University Assistant/ Associate Professor

We welcome excellent candidates who can teach and perform research in Plant Ecology and will complement our expertise in forest ecology, conservation, and evolution. In particular, we are interested in applications from those with a focus on fieldwork, collection-based approaches, or big data analysis in areas such as community ecology, plant and microbial responses to climate change, forestry, and the global restoration and conservation agendas.

The appointee will join the Department of Plant Sciences, which delivers teaching and research that stretches across the plant sciences discipline - from ecology and conservation, to physiology, genetics and genomics. There will be the opportunity to be affiliated with the Cambridge Conservation Research Institute, a world-leading centre for research and training in biodiversity conservation, working in partnership with ten international conservation organisations.

Key responsibilities include teaching undergraduates, conducting world-leading research, and advising postgraduate students and post-doctoral workers. There is the opportunity to become a Fellow of a College. Undergraduate teaching includes lectures, practical classes, and small-group supervisions. The teaching commitment also includes an annual field course (either in England, Portugal or Borneo). Postgraduate training options include contribution to MPhil and PhD programmes. Innovations in teaching methods are actively encouraged, as are engagement with mentoring and professional development.

We will support the successful candidate to develop a research programme that complements and reinforces existing Departmental research strengths. There are shared laboratory facilities for a variety of environmental analyses both within the Department and in collaboration with other Departments.

Candidates must have a PhD in a relevant field and sufficient breadth and/or depth of specialist knowledge in their chosen discipline to be able to teach to a high standard. They should also have evidence of excellence in research and demonstrated capacity to develop research objectives, projects and proposals. Appointments at the level of Associate Professor will usually be able to provide evidence of success in obtaining research funding to support research or career development.

Applications should comprise a letter of application (summarise how you would contribute to both teaching and research in the Department), your curriculum vitae (including up-to-date publications list, and for three outputs a concise narrative outlining the context for each piece of work, your contribution to the output, and the importance of the findings), and a statement of your current and future research plans (no more than five pages in length).

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

Appointment will be either at Grade 9 (£45,585-£57,696) or Grade 10 (£61,198- £64,914), depending on skills and experience.