Lecturer in Forensic or Clinical Psychology: Research and Teaching - School of Psychology - 97970

Position Details

School of Psychology, College of Life and Environmental Sciences

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK 

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £41,526 to £49,553, with potential progression once in post to £55,750

Grade - 8

Full Time/Permanent 

Closing date – 19th September 2021

Background 

The School of Psychology at the University of Birmingham is one of the strongest and most active psychology departments in the UK, with an excellent reputation for teaching and research across all areas of contemporary psychology.

The School currently has a live research grant portfolio of £14.1m generating an annual income of around £3.8m. Of our 140 staff, 63% are core funded, and 37% are research funded.

The School hosts a number of specialist research centres, including:

•    Institute of Mental Health
•    Centre for Applied Psychology
•    Centre for Human Brain Health
•    The Cerebra Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders

With around 900 undergraduates, 300 postgraduates including masters, PhD students, and trainees on our suite of applied doctoral programmes, and and 140 research and teaching staff the School of Psychology is one of the largest psychology departments in the country.

We wish to appoint a psychologist to contribute to research and teaching in the School of Psychology, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, and are particularly keen to appoint an individual with expertise in forensic and/or clinical psychology, who can make excellent research and teaching contributions in the Centre for Applied Psychology (CAP), and the Institute of Mental Health (IMH).

The Centre for Applied Psychology supports a broad range of teaching and research in Clinical and Forensic Psychology, including Professional Doctoral programmes in Forensic Psychology (ForenPsyD), Clinical Psychology (ClinPsyD) and Forensic and Clinical Psychology (ForenClinPsyD). The Institute for Mental Health (IMH) was created in 2017 with a university investment of £2.3m, combining research excellence and purposeful partnerships – academic, NHS, third sector, and critically, with our patients and public. In 2020, the IMH launched the MSc Mental Health.

Summary of Role

The appointee will pursue an internationally excellent programme of research in forensic and/or clinical psychology in the School of Psychology. They will complement existing academic strengths and open up new collaborative opportunities with staff within the Centre for Applied Psychology, the Institute for Mental Health, the School of Psychology, the College of Life and Environmental Sciences and the University as a whole. There will be access to state-of-the-art clinical research opportunities within University space embedded within The Institute for Mental Health, the Centre for Human Brain Health, The Clinical Trials Unit and the Institute for Interdisciplinary Data Science and AI.

Commensurate with the level of this appointment, we are seeking an individual whose research involves an established national and developing international reputation through significant original research work and a clear record of impact. In addition to making major contributions to an area of research, the successful applicant will contribute to the wider delivery of the strategic plans of the School of Psychology, the College and the University. They will also play an active and collegiate role within the School, the wider University, and the external environment, including internationally.

The appointee will possess an excellent teaching profile and demonstrate evidence of teaching experience. They will be expected to contribute to teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate level, and have teaching expertise that will complement existing knowledge in CAP, the IMH and the School of Psychology teaching teams.

Teaching responsibilities are likely to include contributions to teaching on our BSc Psychology, on the new MSc Mental Health, and our suite of applied programmes including our professional doctorate programmes in the Centre for Applied Psychology (ForenPsyD, ClinPsyD, and ForenClinPsyD), and as such Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) registration as a practitioner psychologist (forensic or clinical) is a desirable qualification. The role holder will be expected to lead and engage in activities which enhance student experience and graduate employability.
 
Management and administration responsibilities will assist the appointee to build their experience enabling them to move towards leadership and management activities with University-wide involvement that may include educational leadership, sustained high value impact, knowledge transfer, enterprise, business engagement, public engagement and similar activities that are of manifest benefit to the College and University.

To apply please upload a covering letter along with an up to date CV. 

For an informal discussion relating to the posts please contact either Professor Jessica Woodhams ([email protected] ) or Professor Andrew Bremner ([email protected]) 

Main Duties / Responsibilities

Research
To plan and carry out research, using appropriate methodology and techniques.  This may include, where appropriate to the discipline:
•    Pursue personal research including developing research ideas and winning support, including financial support.
•    Plan, publish and/or execute high quality research
•    Project manage research activities, and/or supervise other research staff
•    Present findings in high quality publications and conference proceedings
•    Develop novel methodologies and techniques appropriate to the type of research being pursued
•    Supervise and examine PhD students, both within the institution and externally
•    Provide expert advice to staff and students within the discipline
•    Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding
•    Develop and make substantial contributions to knowledge transfer, and enterprise (including business engagement, public engagement) and similar activity that is of manifest benefit to the College and the University.

Learning and Teaching
To use a variety of methods in teaching and advising individuals and groups of undergraduates, postgraduates, or CPD students.  Where appropriate to the discipline this may include:
•    Teach and examine courses at a range of levels
•    Plan and review own teaching approaches and act as a mentor to encourage others to do the same
•    Develop programme proposals and make substantial contributions to the design of teaching programmes more widely in the Department or School, as appropriate
•    Where appropriate, undertake and develop the full range of responsibilities in relation to supervision, marking and examining (including summative assessment, assessed work, contributing to the final award – as a mark or as credit – such as unseen examinations, essays, dissertations or presentations.
•    Use appropriate approaches to learning and teaching in their field 
•    Disseminate appropriate practices through suitable media
•    Develop and advise others on learning and teaching tasks and methods
•    Devise and supervise projects, student dissertations and practical work 

Management/Administration
To contribute to Departmental/School administration or have a high level of responsibility for others. This may include:
•    Contribute to the administration/management of research and/or teaching across the Department/School 
•    Lead and manage a team to devise and implement a new and/or revised process (e.g. new programme or a recruitment drive)
•    Advise on personal development of colleagues and students
•    Make a major contribution to some administrative activities within the University (e.g. appeals panels, working groups)
•    Manage enterprise, business development, and public engagement activities of manifest benefit to the College and University
•    Actively manages equality, diversity and inclusion through monitoring and evaluation and actively challenging unacceptable behaviour

Person Specification

•    Normally, a higher degree relevant to the research/teaching area (usually PhD or ForenPsyD, ClinPsyD, or ForenClinPsyD) or equivalent qualifications.
•    To be a registered practitioner psychologist (Clinical or Forensic or both) with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) is desirable.
•    Extensive research/teaching experience and scholarship within subject specialism
•    Proven ability to devise, advise on and manage learning/ research
•    Skills in managing, motivating and mentoring others successfully at all levels

Research
•    Experience and achievement reflected in a growing reputation
•    Extensive experience and demonstrated success in planning, undertaking and project managing research to deliver high quality results
•    Extensive experience of applying and/or developing and devising successful models, techniques and methods
•    Experience and achievement in knowledge transfer, enterprise and similar activity

Teaching
•    Ability to design, deliver, assess and revise teaching programmes
•    Extensive experience and demonstrated success in developing appropriate approaches to learning and teaching, and advising colleagues 
•    Experience and success in knowledge transfer, enterprise and similar activity that enhances the student experience or employability

Management Administration
•    Ability to contribute to School/Departmental management processes
•    Ability to assess and organise resources effectively
•    Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes
•    Experience of championing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in own work area 
•    Ability to monitor and evaluate the extent to which equality and diversity legislation, policies, procedures are applied 
•    Ability to identify issues with the potential to impact on protected groups and take appropriate action

Skills and Knowledge 
•    Specialist knowledge of forensic/clinical psychology 
•    Excellent communication skills 
•    Interdisciplinary expertise and/or a willingness to develop interdisciplinary research and teaching programmes

Personal Attributes 
•    A commitment to inclusive and transparent ways of working
•    An academic leader committed to personal and professional development
•    Excellent interpersonal skills 
•    Ability to work in a multidisciplinary team 
•    Gains confidence and trust from others 
•    Able to respond to and cope with change 
•    Demonstrates honesty and integrity 

Valuing excellence, sustaining investment
We value diversity and inclusion at the University of Birmingham and welcome applications from all sections of the community and are open to discussions around all forms of flexible working