Address
Form of work
SalaryJob details
Responsible to
Head of Discipline
Location
All Derby Sites
Salary
£36,024 per annum
Closing date
Sunday 21 April 2024
Contract type
Fixed term contract 12 months
Post type
Full-time
Adaptive working type
Onsite
This role will be based on site, primarily in the named location.
Reference
0140-24
About the role
We have one simple promise – to make a positive impact. Through our ground-breaking research, teaching excellence and commitment to sustainable living, we are changing lives for the better.
The University of Derby is a modern university with a modern outlook. Everything we do is driven by delivering excellence and opportunities for our students, our staff and our region.
We have committed to nurture and encourage research excellence across all our disciplines and career stages, recognising the strong link between excellent research and an excellent student experience.
We have some of the best university facilities in the UK and achieve outstanding results for our teaching and research and have been awarded Gold in the prestigious Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023 – making it one of the top universities in the country recognised for its outstanding student experience and student outcomes.
We have entered a new and exciting era at the University, making investments in our students, staff and research infrastructure to help us achieve our overall aim of producing research that is high in quality and impacts, national and internationally. This ensures that knowledge created at our University informs our curriculum and supports industry, policy makers, international partners and the wider research community.
Our 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF) submission showed significant increases in our metrics, supported by a dedicated research and knowledge exchange office and enhanced governance processes. Our doctoral cohort has increased by 63.4% since 2014 and we now have over 450 doctoral students. Investment in our research facilities has continued at pace and in March 2022 we opened our Facility for Omics Research in Metabolism (FORM). Our Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF) outcome positioned us in the top 10% for working with business. Our Research Council funding and collaborative research income, from funders such as Innovate UK continues to rise, engaging our academics with both multinationals as well as small and medium size enterprises.
It’s an exciting time to be joining us and to play a role in supporting the University’s ambitions as we begin our preparations for REF 2029. The University, proud of its achievements in growing Innovation and Research, is embarking on the next step change to drive academic performance. We are focussing our investment into 3 areas of academic excellence:
- Zero Carbon
- Business Economic and Social Policy
- Public Services
Our Early Career Academic (ECA) appointments are a pivotal opportunity for our University to develop these themes with high quality talent and knowledge. These one year postdoctoral positions will be awarded to outstanding individuals who have the potential to progress to permanent academic roles at the University of Derby.
As an ECA, you’ll contribute to the work of the Colleges, engaging in a full academic role including high-quality teaching and enhancing our research profile by producing high-quality publications; contributing to a vibrant, supportive and collaborative research environment; and impacting positively on policy, practice and debate within your area.
The roles cut across traditional structural boundaries and you’ll work across disciplines to address real world challenges, whilst being supported to grow your research and teaching skills through a dedicated development plan. Candidates are expected to have completed their PhD or be pending award of their doctorate.
The intended start date for the ECA programme is 9th September 2024.
About the Zero Carbon Theme
The University is adopting a cross disciplinary approach to Zero Carbon and the clean growth agenda. Research has informed regional policy and business support projects, in addition to helping pro-environmental firms find opportunity in the green economy. Collaboration between engineering, business, and environmental researchers has led to product, process, and policy impacts at regional, national and international levels. Our future strategic direction builds upon our reputation in Zero Carbon technologies and applications, building on our research excellence in renewable energy generation and storage, hydrogen storage, road and rail transport, and nature-based solutions.
What you can expect from us
Join us for rewarding start you to your Academic Career, as an Early Years Academic you will be given an exciting induction programme to set you up for success. This will include deep dive workshops on specific learning, teaching and research elements as well as business engagement and networking opportunities with our existing Early Career Research Teams. You will be provided with a skilled Mentor to guide you through your first year with us as well as being supported with your research and teaching students. We like to give responsibilities early on as part of the Early Career Academic Scheme to provide opportunities for you to show your leadership and expertise whether this be lecturing, lesson planning or broadening knowledge with research.
Benefits
- Generous annual leave entitlement of 35 days + bank holidays + 4 days concessionary leave
- Coaching and development in role
- Teacher’s Pension Scheme
- Access to employer-funded Private Health Insurance with BUPA
- Suite of holistic wellbeing benefits and support including family-friendly policies, generous sick pay provision, and comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
- Access to variety of staff discounts at high street retailers
- Discounted onsite gym
- Discounted access to Devonshire Spa
Ready to make a difference?
If you’re looking to kick-start your academic career in an encouraging and rewarding organisation, we would love to hear from you.
Key contacts
For further information and informal enquiries regarding the role, please contact Professor Chris Sansom, Professor of Concentrating Solar Power and Theme Lead, Zero Carbon via c.sansom@derby.ac.uk
For enquiries regarding your application and for sponsorship eligibility, please contact the recruitment team on recruitment@derby.ac.uk.
Principal accountabilities
- Engage in high quality individual research in a field that is consistent with one of the six areas of academic excellence for the University.
- Collaborate both internally and externally to identify innovation and research opportunities relevant to the area of academic excellence and contribute to effective cross College/University working.
- Sustain and enhance the reputation of the University by publishing in appropriate high-quality journals and presenting at scholarly activities such as workshops, conferences and other similar events.
- Develop and maintain contacts and relationship with relevant professional, research and industrial organisations.
- Attract funding by engaging in writing bids for externally funded innovation and research projects.
- Support the development of the PhD community and contribute to PhD supervision.
- 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 inspiring and innovative teaching and assessment in the relevant subject area and deliver an outstanding student experience.
- Support cross university activity such as marketing and student recruitment as required.
- Contribute to the development of the subject area and related programmes of study.
- Provide an appropriate level of pastoral care to students, referring when necessary to other colleagues or services that can provide further support.
- Undertake relevant administrative duties in areas such as admissions, timetabling, examinations and assessment of progress and student attendance.
- Observe and implement University policies and procedures.
- Perform any other duties commensurate with the job grade as reasonably required from time to time.
- There will also be a requirement to attend training courses in teaching methods and course design; this may be waived by exception if an existing relevant qualification such as a PGCHE is held. The post holder will be required to plan and review their own approach to teaching, and to supervise research projects at Masters level.
Person specification
Essential Criteria
Qualifications
- PhD (or submitted and awaiting examination)
- Honours degree or equivalent
Experience
- Experience of undertaking high quality innovation and/or research in a discipline aligned to the academic themes.
- Experience of generating high-quality research outputs (either in preparation or published).
- Recognised authority in your own discipline and able contribute to the development of new knowledge and understanding within the field.
- Experience of working collaboratively and independently across disciplines to address research and innovation challenges.
Skills, knowledge & abilities
- Demonstrable skills and knowledge in one or more area closely related to academic themes.
- Able to demonstrate potential to attract research funding.
- Able 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.
- An appropriate level of digital capability and aptitude with practical experience of applications to aid student learning.
- 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.
- Committed to continual enhancement and a high-quality student experience.
- Committed to a high-performance culture, fostering continuous improvement and driving quality.
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, University events etc.
- A commitment to own professional development and to engaging fully with the ECA development scheme.
Desirable Criteria
Experience
- Developing international profile of research and scholarly activity.
- Experience of bidding for and obtaining external research funding.
- Experience of successfully applying discipline to income generation activities, including consultancy, industry-based applied research and KTPs.
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.
