Senior Lecturer/Reader in Racism & Health

Job description

Global Health & Social Medicine is a unique interdisciplinary department at King’s College London founded in 2012. Its mission is to address the changing landscape of health and medicine from social science perspectives.  

The Department invites applications for a Senior Lecturer/Reader in Racism and Health with a particular expertise in Qualitative Research.  We particularly seek applicants who engage in empirical research relevant to understanding lived experience of the impact of racism on health, either in the UK or in another geographic context. 

You should hold a PhD in any relevant social science (e.g., sociology, anthropology) or interdisciplinary field (e.g. science and technology studies; women’s, gender, sexuality studies). Areas of expertise include but are not limited to: Black British experiences in the UK health system; experiences of racism and health in another geographic context in Europe, Latin America, Australia, Africa, or elsewhere; patient and/or community health activism in a domain such as environmental justice, reproductive justice, disability rights, LGBTQ rights; Indigenous health; chronic disease; mental health; ageing and the life course. In addition to contributing to the department’s growing research profile on racism and health, you will be expected to be well-positioned to collaborate with one or more of the Department’s Research Groups: Bioscience & Society; Culture, Medicine & Power; Mental Health & Society; Ageing & Society; Reproduction.  You should have a track-record of research, publications, and external funding relative to career stage. We are seeking applicants with an outstanding track-record of social science research, publications and external funding relative to career stage, and who have the ability to demonstrate a clear leadership trajectory in research and teaching.  

You will be expected to make a major contribution to teaching on the Department’s undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes, both in your research specialism and in one or more of the department’s core teaching areas such as social medicine and/or qualitative research methods, and to provide academic leadership in teaching and student supervision at all levels.  You will have relevant teaching experience and excellent communication skills.  You must have a proven ability to initiate and lead research projects and a record of attracting research grant income.  Experience or familiarity with the academic environment in the UK is an advantage.  You will be expected to carry out administrative duties at senior level within the Department, and the School of Global Affairs.  A commitment to collegiality is essential, as is the ability and willingness to engage in constructive dialogue with researchers and practitioners in a variety of contexts, and with policy makers.  You will be responsible to the Head of Department of Global Health & Social Medicine. 

At King’s, we are deeply committed to embedding good equality and diversity practice into all of 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. 

If appointed at Reader level, you are expected to have an established international standing as demonstrated by important contributions to your subject advancement through publications, creative work or other appropriate forms of scholarship or performance, and through education.  

This post will be offered on a full-time, indefinite contract.

  Key responsibilities

• To take an active role in the planning, organisation and delivery of teaching activities 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 Global Health and Social Medicine teaching in the Department and the College 
• To assist with difficulties encountered by students, e.g. learning support/problems. 
• To undertake the supervision of postgraduate research, at Masters and PhD levels. 
• To lead and undertake and publish high-quality research, developing a portfolio of individual/joint research projects with high quality outputs in line with the Departmental, School and College research strategies and international research profile. 
• To take an active role in securing external funding for research activities to underpin the long-term growth of the activity, for example from the ESRC or ERC 
• To promote the aims of the next generation of academics by mentoring early career researchers and junior staff as required. 
• To develop the research activities of the department by leading and co-ordinating a broad research activity, centre or programme (Reader level) 
• To be PI or Co-I in external grants of continuous stream of funding that bring research posts to the Department (Reader level) 
• To carry out major external roles (e.g., within a professional association on advisory boards, within a research council, etc) (Reader level) 
• To engage in external academic activities in accordance with the Department, School and Faculty’s research strategy, and which will enhance its national/international research profile (Reader level) 
• To contribute to performance and development review processes as appropriate in accordance with the College’s strategy. 
• To engage in professional development as appropriate to update skills, and to support teaching excellence. 
• To accept senior academic responsibility within the Department and School of Global Affairs, involving efficient delivery of departmental administrative responsibilities as allocated by the Head of Department of School. 
• To demonstrate impact produced from own research, demonstrated by links with non-academic stakeholders and significant public engagement activity (Reader level) 
• To lead teams and develop productive working relationships with others (Reader level) 
• 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

1.       PhD in a relevant social science (e.g., sociology, anthropology) or interdisciplinary field (e.g. STS or WGSS) (Senior Lecturer & Reader)

2.       Evidence of successful external grant applications from major research funders (Senior Lecturer & Reader)

3.       Demonstrable ability to design and deliver teaching at undergraduate and/or postgraduate level (Senior Lecturer & Reader)

4.       Demonstrable commitment to and/or experience of working in a multi-disciplinary department (Senior Lecturer & Reader)

5.       Proven experience of impact leadership, demonstrated by links with non-academic stakeholders and significant public engagement activity (Senior Lecturer & Reader)

6.       Excellent interpersonal skills to develop and maintain good working relationships ( Senior Lecturer & Reader) 

7.       Ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences (Senior Lecturer & Reader) 

8.       Collegiality and demonstrable ability to work collaboratively as part of a team (Senior Lecturer & Reader) 

9.       A strong international research profile in social science research in any area of scholarship relevant for understanding the impact of racism on health, as evidenced by well-placed publications and social science scholarship of an international standard (Senior Lecturer & Reader). For Readers, publications should be significant in both quantity and quality, with demonstrable impact on the field. 

10 . Demonstrable capacity to undertake a major administrative role involving significant work and leadership (e.g. Chair of Exam Board, Deputy HoD role, major School- or Faculty-level role, etc) (Reader level)

Desirable criteria

1.       Proven experience of academic administration roles requiring some leadership (BA/BSc or MA/MSc Programme Director, Departmental Teaching Committee Lead, etc) (Senior Lecturer)

2.       Familiarity with the UK academic environment (Senior Lecturer)

3.       Evidence of engagement with appropriate research communities (Senior Lecturer & Reader)

4.       Higher Education Academy fellowship, other teaching qualification or equivalent teaching experience (Senior Lecturer & Reader)

5.       Evidence of successful supervision through to completion of PhD students (Senior Lecturer & Reader)

6.       Evidence of engagement with appropriate research communities (Reader) 

Further information

The selection process will include an online presentation to the wider department and a panel interview using Microsoft Teams.