Job title: Assistant Professor in Comparative Politics with a specialism in Policy/Public Administration (SGIA23-1)
Vacancy reference: 22001915
Department: School of Government and International Affairs
Responsible to: Head of Department
Salary Range: Grade 7 £35,333 - £42,155 per annum
Grade 8 £43,414 - £51,805 per annum
Working arrangements: The role is full-time, but we will consider requests for flexible working arrangements including potential job shares
Open date: 27th January 2023
Closing date: 24th February 2023
Preferred start date: Successful candidates will ideally be in post by 1st September 2023
Working at 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.
Find out more about the benefits of working at the University and what it is like to live and work in the Durham area on our Why Durham? information page.
A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University: you will also receive access to the following Total Rewards – Grade 7 and Grade 8.
The Department
The School of Government and International Affairs at Durham University seeks to appoint a talented individual to the role of Assistant Professor in Comparative Politics, with a specialism in public policy or public administration, broadly defined. We are open-minded in relation to substantive and geographical focus, emphasising the excellence of research above all, and the use of rigorous empirical approaches to address important political questions.
The successful candidate will join colleagues in the Centre for Institutions and Political Behaviour, which provides a stimulating and supportive environment for developing and refining research projects and outputs, networking with colleagues within and beyond Durham and providing pump-priming financial support for research.
This post offer an exciting opportunity to make a major contribution to the development of internationally excellent research and teaching while allowing you unrivalled opportunities to progress and embed your career in an exciting and progressive institution. Among other EDI initiatives, the department is currently in the process of diversifying its curriculum and this is a project we would be keen for the post-holder to contribute to.
For more information, please visit our Department pages at www.dur.ac.uk/sgia/
Assistant Professors at Durham
Assistant Professors on the Education and Research track are encouraged to focus on research and teaching but also to engage in wider citizenship to enhance their own development, support their department and wider discipline, and contribute to the wider student experience.
Academic colleagues are supported to publish high-quality research in their area of interest with a focus on quality in high-impact outputs including monographs, essays in edited volumes, and book chapters, rather than quantity. We will fully support your research needs including practical help such as resources to attend conferences and to fund research activities, as well as a generous research leave policy and a designated mentor.
Durham University is also committed to ensuring excellent teaching quality, stimulating learning environments, and innovative curricula for all of our students. You will be supported to develop your teaching expertise and to develop innovative teaching.
We are confident that our recruitment process allows us to attract and select the best international talent to Durham. We, therefore, offer a reduced probation period of 1 year for our Assistant Professors and thereafter, subject to satisfactory performance, your position will be confirmed as permanent
Assistant Professor in Comparative Politics with a specialism in Public Policy/Public Administration
Applicants must demonstrate research excellence in the field of Comparative Politics with a specialism in Public Policy/Public Administration, with the ability to teach our students to an exceptional standard and to fully engage in the services, citizenship, and values of the University. The University provides a working and teaching environment which is inclusive and welcoming and where everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate these key principles as part of the assessment process.
All research interests will be considered. The successful candidate will have: demonstrable research excellence and ambition appropriate to Assistant Professor; evidence of a growing set of impact and engagement activities; an ability to connect their research to general research themes and approach within the Centre for Institutions and Political Behaviour.
Key responsibilities:
Pursue research in comparative politics (with a focus on public policy/administration) that is world-leading in terms of originality, significance and rigour, commensurate with the Department’s continuing emphasis on international excellence;
To be developing clear plans for the pursuit of suitable national and international funding opportunities to support research and end-user engagement;
Play a role in relevant teaching and research supervision, and contribute to ongoing curriculum development;
Contribute to enhancing the quality of the research environment in the Department, the wider University and beyond through collaborative research activity;
Demonstrate a willingness to contribute to the administrative work, citizenship and values of the Department;
Offer lectures, seminars and tutorials at undergraduate and taught postgraduate levels, with the opportunity to teach more widely within the Department, as well as engaging in related activity such as assessment;
To fully engage in and enhance the values of the Department;
To contribute to attracting and supervising research students, and to enhance the Department’s commitment to its vibrant and international postgraduate culture.
- Carry out such other duties as specified by the Head of Department.
Durham University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion
Our collective aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and we believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work.
As a University equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University’s Strategy and a central part of everything we do. We also live by our values and our Staff Code of Conduct. 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. It’s important to us that all of our colleagues are aligned to both our values and commitment to EDI.
We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force including disabled people, women, and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.
We are committed to equality: if for any reason you have taken a career break or periods of leave that may have impacted on the volume and recency of research outputs, such as maternity, adoption or parental leave, you may wish to disclose this in your application. We also understand that the Covid-19 pandemic will have had differential impacts on different people and welcome information on this if you wish to share it. The selection committee will recognise that this may have reduced the quantity of your research accordingly
The University has been awarded the Disability Confident Employer status. If you are a candidate with a disability, 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, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role