Position Details
School of Government
Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK
As this vacancy has limited funding the maximum salary that can be offered is Grade 8, salary £47,389.
Grade: 8
Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to August 2027
Closing date: 12 th July 2026
Academic Development Programme - new Assistant Professors will undertake a 5-year development programme, at the end of which they are expected to be promoted to Associate Professor. The programme consists of a variety of development opportunities and the time to reflect and develop.
Role Summary
You will contribute to a range of education-related activities, including delivering teaching of two UG modules and dissertation supervision. In addition, you will be expected to demonstrate academic citizenship, developing and maintaining mutually respectful and supportive working relationships with all staff and students, and ensuring the way you carry out your role impacts positively on how others carry out theirs.
Teaching is likely to include a substantial contribution to: (a) the management, development and delivery of teaching and assessment; and (b) enhancement of the student experience and employability. The role will typically also involve developing and advising others, including: (a) providing expert advice to students, and (b) developing and advising students on learning and teaching tasks and methods.
You will be expected to advance teaching and learning practice in your modules within the school, and play an important role in student academic and pastoral support. You will deliver excellent teaching that inspires students and is informed by discipline-based research.
Main Duties
Education
1. You will contribute across the range of teaching and learning activities:
- develop and manage approaches to teaching and learning that are best practice in the subject area or institution;
- advise others, where necessary, on aspects of learning, teaching and assessment;
- deliver (where appropriate to the discipline) specific professional programmes;
- advance the practice of teaching in their modules and within the school, and play an important role in student academic support;
- inform your teaching practice by discipline based research;
- frequently update your subject expertise, and undertake personal professional development in teaching, including self-reflection on own teaching, using student and peer review feedback, to enhance own teaching and learning processes;
2. Using a variety of methods in teaching and advising individuals and groups of students, including (as appropriate):
- teaching and examining courses at a range of levels;
- planning and reviewing your own teaching approaches and encouraging others to do the same;
- designing contemporary, inclusive, engaging and academically challenging curriculum content;
- working collaboratively with colleagues to design and deliver teaching, learning and assessment;
- using digital resources/environments effectively to support learning and assessment;
- developing programme proposals and making substantial contributions to the design of teaching programmes more widely;
- where appropriate, undertaking and developing the full range of responsibilities in relation to supervision, marking and examining;
- developing and advising others on learning and teaching tasks and methods;
- developing and making substantial contributions to knowledge transfer, enterprise, business engagement, public engagement activities or similar on own specialism that enhances the student experience or employability and which benefits the College and University;
- devising and supervising projects, student dissertations and practical work.
Management/Administration
To contribute to Departmental /School administration. This may include:
- contributing to the administration/management of teaching across the Department/School;
- advising on personal development of students;
- making a contribution to administrative activities within the Department as and when necessary;
- developing and making substantial contributions to knowledge transfer, enterprise, business engagement, public engagement, widening participation, schools outreach;
- actively manages equality, diversity and inclusion through monitoring and evaluation and actively challenging unacceptable behaviour in line with university policies.
- Other relevant criteria from our equality and diversity duties document.
Citizenship
Contributing to an inclusive working environment:
- pursuing your activities in a way that helps others to pursue their activities effectively and efficiently;
- demonstrating a willingness to be involved in a variety of activities supporting University life (e.g., participation in graduation, Departmental/School meetings);
- demonstrating support for colleagues, such as sharing resources, providing advice;
- willingness to volunteer for one-off duties (such as supporting School, Institute, and Departmental projects);
- positively engaging in School strategic initiatives;
- proactive support and involvement in activities specifically contributing to a positive and inclusive community spirit across the School/College/University.
Person Specification
- A PhD relevant to the discipline area is essential.
- Extensive teaching experience and scholarship within subject specialism.
- Proven ability to devise, lead, and manage learning.
- Skills in managing, motivating & mentoring others.
Teaching
- Ability to design, deliver, assess and revise teaching programmes.
- Extensive experience and demonstrated success in developing appropriate approaches to learning and teaching and advising colleagues.
- Experience and achievement in knowledge transfer, enterprise and similar activity that enhances the student experience or employability.
Management Administration
- Ability to contribute to School/Departmental management processes.
- Ability to assess and organise resources effectively.
- Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes.
- Ability to identify issues with the potential to impact protected groups and take appropriate action.
Other relevant criteria from our equality and diversity knowledge, skills and experience document.
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Informal enquiries to Professor Asaf Siniver, email: [email protected]
Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.
We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website .
