Chair in Political Theory (EXPIRED)

Post:                          Chair in Political Theory (ref: 003143)

Department:            School of Government and International Affairs

Contract Type:       Full time

Grade:                       10

Salary Ranges:       Starting salary £60,513

Closing Date:          16th December 2016

Chair in Political Theory

The School of Government and International Affairs at Durham University invites applications for a chair in political theory. We are seeking to appoint an individual with a combination of outstanding research, leadership and team-working skills.  As the School embarks on a period of substantial growth and development, we envisage that this strategic appointment will make a significant contribution to the collective delivery of the School’s research and teaching strategies. They will be expected to play a key role within the leadership team of the School as we grow student numbers, recruit new academic staff, deliver newly revised undergraduate programmes, and demonstrate outstanding quality in meeting the requirements of a challenging higher education environment.

Candidates must be able to demonstrate a track-record of successful research leadership based upon an impressive publication record, including outputs in leading journals, and making significant contributions more broadly through monographs and/or journal articles that have become key texts or interventions. Candidates should be able to demonstrate wider disciplinary knowledge across the disciplines of Politics and International Relations, should have an international profile for their research and be engaged in significant research networks and collaborative activities in their field.

The successful candidate will be a proven team player, who can demonstrate an ability to initiate, lead, encourage, contribute to, and build support networks around research activities.  Candidates should be able to demonstrate a commitment to working with and supporting staff colleagues and research students, with evidence of successful mentoring and supervision of researchers at various career stages.

The successful candidate will be expected to work closely with the Head of School in delivering the School research strategy, which seeks to build our capacity to produce outstanding research and to meet the complex challenges of the UK research environment. This includes but is not limited to preparations for the Research Excellence Framework, improving the quality of grant submissions and grant capture rates, and embedding a strong culture of research-based public engagement activity which may demonstrate impact.

Applications in any field of political theory are welcome although candidates who work in the field of contemporary political theory (from either analytical or continental traditions) are especially encouraged to apply. The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate the potential for research engagement with colleagues across the School and reaching into disciplines beyond the School. As the first Politics and International Relations department to be awarded an Athena Swan award, we welcome applications from women and ethnic minority candidates and are committed to a diverse and inclusive research community.

The School of Government and International Affairs

This is a strategic appointment which is being made in the context of an exciting plan for large-scale expansion and development of the School of Government and International Affairs.

Since its founding in 2004, SGIA has been a broad-based politics and international relations department, with extensive research and educational activity across a wide-ranging set of specialisms and with a long-standing rationale of embedding regional studies expertise within core disciplinary strength. The School is ranked 5th in the UK for Politics by the Complete University Guide and 8th by the Guardian. We currently have 30 FTE academic staff supported by an administrative team of 8.

We currently offer two undergraduate programmes (BA in Politics and BA in International Relations), with an annual intake of  approx. 100 students, as well as teaching significant numbers of students from other departments through joint honours programmes, the Combined Honours in Social Sciences and Liberal Arts programmes. At the taught postgraduate level, we offer eight programmes, including three increasingly popular MSc programmes with practitioner orientations, and two ESRC-recognised research training masters. Our teaching at all levels is self-consciously research-led and we are also home to a substantial community of approximately 70 research students. Like our staff community, our study body is very international across all levels, an attribute which we cherish and seek to sustain.

The School currently enjoys high demand for places on both our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes from students of outstanding calibre, who progress to enjoy excellent employment prospects. Our key challenges arise from our intention to widen participation, enhance diversity, and inspire and enthuse students beyond instrumentalist approaches to customer satisfaction.

In 2014, 71 % of our research was deemed to be either internationally excellent or world leading. Our well-established reputation for research strength in areas such as political thought,  and Middle East politics and international relations has been augmented in recent years through creation of the Durham Global Security Institute and the Global Policy Institute. Emerging strength in quantitative research methods is supported by the Centre for Institutions and Political Behaviour and School staff play key roles in interdisciplinary groups across the University such as the Centre for Contemporary Chinese Studies and the Centre for the Study of Jewish Culture, Society and Politics. Recent revision to our research within the School is creating four sub-discipline focused groups: Political Theory; Comparative Politics, International Politics and Security, and International Political Economy. Institutes and centres cut across these groups and provide foci for collaborative research work and external-facing engagement and impact activities.

With a view to a comprehensive submission in future assessment exercises, and with a commitment to building strength across the range of methodological approaches within politics and international relations, our challenges now are to develop internationally-recognised excellence in all four fields whilst building new and more robust interdisciplinary linkages, and demonstrably engaging in research which is of wider public and social benefit.

From 2016/17, SGIA will be entering a new stage in its development. Our long-term objective is to be listed in ten highest ranking politics and international relations departments in the Russell Group, the top 30 in the QS world rankings and the top five in REF exercises. Achieving this requires substantial step changes in the size of the staff body, and the quality and range of research coverage, with a near-term objective being to move into the top 15 departments in the next REF cycle.

Achieving these ambitions will entail a sustained enhancement of administrative support and infrastructure to ensure that the environment for research and education are comparable with the highest international standards. We anticipate making a very significant number of new appointments, principally but not exclusively at the Early Career Researcher level, over the next five years. Attracting the very best researchers across the sub-disciplines of political theory, international relations, comparative politics and political economy requires that we deliver an exciting, supportive, and financially-secure research environment. We have developed an evidence-based research strategy which emphasises pathways to demonstrable research excellence via strong support for, and mentoring of, research active staff; clear commitments to equality and diversity; and the fostering of an inclusive and collegial research culture. As we deepen and broaden the fields of research undertaken within the School, we are further committed to expanding our methodological diversity. Appointments will be prioritised in areas of research and educational excellence across the four sub-disciplinary groups, building on existing work and supporting new initiatives through effective research support resource allocation and high quality administrative support for grant capture and delivery, and engagement and impact activity.

  To sustain this expansion of research, we will be significantly expanding undergraduate student recruitment, whilst more slowly growing our postgraduate communities. We will maintain the current high tariff entry, improve our performance in widening participation, and ensure the programmes deliver the highest standard of learning experience for all our students. To this end, we have been revising our undergraduate programmes to deepen the disciplinary underpinnings, widen the range of methodological approaches and skills, and further embed research-oriented and research-led teaching from Level 1 onwards. We seek to offer programmes which are exciting and relevant, which develop skills required by the range of  employers our students go on to work for, and  also give students an appreciation of, and competence with, the qualities of good research and scholarship. In order to ensure that we can deliver this learning experience, the planned staff recruitment will outpace student recruitment to reduce current staff: student ratios to no higher than the Russel Group average for politics and international relations. New staff appointments will share our commitment to delivering a world-class education to all our students through a range of modes for delivery and assessment and with an eye to continual professional development as educators.

Through this period of the School’s growth and development, we are seeking individuals with a collegiate approach, willing to collaborate, participate, learn and contribute across the activities of the School (research, education, and citizenship). Beyond the University, we seek people who will represent the School in the wider world through participation in and leadership of international research networks, playing roles in professional associations, engaging with non-academic research users, and through their interventions in public political debates. We are intent on developing transparent and effective governance structures, and a positive and inclusive work culture. In 2016 we became the first Politics and International Relations department in the UK to be awarded an Athena Swann Bronze Award for our on-going work to promote gender equality. This is a tangible achievement in ensuring that SGIA is an outstanding place to work for similarly outstanding people. We look forward to receiving your application.

Successful applicants will, ideally, be in post by June 2016. Applicants should clearly state in their application which post they wish to be considered for.

We embrace excellence in all its forms and invite all qualified candidates to apply. We particularly welcome applications from women and black and minority ethnic candidates, who are under-represented in the University.

Responsibilities

The person appointed to this post will be expected to undertake the following duties:

• To conduct research of outstanding and internationally-excellent quality, publishing in the top journals and with prestigious presses, and possessing an international profile which includes engagement in exciting, cutting-edge, research networks and collaborations.

• To take a leading role in delivery of the School research strategy, supporting and working with colleagues to raise the quality and profile of research projects and publications in a manner which recognises and enhances the ambitions and preferences of individuals as well as the international research profile of the School as a whole.

• To take a leading role in deepening inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary research linkages between SGIA, other departments and research institutes at Durham University.

• To be an active and visible member of at least one research group within the School, and to foster, encourage and support the activities and ambitions of the others.

• To take a leading role in fostering an exciting, inclusive and innovative research culture of active engagement and collective participation across the School for staff, early career and doctoral researchers, and students.

• To engage with Faculty, University and research councils/funding bodies in ways which support the School’s ambitions to grow research grant income and enhance our capacity to be successful in attracting funds to support excellent research.

• To take a research leadership role within the management of the School, participating in the Senior Management Team and working to represent the School’s best interests in Faculty and University research fora.

• To actively participate in and support the School’s policies on mentoring of peers (staff and early career researchers).

• To play a significant role in recruiting and supervising doctoral research students studying a diverse range of topics in political theory.

• To play a significant role in supporting the work of the Centre for Political Thought in becoming a regional and national hub for the study of political theory and political thought.

• To contribute to the design and delivery of undergraduate and postgraduate taught modules in political theory in a manner which is exciting, innovative and collaborative with colleagues.

• Carry out such other duties as may be required from time to time as specified by the Head of School or in response to Faculty or University innovations.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

• PhD in Political Theory (broadly defined)

• An outstanding track-record of research publications in highly-ranked journals or with top presses indicating international excellence and inclusive of outputs which may be considered key texts or innovations in their field.

• Experience of delivering high quality teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate levels in political theory.

• Experience of successful research leadership, for example through project or publication collaborations, management roles or quality enhancement processes.

• Having made a significant and effective management contribution within a higher education context.

• A sustained track record of research grant applications, evidence of some success, clear and detailed plans for future grant applications.

• Evidence of research collaboration, preferably including collaboration across and between disciplines / thematic areas.

• Evidence of engagement in, and leadership of, national and international research networks which can bring added value to research groups within SGIA.

• Evidence of successful contribution to the research environment of a department, including organisation of workshops or guest lectures, reading groups, peer reviewing, mentoring and support for colleagues.).

• Evidence of the ability to work with colleagues across the sub-fields in Political Science.

• Evidence of ability to attract and successfully supervise doctoral students (including timely submissions).

Desirable Criteria

• Evidence of research collaboration across the subfields within political science.

• Knowledge of the UK research environment, including its constraints, challenges, and possibilities. A good understanding of REF criteria and experience of supporting a departmental/unit of assessment REF submission.

• Close familiarity with UK research council grant application processes and criteria for success.

• An understanding and engagement with possibilities for impact in own research.

• Innovative and creative approaches to teaching and assessment.

Application process

We prefer to receive applications online via the Durham University Vacancies Site. https://www.dur.ac.uk/jobs/

Please submit a CV and covering letter.  Candidates are requested to address in their application each component of the essential criteria, providing evidence of their experiences, achievements and skills in meeting these requirements.  The letter of application must also include an ambitious personal research plan and provide a clear indication of the four written pieces planned for submission to the next Research Excellence Framework (REF2020/21).

The application must also include PDFs of two of the applicant’s most significant pieces of work, at least one of which should be suitable for consideration for submission in REF2020/21.

Short-listed applicants will be invited to spend two days with the staff and students of SGIA during the period between 5-16th December, prior to formal  interviews in early January.

For informal enquiries please contact:

Professor Emma Murphy, Head of the School of Government and International Affairs

Tel: 0191 334 5660

[email protected]

All enquiries will be treated in the strictest confidence.