Lecturer in Psychological Sciences (Teaching Focused)

Newcastle; Newcastle City Council; On-site; AUD 117,000 - 139,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

17% superannuation

Annual leave loading

Generous leave entitlements

Wellbeing and support programs

Career development opportunities

Job summary

The University of Newcastle invites applications for a Lecturer in Psychological Sciences (Teaching Focused) at Callaghan Campus. You will contribute to teaching, research, and engagement, delivering high-quality, student-centred education across undergraduate and masters programs.

You will lead and mentor students, HDR candidates, and academic colleagues, while developing innovative teaching practices and contributing to a vibrant academic community that enhances student success and retention.

Qualifications

• PhD in Psychology or closely related discipline.
• Experience designing and delivering high-quality, student-centred teaching at undergraduate and/or postgraduate levels with educational technologies and blended/online approaches.
• Proven ability to supervise honours and higher degree research projects and support student development.
• Evidence of developing an innovative and impactful research program, including scholarship of teaching and learning.

Responsibilities

• Deliver high-quality, research-led teaching across programs.
• Contribute to course and program development, coordination, and review.
• Mentor HDR candidates and supervise research projects.
• Support academic leadership, service, and industry engagement.

Skills

Teaching design

Student-centred teaching

Educational technologies

Leadership mentoring

Education

PhD in Psychology

Job description

Category:Academic Level B

Salary: $117,226 – $139,207 plus 17% superannuation plus annual leave loading

Position: Full-time, continuing

Location: Callaghan Campus

About the Role

As a Lecturer in Psychological Sciences (Teaching Focused), you will contribute to the strategic goals of the Discipline, School, and University through excellence in teaching, research, and engagement.

This teaching-focused academic role involves delivering high-quality, research-led teaching across undergraduate and postgraduate programs, contributing to course and program development, coordination and review, implementing innovative and evidence-based teaching practices, and supporting student success and retention. You will also provide leadership through mentoring students, HDR candidates, and academic colleagues, supervise honours and higher degree research students, contribute to collaborative research and scholarly outputs, and support academic leadership, service, and industry engagement across the Discipline, School, and broader University community.

Joining a collaborative and high-performing academic community, you will have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact through your teaching, research, and professional contributions while helping shape the future of psychological science education and enhance the student experience across a range of learning environments.

About You

You are an enthusiastic and student-focused academic with a commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and engagement. You bring the expertise, collegiality, and passion to contribute to a collaborative academic environment and enhance student learning outcomes.

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• A PhD in Psychology or a closely related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience in the design, development, and delivery of high-quality, student-centred teaching at undergraduate and/or postgraduate level, including the effective use of educational technologies and innovative face-to-face, online, and blended learning approaches.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively and collaboratively in a team environment.
• Demonstrated ability to supervise high-quality Honours, Master's, and/or PhD research projects and support student research development.
• Evidence of the ability to develop and articulate an innovative and impactful research program, including discipline-based and/or scholarship of teaching and learning research.

The successful candidate will contribute to teaching across a range of undergraduate and postgraduate offerings such as mental health, social psychology, organisational psychology, cross-cultural psychology, forensic psychology, research methodology, health psychology, and biological psychology.

For the full list of essential and desirable selection criteria, please review the Position Description.

If you’re ready to join a university that’s committed to equity and excellence, and to contribute to a community that values your expertise and vision, we encourage you to apply.

About Us

The Discipline of Psychological Sciences, within the School of Science, offers a comprehensive suite of APAC-accredited and specialist postgraduate programs spanning undergraduate, honours, professional, clinical and research training pathways. Supported by strong industry partnerships and research collaborations, the Discipline is home to a vibrant community of researchers, educators and students. Its research spans neuroscience, cognition, learning, developmental, clinical, health, social, personality, human factors and applied psychology, with staff and students benefiting from outstanding research infrastructure, including state-of-the-art EEG facilities, access to advanced brain imaging through the Hunter Medical Research Institute, specialised laboratories and high-performance computing resources.

Our University

The University of Newcastle stands as a global leader with a reputation for excellence in education and research. Ranking in the top 1% of global universities and among the top 40 for impact, our vision is to be a world-leading University for our regions and create a better future for our regions and the globe. Underpinned by this vision and our values of excellence, equity, engagement and sustainability,outlines the University’s commitment to delivering an exceptional student experience and serving our communities. Our Strategic Plan Looking Ahead 2030 outlines the University’s commitment to delivering an exceptional student experience and serving our communities.

We are proud to be one of the first two Universities in Australia to achieve SAGE Athena Swan Silver Accreditation for gender equity, diversity, and inclusion (GEDI).

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas and extend respect to Elders past and present. We are committed to strengthening Indigenous higher education and supporting Indigenous students and communities.

For more information click here.

What We Offer

The university offers a comprehensive and inclusive benefits package designed to support employee wellbeing, career development, and work-life balance for all staff, including:

• Flexible working arrangements
• 17% superannuation, access to salary packaging options and annual leave loading
• Generous leave entitlements
• Wellbeing and support programs that promote mental, physical, and emotional health
• Career development opportunities

For further information on our benefits and perks, please visit our website.

Our Assessment Process

Typically candidates that progress beyond the shortlist stage can expect to undertake the following (minimum) assessment activities as part of the recruitment process:

• Interview (an ‘in person’ interview will be conducted as part of the process)
• Referee checks
• Pre-employment checks as appropriate to the role

Our University is committed to creating a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for every member of our community. This commitment is central to our values and our efforts to build a diverse workforce where everyone can thrive.

As part of this, and in alignment with the National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence 2025, from 1 January 2026, the University will also consider gender-based violence risk factors as part of our recruitment processes.

The completion and return of the University’s Gender-based Violence Declaration Form will form part of the pre-employment checks for this position and any offer of employment will be conditional upon review by the University.

Our adherence to the Code is about more than compliance—it’s about living our values. Together, we can ensure our University remains a place where respect, safety, and inclusion are non-negotiable.

Reasonable Adjustments

If you require any adjustments to the recruitment process to support your application, please let us know. This information will help us understand how best to support you and ensure an equitable and inclusive recruitment process.

Please be assured that anything you share will be treated respectfully and appropriately. Our goal is to provide the best environment for every candidate to demonstrate their suitable skills and experience.

Please reach out to [e-mail] if you are experiencing any difficulties or would like to discuss reasonable adjustments.

Application close date: Sunday 27 September, 2026 at 11.59pm AEST

We are excited to be Looking Ahead with you!

The University of Newcastle is an equal opportunity employer committed to equity, diversity and social inclusion. Women and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates are particularly encouraged to apply.

The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Birpai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.