Professor in Modern French and Francophone Visual Studies and Head of the School of Modern Languages and Cultures

Durham University, United Kingdom

Updated: 16 days ago
Location: Durham, ENGLAND

Professor in Modern French and Francophone Visual Studies and Head of the School of Modern Languages and Cultures  (
Job Number:
 24000562)
School of Modern Languages and Cultures
Grade 10: - negotiable subject to experience
Open-Ended/Permanent - Full Time
Contracted Hours per Week: 35
Closing Date
: 14-Apr-2024, 6:59:00 PM
Disclosure and Barring Service Requirement: Not Applicable. 

Working at Durham University   

A globally outstanding centre of teaching and research excellence, a warm and friendly place to work, a unique and historic setting – Durham is a university like no other. 

As one of the UK’s leading universities, Durham is an incredible place to define your career. The University is located within a beautiful historic city, home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and surrounded by stunning countryside. Our talented scholars and researchers from around the world are tackling global issues and making a difference to people's lives.   

We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things in the world. Being a part of Durham is about more than just the success of the University, it’s also about contributing to the success of the city, county and community. 

Our University Strategy is built on three pillars of research, education and wider student experience, but also on our keen sense of community and of inspiring others to achieve their potential.  

Our Purpose and Values  

We want our University to be a place where people can be free to be themselves, no matter what their identity or background. Together, we celebrate difference, value one another and are each responsible for creating an inclusive community that is respectful and fair for all. 

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.    

The School

The School of Modern Languages and Cultures at Durham University seeks to appoint a talented individual to the role of Professor in Modern French and Francophone Visual Studies.  The post carries with it an expectation that the successful candidate will serve a three-year term as Head of School from summer 2024, with an option to extend this tenure by a further two years by mutual agreement.

This post offers an exciting opportunity to lead the School of Modern Languages and Cultures through the next phase of its development, setting its strategic direction in line with Faculty and University strategy. For more information, please visit our School pages at https://www.dur.ac.uk/mlac/ .

We welcome applications from those with a track record of sustained excellence in leadership and with research and teaching interests in the broad field of Modern French and Francophone Visual Studies and we are particularly eager to hear from applicants with a focus on photography studies and French studies post-1945.

The School is one of the largest and most successful Schools of Modern Languages in the UK bringing together research in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hispanic Studies, Italian, Japanese and Russian Studies, along with specialists in Visual Studies. It has 92 academic staff on open-ended contracts, including 38 colleagues engaged in education and research, and 54 in education-focused roles, along with 12 staff in professional support positions. A total of 873 undergraduate and 55 postgraduate taught students are registered on the School’s undergraduate programmes in Modern Languages and Cultures, Chinese Studies, Japanese Studies and Visual Arts and Film, and across its three MA programmes in Languages, Literatures and Cultures, Visual Culture and Translation Studies.

The School is consistently ranked in the top five in national league tables, such as the Complete University Guide. Its reach spans Europe, the Arab world, Russophone Eurasia, Hispanic America, and East Asia, and their mutual socio-cultural, intellectual and linguistic relations. The School federates expertise to generate innovative research practices and activities that cross historical, geographical and methodological boundaries. Its research focuses on the transnational study of literatures, cultures and histories. Indeed, translation – understood in its broad sense of transmission, interpretation and sharing of languages, ideas and histories – underpins the School’s collective practices. The School’s forward-thinking research agenda was recently highlighted in its major conference Where Are We Now? The Location of Modern Languages and Cultures, held in Durham in 2023 (https://www.durham.ac.uk/departments/academic/modern-languages-cultures/2023-conference/ ). This conference brought together speakers from across the world to articulate and embrace the values of a discipline equipped to study cultures and their interactions in historical perspective.

Professors at Durham

Professors are encouraged to focus on quality and innovation throughout your teaching and research activity. But we’ll also look to you to provide genuine leadership and citizenship - not just in your field, but across the University environment, and in the way your department functions administratively. 

Academic colleagues will have the freedom to deliver teaching and pursue research that is world leading and world changing, in terms of originality, significance and rigour. And we’ll support your ambitions to publish internationally significant research in your area of interest, provide resources to enable you to attend conferences and to fund research activity.

We strive to provide 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 as Head of School: 

As Head of School, applicants would be expected to: 

  • Plan, develop and implement a School Strategy, working with the Board of Studies (as its Chair) and leading the School’s Strategy Group. This strategy is to be aligned to the wider University Strategy, and will include world-class research, teaching excellence and a high-quality student experience.  
  • Provide leadership in all matters relating to the operation of the School, to its relationship with the Faculty and wider University and the discipline more broadly (UK and abroad).  
  • Foster diversity, equality and inclusion amongst the School’s staff and students, to eliminate discrimination and promote an effective work-life balance for all.  
  • Be responsible to the Faculty Executive Dean for managing an agreed School budget that ensures that the School operates in a financially sustainable manner.  
  • Co-ordinate all School-level activities relating to recruitment, probation, development, progression (including succession planning) and performance management, of all School staff (working closely with the School Manager and HR Business Partner).  
  • Promote the effective two-way exchange of information from the School to the Faculty and wider University, and vice versa.  
  • Represent the School in the University at large, including on those University bodies of which the Chair is an Ex Officio member.  
  • Be ultimately responsible for ensuring that processes and systems are in place to ensure the School’s compliance with the University Health and Safety Policies, working with the Faculty Logistics Manager and Health and Safety Business Partner.  
  • Ensure compliance by all staff in the School with University policies, procedures and codes of practice. 

 

Key responsibilities as a Professor: 

  • Pursue research that is world-leading, and world-changing in terms of originality, significance and rigour, showing leadership in a research field within and/or beyond the academy which is commensurate with the School’s continuing emphasis on international excellence;
  • To lead 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.  Demonstrate leadership and innovation in the design and delivery of high quality learning environments and curricula.
  • Enhance the quality of the research environment in the School, providing leadership of national and international research groups and networks which is recognised at an international level.  Engage in the mentoring of early career researchers;
  • To attract and provide excellent supervision to research students, and contribute significantly to the development of PhD programmes.  Enhance the School’s commitment to its vibrant and international postgraduate culture.
  • Contribute significantly to the administrative functioning and collegial environment of the School and wider University, demonstrating sustained excellence in leadership activities which support the functioning of the School and wider University.
  • To fully engage in, champion and enhance the values of the School;

 

Durham University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion

Equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key component of the University’s Strategy and a central part of everything we do.  We also live by our Purpose and 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 colleagues undertake activities that are aligned to both our values and commitment to EDI.  

 

We welcome and encourage applications from those who are currently under-represented in our work force, including people with disabilities and from racially minoritised ethnic groups.  

 

If you have taken a career break or periods of leave that may have impacted on the volume and recency of your research outputs and other activities, such as maternity, adoption or parental leave, you may wish to disclose this in your application. The selection committee will take this into account when evaluating your application.  

 

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 

Candidates must demonstrate research excellence in the field of Modern French and Francophone Visual Studies, 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 will demonstrate world-leading and world-changing research, and leadership in a research field within and / or beyond their institution(s), with research outputs consistently recognised as internationally excellent.   

Essential Research Criteria 

  • Qualifications - a good first degree and a PhD in Modern French Studies or a related subject.
  • Outputs - evidence of research outputs which are consistently recognised as internationally excellent with some output being evaluated as world class. Candidates are asked to submit [four] research papers with their application (as outlined in the How to Apply section below).  Candidates may additionally choose to submit evidence such as external peer review of their outputs.
  • Personal Research Plan - evidence of a personal research plan which supports and enhances the School’s research strategy, with particular reference to work in Modern French Visual Studies.
  • Research Leadership - leadership of national / international research groups and networks, with an internationally recognised contribution to the development of research fields, as well as leadership of research groups and / or mentoring of early career researchers.  Candidates may choose to include information about research group leadership, mentoring of research colleagues, invitations to and engagement with significant external events, engagement with international networks or projects, serving on advisory boards, review bodies or commissions, external PhD examination.   
  • PhD Supervision - a significant contribution to the development of PhD programmes and / or groups, including successful recruitment and excellent supervision of PhD students and examination of research degrees.
  • Research Impact – demonstrable leadership of research that has significant impact beyond the Candidate’s institution(s).
  • Income Generation – evidence of leadership of successful research projects and / or quality research grant proposals.

    • Education

    Candidates will be able to evidence excellence in the development and delivery of teaching.  They will demonstrate leadership, distinction and innovation in the design and delivery of high-quality learning environments and curricula, including curriculum development, that enables student to achieve their potential.      

    Essential Education Criteria

  • Qualification - candidates must evidence substantial and sustained educational leadership demonstrated by:
  • Evidence of at least one example of co-ordination, support, supervision, management and/or mentoring of others in relationship to learning and teaching, or;
  • Successful completion of the DELTA3 course (“Leadership in Learning and Teaching”) or the DELTA4 course (“Strategic Leadership in Learning and Teaching”), or;
  • Achievement of Senior or Principal Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (https://www.heacademy.auk/individuals/fellowship/fellow ), which is the national body that champions teaching excellence.
  • Quality - evidence of excellence in the development and delivery of high-quality and distinctive teaching, at least at a nationally competitive level.  Evidence of training, educating and mentoring other teachers in the department and/or the University in relationship to learning and teaching. Candidates may choose to provide MEQ scores and / or peer reviews of teaching.
  • Innovation – leadership and influence in in curriculum/new programme development and the development of innovative teaching and the design of learning environments/curricula that provide high quality teaching and student experience at an internationally competitive level including lectures, small group learning and/or using technology or other techniques to enhance learning and/or assessment.    
  • Strategic - demonstrating leadership and influence in the design and delivery of excellent teaching activities and the creation of learning environments that enable students to achieve their potential.

    • Services, Citizenship and Values

    Candidates will demonstrate sustained excellence of leadership in the provision of the administrative and collegial functioning requirements 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 Services, Citizenship and Values criteria 

  • Collegial contribution – evidence of a significant contribution to the collegial work and environment of the Candidate’s Department, Faculty, institution and / or discipline.  (Candidates may choose to evidence departmental or University roles, Faculty or University level committees or projects, mentoring activity, pastoral and academic support of students, engagement with widening participation, proactive support of the work of professional services colleagues, contributions to departmental programme management and/or strategic development, contribution to equality and diversity initiatives and membership or engagement with external bodies).
  • Leadership - evidence of sustained excellence in leadership activities that support the administrative functioning of the candidate’s Department, Faculty or University and / or which support the development of their discipline. This experience should include a track record of leadership of a School or Department of commensurate size and complexity to the School of Modern Languages and Cultures, along with evidence of national sectoral- and discipline-level leadership. (Candidates may choose to detail any leadership roles which they have undertaken, preferably in an academic context).
  • Communication - candidates must have excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to engage with a range of students and colleagues across a variety of forums.

    • The Head of the Department will be expected to demonstrate or have the potential to acquire: 

    Knowledge and understanding of:  

  • Durham University’s School of Modern Languages and Cultures, its staff, students and structures.  
  • Current and likely future Government thinking in Higher Education generally. 
  • National and international agendas in appropriate discipline-related research and teaching. 
  • The University Strategy, vision and mission for the next 5 years. 
  • University policies in research, education, HR, equality and diversity, student wellbeing, and health and safety. 
  • University processes in planning and financial management, staff progression and promotion, staff recruitment, and estates and facilities. 
  • University central support structures for departmental level activities. 

    • Skills and competencies: 

  • Ability to lead the development and delivery of the School’s strategy.  
  • Ability (or clear potential) to effectively and equitably manage the department’s academic and professional staff, with strong attention to EDI and a culture of thriving. 
  • Excellent influencing skills, consensus building and communication skills. 
  • Excellent organisational skills, with demonstrable ability to manage complex processes to deadlines (e.g. School planning, annual reviews, REF, TEF etc.).  
  • Budget management skills.  
  • Ability to delegate effectively, particularly within the School’s senior leadership group.   
  • Proven capability in developing positive relationships with the Faculty, University and key members of Professional Services and the Colleges/Wider Student Experience Division.  
  • Evidenced ability to promote the department internally and externally to a range of academic and non-academic stakeholders, as well as alumni, schools and other external partners. 
  • An ability to be entrepreneurial in the support of the School and its strategy 
  • Resilience to deal with what can, at times, be a demanding role.  
  • The ability to manage competing priorities.  

    • Contact Information 

    Department contact for academic-related enquiries 

    David Cowling Head of Department [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 

    Lauren Gulliver-Recruitment Coordinator [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.  

    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; 
    • A three-page personal research plan. 
    • Two of your most significant pieces of written work.  Where possible your written work should have been published or submitted since REF2021, however work prior to REF2021 may be submitted where candidates have had career breaks. 
    • An EDI & values statement – (of no more than 500 words) that 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, publications should be uploaded as PDFs as part of your application in our recruitment system.

    Please ensure that your PDFs are not larger than 5mb. Your work may be read by colleagues from across the Department and evaluated against the current REF criteria; 

    All application documents should be uploaded with your name and document type as PDF files. 

    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 they should not (if possible) include your PhD supervisor(s).  The majority should be from a University other than your own.

    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 and students in the Department followed by an interview and we anticipate that the assessments and interviews will take place over two days in or around 1-2 May 2024. 

    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  

     


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