Assistant Professor in Finance (FIN_01)

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 Durham? information page.

Durham University Business School

Dynamic and vibrant, Durham University Business School is one of Durham University's four Faculties and is comprised of four research-intensive departments: Accounting, Economics, Finance, and Management and Marketing. Known for its global reputation, its impact on policy and practice and its strong focus on ethics, responsibility and sustainability, the school aims to be a leading European business school with a strong global presence by 2027. The school currently has circa 200 academic and teaching staff, with plans and resource commitments to grow to 230 by 2027. In addition, 13 funded research centres blend leading theoretical perspectives with a strong emphasis on impact and engagement with practice, noted in www.durham.ac.uk/business. (https://www.dur.ac.uk/business/research/research-centres/)

The school's student population is around 4000, across undergraduate, postgraduate and research programmes; attracting a talented and diverse student intake (with over 130 nationalities).

Our vision is to lead business thought and practice to improve global wealth and well-being. Our associated mission is to create, share and use knowledge to deliver equitable and sustainable futures around the world. We pursue this mission by advancing world changing knowledge and securing global impact through increasingly collaborative research across disciplines and around the world.

The Department of Finance

The Department of Finance at Durham University seeks to appoint a talented individual to the role of Assistant Professor. We welcome applications from those with research and teaching interests in the broad field of Finance.

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

Our department is part of the triple-accredited Business School, home to academics whose research is internationally renowned for intellectual rigour and for the benefits it brings to society. You will be working with colleagues in our research centres of excellence specialised in areas such as Banking, Institutions and Development, Ethical Finance, Accountability and Governance, Quantitative Research in Finance and Economics, or Environmental and Energy Economics and have the opportunity to teach and supervise our excellent undergraduate and postgraduate students and doctoral researchers. We work closely with business partners around the world, sharing insights, supporting innovation, and educating tomorrow's leaders. More details about our research, teaching, and business connections can be found on our website; https://www.durham.ac.uk/business/about/departments/finance/

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 Finance 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 at undergraduate and taught postgraduate levels, with the opportunity to teach more widely within the Department, 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 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 as well as equality, diversity and inclusion.
• 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 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 volume and recency of your research outputs and other activities, such as maternity, adoption or parental leave, you may wish to disclose this in your application. The selection committee will take this into account when evaluating your application.

The University has been awarded the Disability Confident Employer 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.
Person Specification

Candidates must outline their experience, skills and achievements to date which demonstrate that they meet or that they have the potential to achieve the essential criteria. You'll help us deliver outstanding teaching throughout the year and develop pedagogical innovations alongside a team of truly world class colleagues. Please note the role will include pedagogical duties that may extend into the summer period.

Essential Education Criteria

Qualifications - a good first degree and a PhD (or close to completion at the time of application) inFinanceor a related subject, or equivalent demonstrable practitioner experience and skills, which may include appropriate certification and/or membership of a relevant professional body.

Quality - evidence of the development and delivery of effective and engaging teaching. (Candidates may choose to provide student evaluation scores and/or peer reviews of teaching).

Innovation - experience, skills and/or achievements that demonstrate a contribution to new programme development. Evidence of innovation in the design and delivery of high quality teaching and assessment of learning, including lectures, small group learning, and/or using technology or other techniques to enhance learning and/or assessment.

Strategic - 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.

Scholarship and Educational Impact

Candidates will have the ability to engage in scholarly activity which contributes to pedagogical practice and understanding within the department, faculty, and University.

Essential Scholarship and Educational Criteria

Candidates will be expected to demonstrate engagement in scholarly activity in ways that positively impact on pedagogical practice and education within the department (and beyond), or activities that support the development of a professional practice and/or discipline.

Candidates must be able to evidence work undertaken in preparation for teaching and for keeping abreast of developments in the subject area.

The format will depend on the discipline and the candidate's career to date, but evidence of scholarship and educational impact may include some of the following (or similar) activities:

active membership and engagement with a professional body;

internal awards (e.g. Collaborative Innovation Grant) to support educational innovation and scholarly activity;

demonstrable innovation in educational practice, such as contribution to the enhancement of student learning via pedagogic innovation and change (e.g. online learning, research-led teaching, employer engagement, curriculum and course development, student guidance);

publication in a scholarly journal or relevant professional publication;

attending and presenting internal and/or external seminars or at a regional conference; and/or,

materials/curriculum development for wider use in a department or beyond.

Service, Citizenship and Values

Active engagement in administrative and citizenship requirements and to fostering a respectful environment, including a demonstrable commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Essential Services, Citizenship and Values criteria

Citizenship contribution - evidence of participation in the citizenship/administrative activities of an academic Department, Faculty or University. (Candidates may choose to evidence departmental or University roles, mentoring activity, pastoral and academic support of students, engagement with widening participation, involvement in equality and diversity initiatives and membership or engagement with external bodies).

Communication - candidates must have 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

The desirable criteria for this post (for which candidates should provide evidence of some if not all criteria) are:

Qualification -- candidates to hold or have the ability to attain the rank of Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/individuals/fellowship/fellow), which is the national body that champions teaching excellence (or Equivalent).

Leadership - candidates may choose to detail any prior relevant leadership roles which they have undertaken. Potential examples may include leading an internal working group; module development and convening; effective administration relating to educational delivery or professional practice; or promoting and leading change processes in a department e.g. in curriculum development.

Demonstrated ability to teach Islamic Finance in areas such as: Islamic Banking, Risk Management in Islamic Finance, Islamic Law and Financial Transactions, Islamic Capital Markets, Corporate Finance, and Asset Pricing.

Contact Information

Department contact for academic-related enquiries

Professor Julian Williams Professor in Finance Head of Department Finance Julian.williams@durham.ac.uk and Professor Felix Irresberger Professor in Finance Felix.Irresberger@durham.ac.uk

Contact information for technical difficulties when submitting your application

If you encounter technical difficulties when using the online application form, we prefer you send enquiries by email. Please send your name along with a brief description of the problem you're experiencing to e.recruitment@durham.ac.uk

Alternatively, you may call 0191 334 6801 from the UK, or +44 191 334 6801 from outside the UK. This number operates during the hours of 09.00 and 17.00 Monday to Friday, UK time. We will normally respond within one working day (Monday to Friday, excluding UK public holidays).

How to Apply

We prefer to receive applications online.

Please note that in submitting your application, we will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement https://www.dur.ac.uk/ig/dp/privacy/pnjobapplicants/ which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.

What to Submit

All applicants are asked to submit:

• A CV
• A covering letter which details your experience, strengths and potential in the requirements set out above
• An EDI & values statement (of no more than 500 words) which outlines work which you have been involved in which demonstrates your commitment to EDI and our values. I.e. Involvement in equality, diversity, and inclusion activities such as mentoring, volunteering, or attending conferences.
  
• Two of your most significant pieces of written work. Where possible your written work should have been published or submitted since 2014
• Teaching scores or feedback is desirable

Where possible we request that you provide accessible web links to your publications, which the hiring Department will use to access your work. The application form contains fields in which to enter each of the web links.

Please note we are unable to access publications behind a paywall.

In the event you are unable to provide accessible links to online hosting of your work, publications should be uploaded as PDFs as part of your application in our recruitment system.

Please ensure that your PDFs are not larger than 5mb. Your work may be read by colleagues from across the Department and evaluated against the current REF criteria.

All application documents should be uploaded with your name and document type as PDF files.

We will notify you on the status of your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to ensure you receive all emails.

Referees

You should provide details of 3 academic referees and the details of your current line manager so that we may seek an employment reference if they are not listed as an academic referee). Please note:

• We shall seek the academic references during the application process. Academic referees should not (if possible) include your PhD supervisor(s) and a majority should be from a university other than your own (save for early career applicants applying for their first post). We would ask that you alert your academic referees to this application as soon as possible and provide them with a copy of the CV you submit with your application, so that we can quickly obtain references should you be progressed to the interview stage. As part of your application, you will be asked whether you give your consent to your academic references being sought should you be invited to attend interview.
• Academic references sought for short-listed candidates may be made available to the panel during the interview process.
• We will seek a reference from your current line-manager if we make you an offer of employment (albeit you may have also nominated your line manager as an academic referee). Please clearly indicate which referee is your current line-manager and please let us know if we should only approach them once an offer has been made.

Next Steps

All applications will be considered; our usual practice is for colleagues across the Department to read the submitted work of long-listed candidates.

Short-listed candidates will be invited to the University, and will have the opportunity to meet key members of the Department. The assessment for the post will normally include a presentation to staff and students in the Department followed by an interview.

In the event that you are unable to attend in person on the date offered, it may not be possible to offer you an interview on an alternative date.

Applicant Guidance

For further guidance on your application please see HERE