Assistant Professor/Associate Professor in Computer Science (Dubai) - School of Computer Science - Grade 8/9

Position Details

School of Computer Science 

University of Birmingham, Dubai campus

Salary: Competitive 

Grade 8/9

Full time

Permanent

Location: Dubai, UAE

Closing date: 19 November 2021

University of Birmingham Dubai

Having established ourselves in Dubai International Academic City in 2018 we are now moving to a new and exciting phase of our development with the opening of our new state-of-the-art campus in September 2021. This post represents an excellent opportunity to join an ambitious World Top 100 University as we continue to grow our long-term strategic mission in Dubai, the UAE and the wider region. Our campus reflects the very best of Birmingham through our presence in Dubai.

Job summary

The School of Computer Science at the University of Birmingham seeks to recruit an outstanding computer scientist for the role of Assistant Professor/Associate Professor in Computer Science to provide educational leadership at the University of Birmingham’s Dubai Campus.

The key responsibilities are to develop and deliver the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes as noted above, as appropriate to the disciplinary area, contributing at a senior level on a sustained basis to the whole range of teaching leadership and administration. 

Teaching is to include: 

You will demonstrate a significant contribution to the advancement of teaching (policy, practice, standards) of the subject, provide leadership in teaching and learning that is innovative, with a significant contribution to the debate nationally about teaching.  

Management and administration will initially involve managing activity on the Dubai campus with extensive collaboration and liaison back to our Edgbaston Campus.  You may also be involved more widely across the University in sustained high value impact knowledge transfer, enterprise, business engagement, public engagement and similar activities.

We provide an inclusive environment and are committed to a recruitment process free from discrimination. We believe that supporting a variety of career trajectories is vital for world-class computer science to flourish. 

Assistant Professor

You will contribute to a range of education-related activities.  In addition you will be expected to demonstrate academic citizenship, developing and maintaining mutually respectful and supportive working relationships with all staff and students, and ensuring the way you carry out your role impacts positively on how others carry out theirs. 

Teaching is likely to include a substantial contribution to: (a) the management, development and delivery of teaching and assessment at all levels; and (b) enhancement of the student experience and employability.  The role will typically also involve developing and advising others, including: (a) providing expert advice to staff and students, and (b) developing and advising others on learning and teaching tasks and methods. 

You will be expected to advance teaching and learning practice in your modules within the school, take a role in leading curriculum development, and play an important role in student academic and pastoral support.  You will deliver excellent teaching that inspires students, and is informed by discipline-based research. 

Management and administration is likely to include developing and making substantial contributions to knowledge transfer, enterprise, business engagement, public engagement widening participation, schools outreach, or similar activities at Department/School level or further within the University.

Associate Professor

Contribute at a senior level on a sustained basis to the whole range of teaching leadership and administration.  In addition you will be expected to contribute to academic citizenship, likely to be demonstrated through generous, mutually respectful and supportive working relationships with all staff and students.

Teaching is likely to include: (a) development and leadership of major teaching programmes or equivalent; and (b) enhancement of the student experience or employability, that are of manifest benefit to the College and the University.  It is expected that you will demonstrate a significant contribution to the advancement of teaching (policy, practice, standards) of the subject, provide leadership in teaching and learning that is innovative to the subject area or institution, with a significant contribution to the debate nationally about teaching.  

Management and administration is likely to include Departmental/School leadership and management activity with University wide involvement – for example through sustained high value impact knowledge transfer, enterprise, business engagement, public engagement or similar activities.  

Main responsibilities

Assistant Professor

Education
1.    You will contribute across the range of teaching and learning activities: 
•    contribute to leading curriculum development and/or renewal; 
•    develop and manage approaches to teaching and learning that are best practice in the subject area or institution; 
•    advise others on aspects of learning, teaching and assessment; 
•    deliver (where appropriate to the discipline) specific professional programmes; 
•    advance the practice of teaching in their modules and within the school, and play an important role in student academic support; 
•    inform your teaching practice by discipline based research; 
•    frequently update your subject expertise, and undertake personal professional development in teaching, including self-reflection on own teaching, using student and peer review feedback, to enhance own teaching and learning processes;
•    you may play an important role in the recruitment and admission of students; and co-supervise doctoral students to completion.

2.    Using a variety of methods in teaching and advising individuals and groups of undergraduates, postgraduates, or CPD students, including (as appropriate):
•    teaching and examining courses at a range of levels;
•    planning and reviewing your own teaching approaches and encouraging others to do the same;
•    designing contemporary, inclusive, engaging and academically challenging curriculum content;
•    working collaboratively with colleagues to design and deliver teaching, learning and assessment;
•    using digital resources/environments effectively to support learning and assessment;
•    developing programme proposals and making substantial contributions to the design of teaching programmes more widely;
•    where appropriate, undertaking and developing the full range of responsibilities in relation to supervision, marking and examining;
•    developing and advising others on learning and teaching tasks and methods;
•    developing and making substantial contributions to knowledge transfer, enterprise, business engagement,  public engagement activities or similar on own specialism that enhances the student experience or employability and which benefits the College and University;
•    devising and supervising projects, student dissertations and practical work. 

Management/Administration
To contribute to Departmental /School administration. This may include:
•    contributing to the administration/management of teaching across the Department/School; 
•    where appropriate, leading and managing a team to devise and implement a new and/or revised process (e.g. new programme or a recruitment drive);
•    advising on personal development of colleagues and students;
•    making a contribution to administrative activities within the University (e.g. appeals panels, working groups);
•    managing enterprise, business development, and public engagement activities;
•    developing and making substantial contributions to knowledge transfer, enterprise, business engagement, public engagement, widening participation, schools outreach;
•    promoting equality, diversity and inclusion through monitoring and evaluation and actively challenging unacceptable behaviour.

Citizenship 
Contributing to an inclusive working environment:
•    pursuing your activities in a way that helps others to pursue their activities effectively and efficiently;
•    demonstrating a willingness to be involved in a variety of activities supporting University life (e.g., participation in graduation, Departmental/School committees);
•    demonstrating support for colleagues, such as sharing resources, providing advice;  
•    willingness to volunteer for one-off duties (such as supporting School, Institute, and Departmental projects);
•    positively engaging in School strategic initiatives;
•    proactive support and involvement in activities specifically contributing to a positive and inclusive community spirit across the School/College/University.

Associate Professor

Education 
You will contribute across the range of teaching and learning activities:
•    making a significant contribution to the pedagogical knowledge base of the subject that advances teaching through the enhancement of practice, the development of teaching resources and/or through practice-based research; 
•    leading on the management and the development of approaches to teaching and learning, including designing innovative approaches and supporting colleagues to use them in the subject area or institution;
•    leading on curriculum design at module and programme level to ensure it is contemporary, inclusive, engaging and academically challenging;
•    actively engaging students in curriculum design;
•    making an impactful, high quality contribution to debates about education policy, methods and practices through internal and external publications, subject societies and conference activity;
•    developing an external profile evidenced through engaging in external quality assurance activities related to teaching, eg. external examining and engaging with/supporting education in other institutions;
•    where appropriate, playing an important and sustained role in the recruitment and admission of students; 
•    co-supervising doctoral students to completion; 
•    leading the development of teaching, learning and assessment policies and strategies;
•    acting as an education mentor to colleagues in the School/Department/College or more widely;
•    leading the development of new and appropriate approaches to learning and teaching.  
•    leading sustained high value impact in knowledge transfer and enterprise (including  business engagement, public engagement) that enhances the student experience and/or or employability, and is of manifest benefit  to learning and teaching in the College and the University
•    undertaking own teaching, which will include teaching and examining courses at a range of levels, planning and reviewing own teaching approaches, developing programme proposals, supervision, marking and examining. You will ensure that your teaching practice is informed by discipline based research, through participating in the research culture of the School. 

Management/administration
Lead activities in the Department/ School and represent the School on College/ University committees or working groups.  Where appropriate to the discipline, this is likely to include some but not all of the responsibilities listed below. 
•    making an important contribution  to the development and running of the Department or School, for example, leading activity on teaching assessment; 
•    leading a successful international engagement at School or College level;
•    developing and managing staff and resources in support of major teaching activities
•    making important contributions to the development of the Department’s (and the Univeristy) learning and teaching strategy
•    contributing significantly to the development and delivery of knowledge transfer, enterprise, business engagement and public engagement activities with sustained high value impact of manifest benefit to the College and the University in a teaching/education context;
•    develops and implements a culture (including policies and procedures) that promotes Equality and values diversity and inclusion
•    leading, serving on and assisting the work of committees and task and finish groups beyond School/Department, e.g., Senate, Council, University Education or Research Committee etc.;
•    leading external committees, e.g., those associated with public/professional bodies or delivery of activities for an external body at an appropriate level, e.g., chairing sub committees associated with large elements of work;
•    leading/project managing a team to devise and implement a new and/or revised process (e.g. new programme or a recruitment drive);
•    making a sustained contribution to widening participation, schools outreach and/or public understanding of the discipline;.
•    contributing to administrative activities within the University (e.g. appeals panels, working groups).

Citizenship
•    identifying wellbeing issues within the School/College/University and developing appropriate solutions to address these;
•    taking collective ownership of challenges faced by the School or College and working with colleagues to develop solutions;
•    mentoring and coaching of colleagues, particularly those in the early stages of their career. 

Skills and Experience required

Assistant Professor

•    Normally, a higher Degree relevant to the discipline area (usually PhD) or equivalent qualifications.
•    Extensive teaching experience and scholarship within subject specialism.
•    Proven ability to devise, advise on and manage learning.
•    Skills in managing, motivating & mentoring others.

Associate Professor

•    Normally, a higher Degree relevant to the discipline area (usually PhD) or equivalent qualifications.
•    Demonstrated excellence in Learning and Teaching, and Management and administration
 

In return, you will receive a competitive package and be a key part of expanding and ambitious University as we develop our international reputation and global footprint.

This is a full-time post, based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The University of Birmingham is an Athena Swan Bronze award holder and is committed to providing a supportive work environment for our staff and providing equal opportunities in our recruitment process.

We welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds and will take flexible working option into consideration during the process.

Further details relating to this position as well as our developing Dubai Campus can be found at http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/dubai/work-with-us/index.aspx

For informal enquiries, please contact Dr Mark Lee, Head of Computer Science email [email protected]  (Birmingham) and Dr Kashif Rajpoot, Programme Director/Senior Lecturer in Computer Science email [email protected]  (Dubai)  

Valuing excellence, sustaining investment

We value diversity at the University of Birmingham and welcome applications from all sections of the community