Postgraduate Teaching Assistant

Salary: £29,605 to £30,487 with progression to £32,982 per annum, pro rata

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 22 May 2024

The Role

We are delighted to open applications for our School of Mathematics, Statistics, and Physics 2024 Postgraduate Teaching Assistant campaign. This role will open the door to enthusiastic and inspiring individuals who are passionate about an academic career with us. This opportunity brings together experience of teaching in a School which was rated in the top 50 in the UK in the Times Good University Guide 2024, whilst working towards a PhD in one of the top 25 UK units for research in mathematical sciences. 

Our research directly inspires our teaching in postgraduate degrees and undergraduate programmes which deliver exceptionally strong outcomes for our students, with 81% of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics graduates in graduate level employment or further study within 15 months of graduation.

We are a lively, friendly community with research, innovation, and teaching strengths across the spectrum of mathematics, statistics, and physics. These include Quantum Theory and Technologies, Astro and Geo fluids, Applied and Methodological Statistics, Emerging Technologies and Materials, Cosmology, Mathematics of Life and Environmental Science, Pure Mathematics, and Pedagogy and Practice.
 
The School is located in the Herschel Building on the main university campus, directly in the centre of Newcastle, and benefits from the proximity of the vibrant city centre with excellent amenities and good transport links.
 
This opportunity offers the unique opportunity to undertake PhD studies under the supervision of an academic colleague in the school whilst also gaining teaching experience in a research-intensive school. We welcome applications for doctoral study across the full range of research specialisms in the school.

As a Postgraduate Teaching Assistant, you will carry out teaching activity within our Mathematics, Statistics and Physics degrees and potentially provide support for CPD (continuing professional development), with guidance and support. You will be delivering teaching activities as well as marking coursework and exams, providing timely and effective feedback to students, with a focus on providing a high-quality learning and teaching experience. There may also be an opportunity to work with NU Solve, our bespoke business engagement unit, and contribute to online and in-person development and delivery of teaching in data science and statistics for industrial clients, with a particular focus on the health sector, as part of NU Solve's strategic activities delivering skills training.
You will be supported to develop your own professional practice.

We encourage applications from candidates from outside of the UK and can provide an interest-free loan scheme to support you with your UK visa-related costs. You will be eligible to make an application for this loan once you commence employment.

This role is offered on a fixed term basis for a period of 5 years alongside your Postgraduate Research studies. The guaranteed contracted hours of employment will be 14.8 hours per week.  To support you with your studies, you will be paid a stipend of £5,689 per annum as well as your annual salary of £12,933.

If you are interested in this opportunity, we would like to invite you to our information event to be held online on 1st May. Should you wish to register, please email maths.physics.ops@ncl.ac.uk. This event will give you the opportunity to hear more about us and ask any questions. For informal enquiries about the role please contact david.kimsey@ncl.ac.uk. 

How to apply?

Your first step is to contact a potential supervisor at Newcastle University who can support your research proposal prior to your application. You can find a supervisor by clicking here, by attending our online event or by contacting the Director of Postgraduate Studies at david.kimsey@ncl.ac.uk. If you need any support getting in touch with a potential supervisor, please let us know at maths.physics.ops@ncl.ac.uk.

Once you have done this, please apply for the role online and upload the following documents in the letter of application field:

·    A CV showing your work and education to date.
·    a teaching statement describing your teaching experience and how you can apply this experience in the School of Mathematics, Statistics, and Physics (Maximum 1 page of A4)
·    a research statement describing the research project that you will complete and its anticipated impact (Maximum 1 page of A4)
·    a letter of support from your potential supervisor in the School of Mathematics, Statistics, and Physics.

You will also need to apply for the appropriate Combined PhD degree programme in Mathematics or in Physics, depending on your background, and we will let you know how to do this if you are selected at the shortlisting stage. Please note that the PhD degree programme in Mathematics also covers Statistics. Your student fee for this will be waived.

What happens next?

If your application is selected at the shortlisting stage, we will be inviting you to deliver a teaching presentation on 10th June, ahead of the interviews to be held on 13th June. 

As a Postgraduate Teaching Assistant (PGTA), you will be mainly expected to provide high-quality teaching and learning support on well-established mathematics, statistics, and physics programmes. Teaching and teaching-related activities will be clearly defined by a more senior academic colleague. 

This role is fixed term for five years and will be carried out in conjunction with a part-time PhD. As a part of this PhD, you are expected to contribute to the research of the School of Mathematics, Statistics, and Physics by conducting a high-quality and relevant PhD project. We also expect you to offer a positive contribution to the research culture and environment of the School.
 
Key Accountabilities 
•    Deliver a high-quality teaching and learning experience to the students
•    Provide support to colleagues engaged in the teaching process
•    Carry out teaching within a clear and established programme, with guidance, assistance and support. This involves communicating information and ideas to students and supporting their learning. Also managing own teaching activities, with guidance. 
•    Mark assignments to agreed criteria
•    Contribute to the design of assessments, as appropriate
•    Attend and contribute to relevant meetings and teaching-related activities
•    Reflect on practice and the development of own teaching and learning skills
•    Continue to update knowledge and develop skills to inform and support teaching, integrating own scholarship or professional activities where appropriate

 
The Person 

Knowledge, Skills and Experience  
•    Possess sufficient breadth of depth of specialist knowledge in Mathematics, Statistics, or Physics and be developing further skills and knowledge of teaching and learning methods and techniques
•    Ability to mark assignments to agreed criteria, and provide feedback, aligned with our existing policies
•    Ability to assist in the supervision of student projects on a range of Mathematics, Statistics, and Physics topics
Desirable
•    Experience in development and delivery of a range of high-quality teaching and learning activities and resources
 
Attributes and Behaviour 
•    Ability to communicate effectively to support student learning
•    Excellent organisational, time management and presentation skills 
•    Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and ethics, responsibility, and sustainability 
•    Flexibility and adaptability to meet workload requirements
 
Qualifications
•    You must have, or expect to achieve, a good honours degree (or equivalent) in Mathematics, Statistics, or Physics or a closely related subject
•    Possess a good standard of English, equivalent to a minimum of IELTS 6.5 
Desirable
•    MSc or MRes or equivalent 
•    An appropriate teaching qualification such as the ILTHE 

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.  As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.  We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.  We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe. 

Requisition ID: 26970