Associate Professor (Education) - School Of Biomedical Sciences - 98734 - Grade 9

Position Details

School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £56,021 to £64,914 with potential progression once in post to £84,644

Grade: 9

Full Time, Permanent

Closing date: 17th April 2024

Background

We are seeking to appoint two highly regarded Associate Professors to join the dynamic and vibrant School of Biomedical Sciences. The School of Biomedical Sciences is situated within the College of Medical and Dental Sciences (MDS) facilitating close interdisciplinary collaborations with colleagues in Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing and the research institutes in MDS. We are home to the highly successful suite of BSc and MSci Biomedical Science programmes delivered in Edgbaston ( https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/med/biomedical-science.aspx ) and at our University of Birmingham Dubai campus ( https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/dubai/study/courses/undergraduate/biomedical-science.aspx ).

The successful candidates will make a substantial and key contribution to the leadership and delivery of the wide educational portfolio of the School focussing on the delivery of quality teaching and assessment across all years of the BSc and MSci Biomedical Science programmes. The individual candidates will also make key contributions to the portfolio of taught programmes across the college, including the medicine (MBChB), dentistry (BDS) and pharmacy (MPharm) in line with University frameworks.

We are looking for candidates with extensive teaching experience at undergraduate level in the Biomedical Sciences that can teach and assess across a range of Biomedical disciplines including human physiology. The individual will also be engaged in leading other educational projects and initiatives within the School and there is the potential to be considered for senior leadership roles such as programme leadership and academic year leadership within the school.

The successful candidate will be responsible for developing new modules aligned to both their area of expertise and strategic interest of the School. Most pertinently there is scope to develop new programmes of activity including specialist minor programmes, CPD and international partnerships. In relation to the latter we are particularly interested in developing new international partnerships which may represent student exchange programmes through to supporting our existing TNE arrangements and international portfolio of activity. Thus, there may be the requirement for short trips to visit any international partners.

We are seeking individuals with significant evidence of scholarship in education. Evidence of where leadership and scholarship has positively transformed other undergraduate programmes would be highly advantageous. Candidates with a sustained record of gaining funding and producing significant outputs in educational research would be considered particularly attractive.

Role Summary

Contribute at a senior level on a sustained basis to the whole range of teaching leadership and administration within the School. In addition, you will be expected to contribute to academic citizenship, likely to be demonstrated through generous, mutually respectful and supportive working relationships with all staff and students.

Teaching is likely to include: (a) development and leadership of major teaching programmes or equivalent; and (b) enhancement of the student experience or employability, that are of manifest benefit to the College and the University. It is expected that you will demonstrate a significant contribution to the advancement of teaching (policy, practice, standards) of the subject, provide leadership in teaching and learning that is innovative to the subject area or institution, with a significant contribution to the debate nationally about teaching.

Management and administration to include School leadership and management activity with University wide involvement – for example through sustained high value impact knowledge transfer, enterprise, business engagement, public engagement or similar activities.

Contribute to academic citizenship, likely to be demonstrated through generous, mutually respectful and supportive working relationships with all staff, students and external stakeholders.

Main Duties

Education

You will contribute across the range of teaching and learning activities:

• Lead on the management and the development of approaches to teaching and learning, including designing innovative approaches and supporting colleagues to use them in the subject area or more broadly across a discipline or programme of activity and informed by scholarly practice
• Lead on development of teaching, learning and assessment strategies, policies and quality assurance within the School.
• Contribute to the development of school teaching activities delivered outside the Edgbaston campus such as on the UoB Dubai campus and through the School’s transnational education (TNE) arrangements.
• To develop and apply innovative teaching approaches and materials to enable enhanced student learning.
• Contribute to the development and management of assessment strategies within the School.
• To contribute to ad hoc educational projects undertaken within the School, College, Institute and University, including dissemination of findings at conferences and in publications.
• Engage with the Careers Network and external stakeholders to develop placement opportunities for the biomedical science programme.
• Advance the practice of teaching in their modules and within the school.
• 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.
• To play an important role in the recruitment and admission of students e.g. through open day activities
• Act as an education mentor to colleagues in the School/Department/College or more widely;

Use a variety of methods in teaching and advising individuals and groups of undergraduates, including (as appropriate):

• Teaching and examining Biomedical Science modules on the entire School of Biomedical Sciences portfolio. This may also include programmes outside of the School including Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy
• Planning and reviewing your own teaching approaches and encouraging others to do the same.
• Designing contemporary, inclusive, engaging and academically challenging curriculum content including actively engaging students in curriculum design.
• Working collaboratively with colleagues to design and deliver teaching, learning and assessment.
• Using digital resources/environments effectively to support learning and assessment.
• Where appropriate, undertaking and developing the full range of responsibilities in relation to supervision, marking and examining.
• Undertake own teaching, which will include teaching and examining courses at a range of levels, planning and reviewing own teaching approaches, developing programme proposals, supervision, marking and examining. You will ensure that your teaching practice is informed by discipline-based research, through participating in the research culture of the School.

Management/Administration

To contribute to School administration and represent the School on College/ University committees or working groups. Where appropriate to the discipline, this is likely to include some but not all of the responsibilities listed below.

• Making an important contribution to the development and running of the School, for example, taking leadership on teaching delivery and/or assessment;
• Support the Schools international strategy to enhance the Schools International footprint, including contributing to the development of student exchange programmes as well as TNEs
• Advising on personal development of colleagues and students, including acting as a mentor.
• Contribute to administrative activities within the School (e.g., curriculum committees, quality assurance) and University (e.g., appeals panels, working groups).
• Making a sustained contribution to widening participation, schools’ outreach and/or public understanding of the discipline.
• Promoting equality, diversity and inclusion through monitoring and evaluation and actively challenging unacceptable behaviour.

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, School committees).
• Demonstrating support for colleagues, such as sharing resources, providing advice.
• Willingness to volunteer for one-off duties (such as supporting School/PAU projects).
• Taking collective ownership of challenges faced by the School or College and working with colleagues to develop solutions;
• 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.
• Mentoring and coaching of colleagues, particularly those in the early stages of their career.

Person Specification

• A PhD or equivalent in a Biomedical discipline.
• Demonstrable excellence in delivering Biomedical education (to include human physiology), management and administration.

Learning and teaching requirements

An excellent teaching profile and performance in terms of both impact and quality. Teaching quality demonstrated to be informed by an appropriate level of scholarship.

• Successful and sustained use of a range of appropriate teaching methods, and assessment strategies that promote high quality learning, including learning that is flexible, distinctive and current and stimulates learners’ natural curiosity.
• Extensive experience of module design, assessment and leadership, and expertise in delivering teaching across a range of Biomedical subjects.
• Evidence of excellent working relationships with an array of stakeholders.
• Experience of working in a programme management team.
• Experience of quality assurance and enhancement
• Skills in managing, motivating & mentoring others.
• Evidence of scholarship in education (for example Fellowship of HEA, PGCert or equivalent)
• Experience of working with a range of external stakeholders in developing and or managing educational activity, possibly at an international level.
• High quality and sustained contributions to fostering excellence in teaching activities more widely, i.e. in the Department/School or College and/or externally.

Management and administration-related requirements

• Ability to contribute to School/programme management processes.
• Ability to assess and organise resources effectively.
• Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes.
• Experience of championing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in own work area.
• Ability to monitor and evaluate the extent to which equality and diversity legislation, policies, procedures are applied.
Ability to identify issues with the potential to impact on protected groups and take appropriate action.

Further particulars can be found here

Informal enquiries to Dr Teresa Thomas (Head of School of Biomedical Sciences), email: t.j.thomas@bham.ac.uk

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. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website .