Associate Professor in Environmental Sustainability (EARTH_01)

The Department of Earth Sciences at Durham University has the exciting opportunity to appoint an Associate Professor in Environmental Sustainability (Research and Education) to help strengthen our existing research, teaching and impact that addresses the major environmental challenges such as Climate Change, Energy Transition and Sustainable use of Resources. We seek an outstanding individual to take a leadership role in research and teaching, and in particular lead curricula development and delivery of parts of our new MSc in Environmental Sustainability, which is at final approval stage and is scheduled to begin teaching in October 2026.

The Department

Durham Earth Sciences is one of the best UK Earth Science departments with an outstanding reputation for excellence in teaching, research and the satisfaction and employability of its students. It is regularly ranked in the top 10 of UK departments and is within the global top 50 (QS rankings).

The department has around 30 academic staff, 15 research staff, 50 postgraduate students and 280 undergraduate students. Its research covers a spectrum of Earth Science disciplines around four broad themes: Solid Earth; Climate and Environmental Change; Geoenergy, Resources and Waste; Geohazards. The themes reflect our aim to not only undertake fundamental and intrinsically excellent research, but also research that is relevant to and impacts society. We collaborate widely, and within Durham we work closely with both the Institute of Hazard, Risk and Resilience and the Durham Energy Institute . The Department has world-class research facilities (https://www.durham.ac.uk/departments/academic/earth-sciences/about-us/facilities/)

The Department is committed to providing the highest level of education to its students, giving them the knowledge, skills and confidence to contribute positively to the world beyond Durham. We provide research-led teaching in Geology, Geophysics, Environmental Geoscience and Climate Science with a large proportion of practical classes and a deep commitment to field-based teaching. We regularly receive > 90% satisfaction scores on the annual National Student Survey and our students are highly sought after by a range of employers.

The Department of Earth Sciences holds a departmental Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of its efforts to promote gender equality and address challenges particular to the earth sciences.

This post offers an exciting opportunity to make a major contribution to the development of internationally excellent research and teaching in Environmental Sustainability while allowing you unrivalled opportunities to progress and embed your career in an exciting and progressive institution. For more information, please visit our Department pages .

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 .

Associate Professors at Durham

Associate Professors on the Education and Research track are encouraged to focus on research and teaching but are also expected to engage in wider citizenship to enhance their own development, support their department and discipline, and contribute to the wider student experience.

Academic colleagues are supported to publish internationally excellent research in high impact outputs (including monographs and journal articles), in their area of interest with a focus on quality rather than quantity. We will fully support your research needs including practical help such as resources to attend conferences and to fund research activity, as well as a generous research leave policy and a designated mentor. Sitting alongside world class research; teaching quality and innovation is critical to ensure a first-class learning environment and curricula for all our students.

Durham University is also committed to ensuring outstanding teaching quality, stimulating learning environments, and innovative curricula for all our students. You will be supported to develop your teaching expertise and skills.

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

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:

• Pursue research that is world-leading in terms of originality, significance and rigour, commensurate with the Department's continuing emphasis on international excellence;
• Make a significant contribution to 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 and supervising research projects primarily at taught postgraduate level for the MSc Environmental Sustainability course. Contribute significantly to the development and delivery of high-quality teaching, including the design of excellent learning environments and curricula in two or equivalent of the following modules:- Environmental Sustainability, Sustainable Resource Management, Environmental Impact Assessment, Climate Change Management and Mitigation. Supervise MSc projects.
• Contribute to enhancing the quality of the research environment in the Department, the wider University and beyond. Contribute to establishing and leading research groups within and beyond the University, and mentor early career researchers.
• Attract and provide excellent supervision to research students and enhance the Department's commitment to its vibrant and international postgraduate culture.
• Contribute significantly to the administrative functioning and collegial environment of the Department and wider University, undertaking leadership activities which support the functioning of the Department and wider University.
• Champion and enhance the values of the Department.
• Carry out such other duties as specified by the Head of Department.

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 ...