Senior Lecturer in Language and Linguistics (Forensic Linguistics)

18024BR

Cardiff School of English, Communication & Philosophy

Teaching & Research

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Senior Lectureship in Language and Linguistics (Forensic Linguistics) – Teaching and Research

The School of English, Communication and Philosophy at Cardiff University is seeking to appoint a Grade 8 Senior Lecturer in Forensic Linguistics to join a team of experienced academics.  This is an opportunity to contribute to the full range of research and teaching activities of this dynamic unit. The successful candidate will teach at both undergraduate and postgraduate level in Forensic Linguistics with particular focus on one or more areas of expert evidence in forensic speech science/ forensic phonetics, authorship attribution, internet sexual crime or other areas of linguistic evidence or the legal process. They will also be instrumental in making distinct and influential contributions to a thriving culture of forensic linguistic research in the School.  

The successful applicant will have a growing international academic reputation, an excellent record of high-quality publications and teaching, and the enthusiasm and drive to play a key role in enhancing the School’s reputation for impactful research and community engagement.   

The successful applicant will engage effectively with academic, professional and public institutions and groups to raise the School’s profile, cultivate strategic alliances and enhance the School’s ambition to be a creative and inclusive community renowned for its impact on policy, practice and public life.
This post is full-time and open-ended
Salary: £59,241 - £64,914 per annum (Grade 8).  (New appointments are usually made at the bottom of the salary scale)
Post to commence:  1 September 2024.
For enquiries about the post please contact Michelle Aldridge ([email protected] ) for further information.  

Date Advertised: 22 January 2024
Closing date: 18 February 2024

Please be aware that Cardiff University reserves the right to close this vacancy early should sufficient applications be received.

Cardiff University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds.  We therefore welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of sex, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, trans identity, relationship status, religion or belief, caring responsibilities, or age.  In supporting our employees to achieve a balance between their work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share arrangements.

Cardiff University is a signatory to the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), which means that in hiring and promotion decisions we will evaluate applicants on the quality of their research, not publication metrics or the identity of the journal in which the research is published. More information is available at:  Responsible research assessment - Research - Cardiff University

Job Description

To deliver research-led teaching at both undergraduate and postgraduate level in Forensic Linguistics and contribute to the research record of the School through commitment to carrying out research leading to the publishing of high quality outputs. To pursue excellence in research, teaching, and enterprise and to inspire others, through ambition and commitment, to do the same.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Research

• To conduct research within Forensic Linguistics with particular focus on forensic expertise in authorship attribution, forensic speech science/forensic phonetics or other areas of expert evidence and contribute to the overall internationally recognised research performance of the School and its Research Institutes by:
  • The production of measurable outputs in international academic journals
  • Bidding for funding
  • Presenting at international academic conferences and at professional meetings
  • Contributing to the recruitment and supervision of research staff and postgraduate research students.

• To teach at undergraduate and postgraduate level in Forensic Linguistics and to contribute to other modules in our UG and MA programmes as necessary.
• To ensure delivery of high-quality learning and teaching in line with current curricular requirements,
• To develop and apply innovative and appropriate teaching techniques and material which create interest, understanding and enthusiasm amongst students.
• To contribute to programme and module development at all levels in Forensic Linguistics.
• To undertake work associated with assessment, such as setting and marking assignments and providing constructive student feedback.

• To act as a Personal Tutor and provide pastoral support to students, including supervising the work of Undergraduate and Master’s students, the co-supervision of PhD students and acting as a PGR progress review panel member as required

• To provide academic leadership by co-ordinating the work of others to ensure areas of research/degree programmes are organised and delivered effectively.
• To be involved in School level strategic planning and contribute to wider strategic planning processes in the University.

• To undertake and lead operational administrative responsibilities as requested by the Head of School and the senior management team, and contribute to and/or lead bids for consultancy and additional funds
• To engage effectively with professional, policing and law-related, commercial and public sector organisations, other academic institutions etc., regionally and nationally and internationally to raise awareness of the School’s profile, To cultivate strategically valuable alliances, and to pursue opportunities for collaboration across a range of activities. These activities are expected to contribute to the School’s plans and the enhancement of its regional, national, and international profile.
• Any other duties not included above, but consistent with the role.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

Qualifications and Education

Additional Information

Candidates are asked to submit the following with their application:

• A covering letter explaining and evidencing the strength of their candidacy for this post and detailing their plans for a strong submission to the next Research Excellence Framework exercise.
• A full curriculum vitae and list of publications.

(When submitting/uploading your supporting document, please ensure that you include the vacancy number in the document name.)

As noted in the description above, we are seeking to appoint an ambitious and committed colleague who can specialise in an area of forensic expertise, ideally bringing direct experience of case work, presentation in and for courts and/or police with a theoretically and methodologically rigorous approach. The ability to teach across other areas of Language and Applied Linguistics is desirable. We hope that the individual appointed will contribute to the School’s thriving Forensic Linguistics activities, particularly to the longest-running Forensic Linguistics MA in the world.

Shortlisted candidates will be asked to give a 20-minute presentation to staff on their current and future Forensic Linguistic publication plans and on how their appointment in this post would enhance research (including engagement/impact in areas of forensic expertise) and teaching in the School of English, Communication and Philosophy.

The School of English, Communication & Philosophy at Cardiff hosts over 1000 undergraduates and some 130 postgraduate students. The School specialises in a range of distinctive approaches to literature, language, visual culture and cultural identities, utilising a range of humanities and social science methodologies. Around 65 experienced academic staff are supported by a dedicated team of professional services colleagues.
English Language and Literature at Cardiff was ranked 16th in the UK on GPA, 4th for Impact and 5th for Research Power in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework, with 92% of its research activity rated as world-leading or internationally excellent.

The School is committed to expanding and diversifying its MA Forensic Linguistics provision; increasing supervisory capacity at doctoral level; and proactively seeking out and seizing new opportunities in forensic linguistics evidence and process. This expansion marks a new chapter in Cardiff’s established reputation in Forensic Linguistics. Further, the School wishes to embed students’ experience of Forensic Linguistics in the civic and legal spaces locally and internationally. The continued prominence of our international postgraduate research culture is a key aim. The School is also committed to enhancing students’ employability through the development of innovative, market-facing provision and assessment.

We are members of the South, West and Wales Doctoral Training consortium, funded by the AHRC and the Welsh Graduate School for the Social Sciences funded by the ESRC.

For further information, please contact Michelle Aldridge ([email protected] ).

Job Category

Academic - Teaching & Research