Job Purpose
To contribute to the delivery of an excellent student experience by contributing to teaching, assessment and administration processes associated with undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and to undertake scholarship to enhance learning and teaching in the School of Social and Political Sciences. This is a Post-doctoral role in Public Policy, Data and AI at the School of Social and Political Sciences.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
- Deliver a range of teaching, supervision, and assessment activities across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes within the Subject/School.
- Carry out course administration within required timescales ensuring effective communication of information, in particular assessment requirements and criteria and timely and constructive feedback on assessment.
- Contribute to the on going development and design of the curriculum in a manner that supports a research led and scholarly approach to student learning and assessment in the discipline and/or profession.
- Make effective use of learning technologies to support and enhance course delivery, course organisation, feedback, and assessment. This may involve blended and/or online provision.
- Ensure an inclusive and evidence based approach to facilitating learning in a range of face to face and potentially online delivery formats such as tutorials, lectures, problem based learning that promotes student participation and learning outcome attainment.
- Engage in scholarship by undertaking methodologically rigorous, educationally relevant enquiries into student learning and disseminate evidence to enhance your own, and potentially others' teaching practices. Attend and participate in appropriate seminars and conferences to support research led teaching, scholarship and/or professional practice in your disciplinary area.
- Develop effective working relationships with students and, in partnership with relevant student services teams, respond appropriately to the diverse range of learning approaches and learner needs.
- Develop relationships with external stakeholders in support of knowledge exchange, public understanding, and appropriate forms of outreach such as widening access.
- Participate in local, and potentially overseas, activities associated with student recruitment (e.g. open days), orientation and induction and other School and University initiatives such as support for student transitions, employability and student mobility as appropriate.
- Engage in continuing professional development activities as appropriate.
- Undertake any other reasonable duties as required by the Head of School.
- To contribute to the enhancement of the University's international profile in line with the University's Strategic Plan, Inspiring People Changing The World.
Knowledge, Qualifications, Skills, and Experience Knowledge/Qualifications
- Essential: A1 Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework level 12 (PhD) or equivalent in a related discipline and/or teaching experience, such as social policy, public policy, digital sociology/humanities, digital geography, urban studies, or critical data/AI studies.
- Essential: A2 Sufficient breadth and/or depth of knowledge in the specialist subject/discipline and often teaching methods and techniques to work within the subject area.
- Essential: A3 Up to date knowledge and specialist understanding in the field with an ability to engage the interest and enthusiasm of students to inspire learning and to provide pastoral care to students within the subject area.
Skills
- Essential: C1 Ability to communicate material of a specialist or highly technical nature and to be effective both orally and in writing at a level appropriate to the activity.
- Essential: C2 Thorough knowledge and ability to apply policy, practice and procedures including broader University/sector/external awareness.
Experience
- Essential: E1 Experience of planning and progressing work activities within professional guidelines or organisational policy, applying initiative and independent judgement.
- Essential: E2 Demonstrated commitment to open research, as appropriate to the discipline, through open data, open code, open educational resources, and practices that support replication.
- Essential: E3 Proven commitment to supporting the career development of colleagues and to other forms of collegiality appropriate to the career stage.
Terms and Conditions
Salary will be Grade 7, £41,064 - £46,049 per annum. This post is full time and fixed term for up to 3 years.
The successful candidate will be enrolled onto the University's Early Career Development Programme (ECDP) which provides support over a specified timeframe to facilitate the advancement of your academic career.
Excellent employment package with generous terms and conditions including 41 days of leave for full time staff, pension, benefits and discount packages.
Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our values. Applications are particularly welcome from across our communities and especially from people from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community and other protected characteristics who are under represented within the University.
Closing Date: 15th June 2026 at 23:45.
For more information about this position, please contact Professor Annette Hastings ().
