Conservation to support teaching on our MSc in Conservation of Archaeological and Museum Objects as well as conservation-related teaching on other undergraduate and post-graduate modules. Additionally, this role contributes to commercial work and research activities within the conservation lab.
The role of Lecturer (Teaching) provides the opportunity to deliver outstanding teaching within an inclusive and supportive environment that is staffed by world class colleagues. The primary focus of this role is on teaching and it will involve a significant teaching load, which may extend into the summer period. There may be related scholarship and the opportunity to engage in wider citizenship within the University and the opportunity for administrative duties which relate to education and pedagogy. This role is fixed at Grade 7, reflecting the fact that this is the level of work that is required by the University for this role.
This post is full time, with flexible working arrangements in place through hybrid working on and off campus.
Successful candidates will ideally be in post by November 2026
Key responsibilities:
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Support the portfolio of conservation teaching, commercial work and research activity in the Department.
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Provide laboratory-based demonstration and support to students studying conservation practice;
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Support the daily running and operation of the Conservation facility, including managing supplies, purchasing, set-up and health and safety needs;
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Be an expert user, of and demonstrate the use of, key equipment relevant to conservation including pXRF, FTIR, X-ray, SEM, Air-abrasion, Freeze-drying, and microscopy;
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Effectively and efficiently undertake duties relating to teaching, administration and citizenship as required by your line manager and senior colleagues and appropriate to your grade of employment.
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Teach existing modules/courses as required, demonstrating an increased awareness of different approaches to and methods of teaching and learning support.
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Develop and design new modules/courses as required, including with online and blended delivery.
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Demonstrate the ability to manage own teaching and prioritise own workload in order to meet deadlines.
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Act as module convener/lead for one or more modules, delivering the module and/or overseeing others in their delivery of the module according to the published format.
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Updating module/course teaching materials on an annual basis, including relevant web pages/links.
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Set and/or oversee the setting of all assessments associated with the module/course, including formative and summative work and examinations.
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Oversee curriculum development for their module(s) in accordance with the University’s timetable.
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Mark and/or oversee the marking of students’ assessments as required by your Department, including formative and summative assignments and providing feedback throughout the year.
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Take on board feedback on teaching and engage with others in CPD.
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Deal with students’ queries about all aspects of a module/course including advising prospective students about the content, delivery and assessment requirements of the module/course and responding to student feedback, ensuring that any action points are implemented.
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Build internal contacts and participate in networks to exchange information including liaison with the moderator(s) of any summative work in order to agree marks.
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Organise and schedule activities and events.
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Make an active contribution to an inclusive community in which diversity is embraced and celebrated.
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Engage in scholarship (the creation, development and maintenance of the intellectual infrastructure of subjects and disciplines) to the extent necessary to support the development of Durham curricula.
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Undertake effectively and efficiently any administrative role allocated by your Head of Department.
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Contribute to fostering a collegial and respectful working environment which is inclusive and welcoming and where everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect.
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Engage in wider citizenship to support the department and wider discipline.
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Engage in continuing professional development by attending relevant training and development courses.
Contact Information
Department contact for academic-related enquiries
Prof Emily Willams, [email protected]
Contact information for technical difficulties when submitting your application
If you encounter technical difficulties when using the online application form, we prefer you send enquiries by email. Please send your name along with a brief description of the problem you’re experiencing to [email protected]
Alternatively, you may call 0191 334 6801 from the UK, or +44 191 334 6801 from outside the UK. This number operates during the hours of 09.00 and 17.00 Monday to Friday, UK time. We will normally respond within one working day (Monday to Friday, excluding UK public holidays).
University contact for general queries about the recruitment process
[email protected]
How to Apply
We prefer to receive applications online.
As a University we foster a collegiate community of extraordinary people aligned to the University’s values. Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University’s Strategy and a central part of everything we do. At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive, and in doing so, recruit the world’s best candidates from all backgrounds and identities.
Please note that in submitting your application, we will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement https://www.dur.ac.uk/ig/dp/privacy/pnjobapplicants/ which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.
Information if you have a disability
The University welcomes applications from disabled people. We are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, adjustments will be made to support people within their role.
If you are unable to complete your application via our recruitment system, please get in touch with us on [email protected].
What to Submit
All applicants are asked to submit:
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A CV;
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A covering letter which details your experience, strengths and potential in the requirements set out below;
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A portfolio of 5-7 treatments or conservation activities that demonstrates the range of work undertaken to date. Such activities may include but should not be limited to pedagogical or research outputs.
Please save all application documents with your name and document type as PDF files.
We will notify you on the status of your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to ensure you receive all emails.
Referees
You should provide details of 3 academic referees and the details of your current line manager so that we may seek an employment reference (if they are not listed as an academic referee). Please note:
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We shall seek the academic references during the application process. Academic referees should not (if possible) include your PhD supervisor(s) and a majority should be from a University other than your own (save for early career applicants applying for their first post). We would ask that you alert your academic referees to this application as soon as possible, and provide them with a copy of the CV you submit with your application, so that we can quickly obtain references should you be progressed to the interview stage. As part of your application you will be asked whether you give your consent to your academic references being sought should you be invited to attend interview.
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Academic references sought for short-listed candidates may be made available to the panel during the interview process.
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We will seek a reference from your current line-manager if we make you an offer of employment (albeit you may have also nominated your line manager as an academic referee). Please clearly indicate which referee is your current line-manager and please let us know if we should only approach them once an offer has been made.
Next Steps
All applications will be considered; our usual practice is for colleagues across the Department to read the submitted work of long-listed candidates.
Short-listed candidates will be invited to the University and will have the opportunity to meet key members of the Department. The assessment for the post will normally include a presentation to members of the Department of Archaeology followed by an interview and we anticipate that the assessments and interviews will take place over two days on the 24th and 25th September.
In the event that you are unable to attend in person on the date offered, it may not be possible to offer you an interview on an alternative date.
