Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Ecology

College

College of Science and Engineering

Responsible to

Course Director

Location

Kedleston Road, Derby Campus

Salary

£37,099 to £54,395 per annum

Closing date

Sunday 11 February 2024

Contract type

Permanent

Post type

Full-time

Reference

0002-24

About the role

The Discipline of Environmental Science is moving quickly to meet the requirements of both cutting edge academic research and collaboration with external organisations who wish to improve their environmental practices. 

We are looking for a Lecturer/Senior Lecturer with skills in botany or applied ecology to contribute to our teaching and to our research and/or industry engagement activities. As a member of the Environmental Sciences team you will contribute to developing our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, keeping the curriculum authentic, applied and future focussed, and ensuring an exceptional student experience. Industry engagement and/or research activity are an important part of the role and the post holder will contribute to research and other projects. Graduate outcomes are a particular focus for us, so skills in enhancing student employability or research profile would be welcomed.

For further information and informal enquiries regarding the role, please contact Maren Huck, Senior Lecturer in Conservation Biology and Ecoscience via [email protected],  or David Elliott, Associate Professor via [email protected]

For enquiries regarding your application and for sponsorship eligibility, please contact the recruitment team via [email protected]

Principal accountabilities
Learning / Teaching

• Teach and facilitate learning on core and optional modules relating to the academic discipline and research methodologies.
• Ensure that module / programme design and delivery comply with the quality standards and regulations of the University.
• Contribute to the development of learning and teaching strategies and ensure that knowledge from research and scholarly activities informs and enhances learning and teaching, as well as extending it to appropriate external activities such as knowledge transfer activities.
• Undertake relevant module leadership responsibilities and take on other programme-related work that may include marketing, recruitment, and learning and teaching development.
• Supervise student projects at undergraduate / postgraduate levels.
• Ensure effective monitoring of student progress and provide advice and guidance to staff and students as appropriate.

Research / Knowledge Exchange

• Plan, develop and conduct research objectives, projects and proposals within the broader programme. Deliver research outcomes that will contribute to the REF or Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF).
• Generate income by developing and winning support for innovative research and/or industry engagement proposals and funding bids, working where appropriate within Research Centres and Colleges.
• Disseminate and explain research findings through leading peer-reviewed publications, conferences and other appropriate media.
• Identify own professional needs and undertake appropriate training and staff development.

Other

• Act as a personal tutor, supporting and mentoring students as appropriate
• Provide pastoral care to students, referring when necessary to services that provide further support.
• Support marketing and student recruitment activities as required.
• Develop external links in order, for example, to support student recruitment, secure student placements, facilitate outreach work, generate income or build relationships for future activities
• Build on existing research networks, furthering contacts with external organisations such as funding bodies.
• Actively seek out and develop opportunities for interdisciplinary research both across the University and externally.
• Be responsible for administrative duties in areas such as admissions, timetabling, quality assurance, examinations and assessment of progress and student attendance.

Observe and implement University policies and procedures.

Person specification
Essential Criteria
Qualifications

• Good Honours Degree in relevant subject discipline or equivalent
• Fellowship of the Advanced HE (HEA) or willingness to work towards (within 24 months)
• PhD (or submitted and awaiting examination) or equivalence accepted in a relevant subject area, for example by publication or through appropriate professional achievement or willingness to work towards within an agreed timeframe
• Subject specific qualifications / knowledge

Experience
Learning / Teaching

• Demonstrable experience or knowledge of delivering effective learning, teaching and assessment in Higher Education (HE) to undergraduate and postgraduate students
• Demonstrable experience or knowledge of successful curriculum development
• Significant experience of excellent teaching identified by peer review

Research / Scholarship

• Significant experience of own discipline to enable the development of new knowledge and understanding within the field
• Experience of research / enterprise activity
• Experience and achievement in the academic discipline, reflected in growing and consistent national reputation
• Evidence of ongoing work and projects in an area relevant to the subject
• Evidence of publishing in high quality (“REF able”) journals or other appropriate outputs in research or practice
• Experience and demonstrable knowledge / expertise in research methodologies appropriate to the academic discipline

Skills, knowledge & abilities

• Strong understanding of statistical techniques within Biosciences and the ability to teach this to students
• Skills in botany or applied ecology
• An appropriate level of digital capability and aptitude with practical experience of applications which will enhance student learning
• Ability to communicate complex and conceptual ideas to a range of groups
• Excellent written and oral communication skills including networking and relationship building skills, both across the University and externally
• Able to demonstrate both independent self-management and team working
• Able to work with competing priorities and to tight deadlines
• Demonstrates competences, core behaviours and supplementary behaviours that support and promote the University’s core values
• Demonstrates professionalism in learning / teaching and the values of the UK Professional Standards Framework for HE
• Excellent ability to build relationships and collaborate with others, internally and externally
• A high level ability to think critically and promote innovation and creativity
• Ability to devise, advise on and manage research or knowledge exchange projects
• Demonstrates competences, core behaviours and supplementary behaviours that support and promote the University’s core values
• Committed to continual enhancement and a high quality student experience
• Promotes a high performance culture, fostering continuous improvement and driving quality
• A sound knowledge of the current higher education environment and its implications for the student learning experience, including the remit of the Office for Students.
• A sound understanding of the employability agenda and its relevance to learners and the curriculum

Business requirements

• Able to take a flexible approach to work
  • Travel between sites and occasionally overseas for research or teaching
  • Some evening and occasional weekend teaching
  • Attendance at Open Days, Graduation events etc.
  • A commitment to own professional development

Benefits

As well as competitive pay scales, we offer generous holiday entitlement. We also offer opportunities for further salary progression based on performance, and the opportunity to join a contributory pension scheme.

Find out more about pay and benefitsFind out more about pay and benefits

How to apply

You can apply by submitting an online application. Once you have signed in or registered with us you will be able to begin your application. If you are creating an account for the first time, please ensure you provide an email address that you access regularly as this will be our main means of contacting you regarding your application.

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If you require any assistance, including the provision of any documentation in an alternative format, please contact the Recruitment team at [email protected] .

Please note all applications must be submitted online by Midnight GMT on the closing date of the vacancy.

Important information

Applications from job seekers who require sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications.

Whilst this role is eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker Route, we recommend that you assess your individual eligibility before applying for this position.

Visit https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa for more information.

To be eligible for sponsorship you must provide evidence that you hold all essential qualifications listed on the job description. Please note, equivalent experience will not be accepted as evidence of the essential qualifications.

Equity, diversity and inclusion

The University of Derby is committed to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion. However you identify, we actively celebrate the knowledge, experience and talents each person brings. Our students come from a wide range of backgrounds; therefore we are particularly interested to hear from applicants who will help our leaders and teams be more reflective of our student population.

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Further details

Download Lecturer in Ecology job descriptionDownload Lecturer in Ecology job description Download Senior Lecturer in Ecology job descriptionDownload Senior Lecturer in Ecology job description

Why join Derby?

Challenging, interesting and constantly changing, the University of Derby is an extraordinary place to learn and an incredibly rewarding place to work.

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