Lecturer in Criminology

Position Details

• School of Social Policy
• Full time starting salary is normally in the range £41,526 to £49,553. With potential progression once in post to £55,750 a year.
• Grade 8
• Full time and permanent
• Interview Date: 24th June 2021

The School of Social Policy

The School of Social Policy is a diverse community of scholars whose work coalesces around its mission to understand the world and also to change it. We pursue this mission via our research, teaching and engagement and impact activities. We deliver a suite of undergraduate, postgraduate and executive education programmes to a diverse student population. We undertake research to make a difference, collaborating with our research partners from private, public and third sectors. We are recognised as a leading centre of expertise in Social Policy ranking in the top 50 QS World University rankings.

The School comprises three Departments: the Health Services Management Centre, which is one of the UK's foremost centres for research, evaluation, teaching and professional development for health and social care organisations; the Department of Social Policy, Sociology and Criminology, which is delivering an innovative set of new academic programmes and research initiatives; and, the Department of Social Work and Social Care, which delivers the UK's longest-running social work course, dating back to 1908; and. Our social work programme is currently ranked 4th in the Complete University Guide, and we are the only Russell Group University in the country to be delivering a regional 'Step Up to Social Work' programme alongside our existing BA/MA programmes and our post-qualifying CPD. Our well-regarded undergraduate social policy programmes include one of the largest single honours programmes in the Russell Group, currently ranked 3rd in the Complete University Guide, as well as a new and expanding Criminology programme and an exciting cross-College programme in Policy, Politics and Economics. In 2020, we launched a new suite of postgraduate taught programmes including MAs in Global Public Policy and in Sociology, as we aim to grow our PGT student numbers and diversify our cohorts. In partnership with the University of Manchester, we deliver the NHS Leadership Academy's award-winning Elizabeth Garrett Anderson programme.

The School has an excellent research base underpinned by substantial grant capture, with an annual research income of circa £3 million, with nearly all academic staff contributing. Our current research coalesces around five broad themes: i) health and social care; ii) inequality, poverty and wealth; iii) superdiversity and migration; iv) civil society and volunteering; and v) crime, social harm and social justice. These themes link with our departmental and research centre structure. We have three research centres in the School: Centre on Household Assets and Savings Management (CHASM), led jointly with Birmingham Business School, The Institute for Research into Superdiversity (IRIS), the Third Sector Research Centre (TSRC). We have also been instrumental in the development of the Institute for Mental Health (IMH), a University of Birmingham funded cross-disciplinary initiative with the College of Life and Environmental Sciences, which works closely with the NHS, government, the third sector, patients and publics with a specific focus on mental health of children and young people. The School also leads two major NIHR-funded centres - the BRACE Rapid Evaluation Centre, which focuses on conducting rapid evaluations of promising new services and innovations in healthcare; and the School for Social Care, a partnership between seven universities, supporting internationally leading research in social care to improve the wellbeing of people needing care and support.

The School is at an exciting point in its history, being well placed to build on its successes to-date and looking to address the many urgent problems facing post-pandemic society. Under a new Head of School, we are developing new ways of working to capitalise on the many synergies across the School. Our strategy is to strengthen further our areas of established expertise including health and social care policy and practice and economic, social and health inequalities, which have become even more relevant in the post-Covid world. At the same time, we are building critical mass in emerging areas, including criminology, mental health, quantitative methods and technologies. We already collaborate with colleagues in other disciplines, particularly in medicine and health, to tackle global challenges and we plan to expand our leadership and involvement in larger multi- and inter-disciplinary projects, particularly with STEM disciplines. We also have a strong internationalisation agenda, in terms of teaching, research, impact and engagement so that we become a global School. Engagement and impact is deeply ingrained in the culture of the School, and we are expanding our strategic partnerships locally, nationally and internationally to ensure that we continue to make a difference.

Summary of Role

To strengthen further our teaching and research portfolio, the Department of Social Policy, Sociology and Criminology is seeking to appoint a Lecturer to play an active role in the development and delivery of Criminology teaching and research. The post holder will join an established team of Criminologists in the Department, and in the wider University, to build upon our expertise in criminology, contribute to our research, engagement and impact and to teach across our criminology programmes (single and joint honours) and modules at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. We welcome applications from a broad range of disciplines including, by not limited to, criminology/criminal justice, social policy, law, sociology and psychology. We particularly welcome applications from individuals with interests in women, crime and criminology.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Research

To plan and carry out research in criminology. This may include, where appropriate to the discipline:

• Pursue personal research including developing research ideas and winning support, including financial support
• Plan, publish and/or execute high-quality research
• Project manage research activities, and/or supervise other research staff
• Present findings in high-quality publications and conference proceedings
• Develop novel methodologies and techniques appropriate to the type of research being pursued
• Supervise and examine PGRs students, both within the institution and externally
• Provide expert advice to staff and students within the discipline
• Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding
• Develop and make substantial contributions to knowledge transfer, and enterprise (including business engagement, public engagement) and similar activity that is of manifest benefit to the College and the University

Learning and Teaching

To use a variety of methods in teaching and advising individuals and groups of undergraduates, postgraduates, or CPD students. Where appropriate to the discipline this may include:

• Teach and examine courses at a range of levels in Criminology
• Plan and review own teaching approaches and act as a mentor to encourage others to do the same
• Develop programme proposals and make substantial contributions to the design of teaching programmes more widely in the Department or School, as appropriate
• Where appropriate, undertake and develop the full range of responsibilities in relation to supervision, marking and examining (including summative assessment, assessed work, contributing to the final award - as a mark or as credit - such as unseen examinations, essays, dissertations or presentations.
• Use appropriate approaches to learning and teaching in the field of quantitative methodologies,
• Disseminate appropriate practices through suitable media
• Develop and advise others on learning and teaching tasks and methods
• Develop and make substantial contributions to knowledge transfer, enterprise, business engagement, public engagement activities or similar on own specialism that enhances the student experience or employability and is of manifest benefit to the College and University
• Devise and supervise projects, student dissertations and practical work

Management/Administration

To contribute to Departmental/School administration or have a high level of responsibility for others. This may include:

• Contribute to the administration/management of research and/or teaching across the Department/School
• Lead and manage a team to devise and implement a new and/or revised process (e.g. new programme or a recruitment drive)
• Advise on personal development of colleagues and students
• Make a major contribution to some administrative activities within the University (e.g. appeals panels, working groups)
• Manage enterprise, business development, and public engagement activities of manifest benefit to the College and University
• Develop and make substantial contributions to knowledge transfer, enterprise, business engagement, public engagement, widening participation, schools outreach
• Actively manages equality, diversity and inclusion through monitoring and evaluation and actively challenging unacceptable behaviour

Person Specification

• A higher degree in a relevant social science discipline (usually PhD) or equivalent qualifications
• Developing research/teaching experience and scholarship within subject specialism
• Proven ability to devise, advise on and manage learning/ research
• Skills in managing, motivating and mentoring others successfully at all levels

Research

• Experience and achievement reflected in a growing reputation
• Extensive experience and demonstrated success in planning, undertaking and project managing research to deliver high quality results
• Extensive experience of applying and/or developing and devising successful models, techniques and methods
• Experience and achievement in knowledge transfer, enterprise and similar activity

Teaching

• Ability to design, deliver, assess and revise teaching programmes
• Extensive experience and demonstrated success in developing appropriate approaches to learning and teaching, and advising colleagues
• Experience and success in knowledge transfer, enterprise and similar activity that enhances the student experience or employability

Management Administration

• Ability to contribute to School/Departmental management processes
• Ability to assess and organise resources effectively
• Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes
• Experience of championing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in own work area
• Ability to monitor and evaluate the extent to which equality and diversity legislation, policies, procedures are applied
• Ability to identify issues with the potential to impact on protected groups and take appropriate action

Informal enquiries can be made to Dr Mark Monaghan, Head of Department, ( M.Monaghan@bham.ac.uk )

Valuing excellence, sustaining investment

We value diversity at the University of Birmingham and welcome applications from all sections of the community'