Lecturer and Senior Lecturer in the Physical Sciences of Life

Job id: 086310. Salary: £51,974 to £71,857 including including London Weighting Allowance.

Posted: 14 March 2024. Closing date: 14 April 2024.

Business unit: Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sci. Department: NMES Faculty Office.

Contact details:Professor Mike Malim and Professor Abigail Tucker. [email protected] and [email protected]

Location: Strand Campus. Category: Academic & Teaching.

Job description

We are recruiting for up to two Lecturer / Senior Lecturer positions as part of a major expansion in research and education in the physical sciences of life at King’s College London.

These positions form part of a major  £45m investment into interdisciplinary science at King’s, focused on boundary-breaking science research, education and innovation that benefits society. This investment is accelerating growth across  science disciplines and stimulating new initiatives at the interfaces between traditional areas.

We are looking for talented academics with strong track records in research and education. Specific areas of interest include, but are not restricted to:

• Applying interdisciplinary empirical, analytical and modelling approaches to understand the complexity of living systems in health and disease.
• Integrating biological, biophysical, biochemical, mathematical and computational methods across scales: spanning molecules, cells, organs, organisms and populations.
• Leveraging complex and diverse datasets to understand biological processes and pathways.
• Developing and using physical and life science methodologies to study biological and physiological processes in real-time.
• Using chemical biology and synthetic chemistry to investigate or disrupt biological systems; for example, drug discovery, imaging, designer switches for regulatory cascades.

Successful candidates will play a key role in developing and executing internationally leading research, working collaboratively across King’s. You will have a strong research track record, demonstrating interdisciplinary engagement, and be ready to establish and grow a research programme that attracts external funding. You will also be committed to educating scientists of the future through a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes, including innovative new programmes in Natural Sciences.

This is an opportunity to contribute to the strategic growth of world-class research, working synergistically across disciplines, and identifying and growing promising early career researchers. We also wish to maximise the relevance of our work to society through engaged research that engages diverse audiences, especially in our local communities in London and beyond.

It is important that King’s reflects the diversity of the population we serve, and we strongly encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds.

Shortlisted candidates will be consulted on appropriate discipline areas and host departments as part of the selection and interview process.

This post will be offered on an indefinite contract.

This is a full-time post.

Salaries will be offered based on appointment level:

Lecturer: £51,974 to £61,021 per annum
Senior Lecturer: £62,696 to £71,857 per annum

Key responsibilities

• Provide academic leadership in an appropriate area of research
• Establish, develop and sustain an internationally competitive, externally-funded research programme consistent with, or complementary to departmental / faculty / university research strategies at King’s.
• Maintain a consistent, outstanding track record of publication (typically 2-4 research publications (depending on appointment level) over a rolling five-year period that includes world leading or internationally excellent work, as first, last and/or corresponding author).
• Contribute to teaching of undergraduate and postgraduate students and curriculum development.
• Plan, organise and deliver a range of teaching and assessment activities (e.g. lecturing, project supervision and tutorials) and, at Senior Lecturer level, leading on at least one substantive module/programme.
• Supervise and train postgraduate and undergraduate students to ensure their effective development.
• Supervise and train research and technical staff employed on the post holder’s research projects to ensure their effective development.
• Engage in the dissemination of research through knowledge transfer, outreach, continuing professional development, public engagement etc.
• Contribute fully to academic life and strategic planning within a Department/School and, where required/appropriate to the wider strategic planning processes in Faculty and University at a level appropriate to the appointment.
• Identify strategic development opportunities in teaching and research and contribute to the development of these ideas.
• Contribute to driving and ensuring a positive and inclusive research culture

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

Skills, knowledge, and experience 

Essential Criteria for Grade 7, Lecturer

PhD/DPhil degree

Scientific synergy with current research at King’s

Expertise in an area of fundamental science research related area to the physical sciences of life

Experience in high impact interdisciplinary research

Excellent record of publication in peer reviewed journals

Demonstrable contribution to developing peer reviewed funding/fellowship applications

Ability to define and lead a research area, taking responsibility for planning and undertaking own work.

Ability to work well as an effective member of a wider multi-disciplinary team and to share and encourage good practice

Desirable criteria for Grade 7, Lecturer

Experience of undergraduate and/or post graduate teaching

Experience of working in collaborative projects across disciplines

Record of attracting independent peer reviewed research grant funding

Experience in supervising and developing research students and/or staff

Essential criteria for Grade 8, Senior Lecturer

PhD/DPhil degree

Scientific synergy with current research at King’s

Significant expertise in an area of fundamental science research related area to the physical sciences of life

Experience in high impact interdisciplinary research

Outstanding track record of publication in peer reviewed journals

Strong record of attracting peer reviewed research grant funding or fellowships

Ability to define and lead a research area, taking responsibility for planning and undertaking own work

Ability to work well as an effective member of a wider multi-disciplinary team and to share and encourage good practice

Experience in contribution to academic administration

Experience in supervising and developing research students and/or research staff

Desirable criteria for Grade 8, Senior Lecturer

Significant experience of delivery of undergraduate teaching

Experience of working in collaborative projects across disciplines

Experience of serving on professional scientific boards and committees

Active membership of peer-reviewing bodes, for UK and overseas research councils

Experience of industrial/commercial funding opportunities to underpin applied research

Further Information

Applications should include: 

a 1 page cover letter highlighting your key scientific contributions, a brief summary of future plans and fit with King’s. Please also indicate which departments/faculties you feel that you best align with.

a CV with a full publication list

a research statement (up to 2 pages)

a teaching statement (up to 1 page)

details of three academic referees, including one from your current or most recent employer. Should you be shortlisted, letters of recommendation will be sought ahead of the interview from two of your references. The third reference, from your current employer, will only be requested with your consent.

Candidates should detail how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible. 

The shortlisting / interview process will take place in two stages: a panel interview and, if shortlisted, an invitation to present a seminar and meet colleagues. Initial interviews are due to take place in early May.   

We particularly welcome applications from female and minority ethnic candidates. We understand that flexible working arrangements or career breaks may be necessary in certain circumstances and welcome the opportunity to discuss this possibility. 

We also welcome and support proleptic appointments for candidates with existing personal fellowships.