Job description

The Department of International Development is seeking an outstanding early to mid-career social scientist (economist or a related field) whose research is relevant to development in middle-income countries or emerging economies. The primary focus of the post is to teach modules on and around transnational corporations, global commodity/value/supply chains, different modalities of foreign investment and capital flows, global (ised) production and related topics, as well as their implications for labour, technology, trade, finance and international relations, broadly understood, and from the perspective of dynamic emerging economies in the Global South.

The successful candidate will join an interdisciplinary team currently working on a wide range of topics including political economy, inequality and poverty, gender rights, natural resources, international trade, migration, health policy, and other pressing issues facing emerging economies today.

The Department of International Development (DID) began life in 2012 as the International Development Institute at King’s, growing to become a fully-fledged department in 2016, It currently has 22 academic staff, and approaching 400 students. International development at King's has a different agenda to ‘traditional’ development studies. In keeping with its origins as a King’s Global Institute, DID specifically focuses on the middle-income developing countries or the rapidly changing ‘emerging economies’ where foreign aid is largely irrelevant. Research at the Department seeks to explore critical perspectives on economic growth, modernisation and ‘progress’ and to do so by exploring context-specific economic, social and political change in these countries rather than applying prescriptive models of development.

Research expertise in the Department spans political science, sociology, social anthropology, development economics, history, geography and includes subject areas such as political economy and gender studies. The department’s research and its international collaborations are organised around a set of thematic research groups which together contribute to an understanding of how societies move towards more inclusive modes of economic, social and political development, and what holds this back. We currently have strong regional expertise and collaborations in Latin America, Northeast and Southeast Asia, and in India.  Applications are welcome from scholars with expertise that can strengthen these further, or from those who have expertise in emerging economies in Africa. At King’s, we are deeply committed to equality of opportunity and the recognition and promotion of diversity and inclusion in all our activities so that the university is an inclusive, welcoming and inspiring place to work and study, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion, sex or sexual orientation. King’s offers inclusive benefits to staff including flexible working, Enhanced Parental Leave, funds for Parents and Carers and the potential to join community staff networks.

This post will be offered on an indefinite contract

This is a full-time post - 100% full time equivalent

Key responsibilities

•       To take a role in the planning, organisation and delivery of teaching activities (both on-campus and online) within the Department in accordance with established practice.

•       To participate fully in assessment and examination processes as appropriate using a variety of methods and techniques and provide effective, timely and appropriate feedback to students to support their learning.

•       To contribute to the ongoing development and design of International Development teaching in the Department of International Development.

•       To assist with difficulties encountered by students, e.g. learning support/problems.

•       To undertake the supervision of postgraduate research, at Master’s and PhD levels.

•       To undertake and publish high-quality research consistent with the Department’s research strategy.

•       To take an active role in seeking funding for research activities and projects, for example from the AHRC, ESRC or ERC.

•       To engage in professional development as appropriate to update skills, and to support teaching excellence.

•       To accept academic responsibility within the Department, involving departmental administrative responsibilities where appropriate.

•       To undertake any other reasonable duties that may be requested by the Head of Department.

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

Skills, knowledge, and experience

Essential criteria:

•       PhD in a social science

•       Demonstrable expertise in a social science applied to middle-income countries or emerging economies

•       Ability to teach modules on and around transnational corporations, global commodity/value/supply chains, different modalities of foreign investment and international flows of capital, global(ised) production and related topics, as well as contribute to teaching in at least one of the following areas:

•       Development economics.

•       Development finance.

•       International business.

•       Sustainable development.

•       Research methods.

•       Evidence through publications of an ability to produce work in their specialist field at an international standard; for example, PhD published or in press as a monograph AND at least 2  research papers published (including 1 in peer-reviewed journal); OR at least 5 research papers published (at least three in peer-reviewed journals)

•       Demonstrable ability to design and deliver teaching effectively at undergraduate and/or postgraduate level

•       Demonstrable ability to work collaboratively

•       Demonstrable commitment to and/or experience of working in multi-disciplinary research and teaching

•       Excellent interpersonal skills to develop and maintain good working relationships

•       Ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences

•       Ability to use own initiative

•       Collegiality and willingness to work as part of a team

Desirable criteria:

•       Higher Education Academy accreditation or equivalent teaching qualification

•       Evidence of acquiring competitive research grants, or evidence of potential to attract research funding

•       Evidence of engagement with appropriate research communities

•       Proven experience of academic leadership appropriate to career level

•       Proven experience of collaborating with and influencing research users

•       Proven experience of writing research proposals to external funding organisations

•       Demonstrable leadership qualities