Assistant Professor in International Political Economy

The School of Government and International Affairs (SGIA) at Durham University seeks to appoint three exceptional scholars as Assistant Professors with research and teaching expertise in International Political Economy. We welcome applications from candidates whose research engages with transformations in global capitalism and who can contribute to advancing innovative and/or critical approaches to the field.

While we welcome applications from across the breadth of International Political Economy, we are particularly interested in candidates whose research speaks to one or more of the following areas:
- The political economy of development and/or regions of the Global South
- Historical approaches to political economy
- Contemporary challenges facing global capitalism, including those relating to climate change, health, or technological transformation

This post offers an exciting opportunity to make a major contribution to the development of internationally excellent research and teaching while allowing unrivalled opportunities to progress and embed your career in an exciting and progressive institution.

The successful candidate will benefit from individual research support funding, access to SGIA and University-wide research funding and be entitled to apply for sabbatical leave on a basis of one term of leave in each seven terms of service. SGIA and Durham University provides high-quality administrative support to assist with applications for research funding, to facilitate research-based engagement and impact work with non-academic communities, and to enable the introduction and dissemination of new educational practice.

Assistant 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 excellent research in their area of interest with a focus on high quality outputs (including monographs and journal articles), rather than quantity.

Durham University offers a reduced probation period of 1 year for Assistant Professors and thereafter, subject to satisfactory performance, the position will be confirmed as permanent.

Key Responsibilities:
- Pursue research that is high quality in terms of originality, significance and rigour
- Develop clear plans for the pursuit of national and international funding opportunities to support research and end-user engagement
- Play a role in relevant teaching and research supervision, and contribute to ongoing curriculum development
- Contribute to enhancing the quality of the research environment in the Department, the wider University and beyond through collaborative research activity
- Demonstrate a willingness to contribute to the administrative work, citizenship and values of the Department
- Deliver lectures, seminars and tutorials at undergraduate and taught postgraduate levels, as well as engaging in related activity such as assessment
- Fully engage in and enhance the values of the Department
- Contribute to attracting and supervising research students, and to enhance the Department's commitment to its vibrant and inclusive postgraduate culture
- Carry out other duties as specified by the Head of Department

Essential Research Criteria:
- A good first degree and a PhD in International Political Economy, International Relations, development studies, or a related subject
- Evidence of research outputs in International Political Economy that have the potential to be recognised as world leading
- A maximum of two pages showing evidence of a clearly articulated 3–5 year research strategy, outlining planned publications, funding applications, collaborations, and impact activities

Essential Education Criteria:
- Evidence of the development and delivery of effective and engaging teaching
- Experience, skills and/or achievements that demonstrate contribution to new programme development and innovation in the design and delivery of high-quality teaching and assessment
- Evidence of strategic teaching development, or achievements that demonstrate the potential to engage in the design of excellent teaching programmes which are research informed and led

Essential Services, Citizenship and Values Criteria:
- Evidence of participation in the citizenship/administrative activities of an academic Department, Faculty or University
- Experience, skills and/or achievements that demonstrate engagement in activities that contribute to the administrative functioning of an academic Department, Faculty, University and/or discipline
- Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to engage with a range of students and colleagues across a variety of forums

Desirable Criteria:
- Hold or have the ability to attain the rank of Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (or equivalent)
- Experience of, or the potential to, contribute to the leadership of research groups and mentoring of early career researchers
- Involvement in the provision of excellent supervision for PhD students
- Evidence of or the potential to demonstrate the impact of research beyond the institution
- Evidence of engagement in the development of successful research projects and quality research grant proposals

About the Department:
Since its founding in 2004, the School of Government and International Affairs (SGIA) has developed into one of the UK's leading departments in Politics and International Relations. The School combines strong core disciplinary foundations with embedded regional expertise. SGIA is ranked among the top Politics departments in the UK by the Complete University Guide and is placed within the QS World University Rankings top 100 globally for Politics and International Studies. In REF 2021, over 80% of research was rated internationally excellent or world leading.

The successful candidate will join colleagues in the Critical Political Economy Group, which provides a stimulating and supportive environment for developing and refining research projects and outputs, networking with colleagues within and beyond Durham, and providing pump-priming financial support for research.