Assistant/Associate Professor in Economics

Job title:                                 Assistant/Associate Professor in Economics 

Vacancy reference:               ECON23-1

Department:                           Department of Economics 

Responsible to:                     Head of Department 

Salary Range:                        Grade 8 £43,414 - £51,805 per annum / Grade 9 £54,949 - £61,823 per annum 

Working arrangements:        The role is full-time, but we will consider requests for flexible working arrangements including potential job shares              

Closing date:                         12th December 2022 at midnight      

Preferred start date:              Successful candidates will ideally be in post by 1st September 2023

Expected interview date:      Early February 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 8  and Grade 9

The Department 

Durham University, one of the world’s top universities, boasting a welcoming and vibrant international community, is an exceptional place to base one’s academic career. The Department of Economics is currently looking to further enhance its capabilities seeking to appoint an Assistant/Associate Professor on a full-time or part-time contract. We seek to elevate our research activity and the environment through the support and delivery of influential research publications at leading journals, together with research capacity enhancement through research income generation.   

The salary is competitive and will be commensurate with the candidate’s qualifications.   

The Department of Economics is part of the triple-accredited Business School. We expect candidates to have a proven potential to publish in the top five journals in Economics and to have the ability to teach our students to an exceptional standard, and willingness to engage in the citizenship services for the department, the university, and the profession.  We are extremely interested in hiring colleagues whose work will have impact on wider society and who engage in research grant capture. We support our academic colleagues in publishing research in world-class journals, with a focus on quality rather than quantity. Our support for research includes including resources conference travel, seed corn funding of research activity, a generous research leave policy, and a designated mentor. More details about our research, teaching, and business connections can be found on our website;  https://www.durham.ac.uk/business/about/departments/economics/   

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 

Associate Professors at Durham   

Associate Professors on the Education and Research track are encouraged to focus on research and teaching quality, and innovation.  We of course value research income, which is a necessary input to drive research outputs and impact.     

Academic colleagues are supported to publish internationally excellent research in high impact outputs including (monographs, essays in edited volumes, book chapters), in their area of interest with a focus on quality rather than quantity. We will fully support your research needs including practical help such as resources to attend conferences and to fund research activity, as well as a generous research leave policy and a designated mentor. Sitting alongside world class research; teaching quality and innovation is critical to ensure a first-class learning environment and curricula for all of our students. You will be supported to develop your existing teaching expertise and to engage in teaching innovation to embed our student experience.   

Engagement in wider citizenship is expected as your career develops, to support your department and wider discipline, and to contribute to the wider student experience.    

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.  

Applicants must demonstrate research excellence in the field of Economics, 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 aims to provides a working and teaching environment that 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. 

Key responsibilities:  

Assistant Professor:

• To pursue research that is high quality in terms of originality, significance and rigour.  
• To develop clear plans for the pursuit of national and international funding opportunities to support research and end-user engagement; 
• To 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;  
• To deliver lectures, seminars and tutorials at undergraduate and taught postgraduate levels, 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 inclusive postgraduate culture.  
• Carry out such other duties as specified by the Head of Department. 

 Associate Professor:  

• Pursue research that is world-leading in terms of originality, significance and rigour, commensurate with the Department’s continuing emphasis on international excellence;    
• To make a significant contribution to the development of successful research project/ fellowship proposals in pursuit of suitable national and international funding opportunities to support research and end-user engagement.   
• Deliver excellent teaching offering lectures, seminars and tutorials at undergraduate and taught postgraduate levels.  Contribute significantly to the development and delivery of high-quality teaching, including the design of excellent learning environments and curricula.   
• Contribute to enhancing the quality of the research environment in the Department, the wider University and beyond.  Contribute to establishing and leading research groups within and beyond the University, and engaging in the mentoring of early career researchers;    
• To attract and provide excellent supervision to research students, and to enhance the Department’s commitment to its vibrant and international postgraduate culture.    
• Contribute significantly to the administrative functioning and collegial environment of the Department and wider University, undertaking leadership activities which support the functioning of the Department and wider University.   
• To fully engage in, champion and enhance the values of the Department;   
• 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.

Person Specification  Assistant Professor 

Candidates applying for a grade 8 post should meet all the essential criteria.   

Research  

Candidates must have the capacity for and be progressing towards the independent development of internationally excellent research that produces high-quality outcomes, including some work that is recognised as world-class or that has world-class potential.   

Essential Research Criteria – Grade 8 

Candidates must demonstrate the development and delivery of high-quality teaching that contributes to providing a supportive and enabling learning environment and curricula which encourage students to achieve their potential.

Essential Education Criteria – Grade 8 

Service, Citizenship and Values 

Active engagement in the administrative and citizenship requirements of the Department. Positive contributions to University values  and to fostering a respectful environment as well as demonstrating their commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. 

Essential Services, Citizenship and Values criteria – Grade 8 

Desirable Criteria – Grade 8 

The desirable criteria for this post (for which candidates should provide evidence of some if not all criteria) are: 

Person Specification Associate Professor     

Applicants must demonstrate research excellence in the field of Economics with the ability to teach our students to an exceptional standard and to fully engage in the services, citizenship and values of the University.    

Research    

Candidates must have the capacity for and be progressing towards the independent development of internationally excellent research that produces high-quality outcomes, including some work that is recognised as world-class or that has world-class potential.     

Essential Research Criteria   

Education   

Candidates must demonstrate Significant contribution to the development and delivery of high-quality teaching with a demonstrable contribution to the design of excellent learning environments & curricula, including curriculum development, that enable students to achieve their potential.  

Essential Education Criteria   

Service, Citizenship and Values   

Candidates must actively contribute to leadership activities, administrative functioning and to the citizenship and respectful environment of the Department, Faculty and University, positively contributing to the University Values and to fostering a respectful environment; as well as demonstrating their commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.  

Essential Service, Citizenship and Values criteria – Grade 9   

Desirable Criteria    

The desirable criteria for this post (for which candidates should provide evidence of some if not all criteria) are:   

Contact Information 

Department contact for academic-related enquiries 

Professor Michael Naef  

Head of Department and Professor in Economics 

[email protected]   

Professor Nejat Anbarci  

Chair of the Search Committee and Professor in Economics 

[email protected]   

Contact information for technical difficulties when submitting your application 

If you encounter technical difficulties when using the online application form, we prefer you send enquiries by email.  Please send your name along with a brief description of the problem you’re experiencing to [email protected]  

Alternatively, you may call 0191 334 6801 from the UK, or +44 191 334 6801 from outside the UK. This number operates during the hours of 09.00 and 17.00 Monday to Friday, UK time.  We will normally respond within one working day (Monday to Friday, excluding UK public holidays).  

University contact for general queries about the recruitment process 

Leah Pears – [email protected]

How to Apply  

We prefer to receive applications online.    

Please note that in submitting your application, we will be processing your data.  We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement https://www.dur.ac.uk/ig/dp/privacy/pnjobapplicants/  which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.  

If you are unable to complete your application via our recruitment system, please get in touch with us on [email protected] .  

What to Submit 

All applicants are asked to submit: 

• A CV  
• A covering letter which details your experience, strengths and potential in the requirements set out above; 
• Personal research plan. 
• Two of your most significant pieces of written work.
• An EDI & values statement – (of no more than 500 words) which outlines work which you have been involved in which demonstrates your commitment to EDI and our values. I.e. Involvement in quality, diversity, and inclusion activities such as mentoring, volunteering, or attending conferences 

Where possible we request that you provide accessible web links to your publications, which the hiring Department will use to access your work.  The application form contains fields in which to enter each of the web links. Please note we are unable to access publications behind a paywall.   

In the event you are unable to provide accessible links to online hosting of your work, your work should be uploaded as PDFs as part of your application in our recruitment system. Please ensure that your PDFs are not  larger than 5mb. Please note that your work may be read by colleagues from across the Department and evaluated against the current REF criteria;  

We will notify you on the status of your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system.  Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to ensure you receive all emails.  

Referees 

You should provide 3 academic referees.  

References will be requested for candidates who have been shortlisted and will be made available to the panel during the interview process. 

As part of your application, you will be asked whether you give your consent to your academic references being sought should you be invited to attend an interview. We will only request references where permission has been granted.  

Next Steps 

All applications will be considered; our usual practice is for colleagues across the Department to read the submitted work of long-listed candidates.   

Short-listed candidates will be invited to the University, either virtually or in-person and will have the opportunity to meet key members of the Department.  The assessment for the post will normally include a presentation to staff in the Department followed by an interview and we anticipate that the assessments and interviews will take place mid-January - early-February 2023.

In the event that you are unable to attend in person on the date offered, it may not be possible to offer you an interview on an alternative date. 

Applicant Guidance  

For further guidance on your application please see HERE