Assistant Professor (Education) G8

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 Join Us? - Information Page

Discover more about our total rewards and benefits package here.

The Department

Durham Centre for Academic Development (DCAD)  

Inspiring excellence in learning and teaching. Using technology imaginatively and with relevance. Nurturing inclusive learning communities. Inspiring life-long learners. The Durham Centre for Academic Development (DCAD) fosters education by design.  DCAD is... 

...a resource open to all students   

Offering a wide range high quality educational programmes and opportunities to enhance learning, to ensure that all students, no matter what their need, have the opportunity to realise their full potential.   

...an educational partner for life  

Engaging learners at all points - pre-sessional, undergraduate, postgraduate and throughout their professional development - within a life-long community. Because knowing how to learn, is knowing how to teach.   

...an opportunity to develop pedagogic skills and new practice  

Delivering professional development programmes for careers at all stages:  from training for teaching practitioners in their early years, to supporting experienced practitioners to hone their craft.  Pushing the boundaries of pedagogic practice and building bridges between scholarly research and teaching practice.  

  ...a forum to share best practice  

Providing regular scholarship events, conferences and networking opportunities. Designing platforms for educators, both new and experienced, to share and learn from each other.  

Durham Centre for Academic Development (DCAD) at Durham University seeks to appoint a talented individual to the role of Assistant Professor in Student Success. We are looking for someone to contribute to the

This post offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to the Foundation programme within DCAD. Durham's Foundation Programme provides a pathway into Durham degree courses for highly capable students from under-represented backgrounds who have experienced disadvantage in their studies. The programme focuses on developing students as effective learners within their chosen academic discipline, and as confident, contributing members of Durham's academic community. In 2026, Durham's Foundation Programme supported just under 100 students to access their chosen degree course at Durham. The post-holder will have the ability to support a broad Social Sciences curriculum on the Foundation programme and contribute to an excellent student experience.

Assistant Professors (Education) at Durham

Assistant Professors on the Education track contribute to teaching, innovation, and citizenship, with opportunities to enhance their own development, support their department and discipline, and contribute to the wider student experience.

Teaching quality and innovation is critical to ensure a first-class learning environment and curricula for all our students. You will be supported to develop your teaching expertise, to engage in teaching innovation, to enrich our student experience, and will be assigned a designated mentor.

You will be expected to engage in scholarship related to pedagogy, noting that any other independent research (beyond pedagogy) is not part of this post. The appointment will be on the University's 'Education Track' career path, which provides clearly defined opportunities for progression against defined criteria.

We are confident that our recruitment process allows us to attract and select the best talent to Durham. We therefore offer a reduced probation period of 1 year for our Assistant Professors (Education) and thereafter, subject to satisfactory performance, your position will be confirmed as permanent.

Applicants must demonstrate teaching excellence in the field of Social Sciences, with the ability to teach our students to an exceptional standard and to fully engage in the services, citizenship and values of the University.

The University aims to provides a working and teaching environment which 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:

• To deliver lectures, seminars and tutorials across the Social Sciences programme at Foundation level, as well as engaging in related activity such as assessment.
• Engage in pedagogic activity at Departmental level that supports a high quality, academic professional community of practice within the Department and beyond.
• Maintain an active membership and engagement with a professional body (e.g. HEA, Foundation Year Network (FYN) or discipline-specific bodies).
• Contribute to ongoing curriculum development, demonstrating innovation in educational practice to enhance the quality of the educational environment in the Department and wider University in support of our continuing emphasis on international excellence.
• To contribute to the administrative work, citizenship and values of the Department.
• Engage in and enhance the values of the Department with regard to its commitment to its vibrant and international postgraduate culture.
• Carry out such other duties as specified by the Head of Transitions/ DCAD Deputy Director (Student Success).

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.

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 your teaching achievements or pedagogical outputs, such as maternity, adoption or parental leave, you may wish to disclose this in your application The selection committee will recognise that this may have reduced the quantity of your research accordingly.

The University has been awarded the Disability Confident Leader 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.