Assistant Professor/lecturer

Durham University; Redcar; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK university is seeking an Assistant Professor in Spectroscopy within the Department of Chemistry. The role involves establishing a research group and teaching core chemistry courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Ideally, candidates should have a PhD in Chemistry or a related field, proven experience in securing funding, and strong teaching abilities. This position presents a significant opportunity to contribute to high-quality research and education.

Qualifications

• PhD in Chemistry or a related field.
• Experience in securing external funding for research.
• Strong teaching capabilities at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain an externally funded research group in experimental spectroscopy.
• Teach core chemistry through various methods including lectures and lab classes.
• Engage in Departmental academic citizenship and contribute to teaching efforts.

Job description

Overview

Assistant Professor (Research & Education) Spectroscopy - Durham. The Department of Chemistry at Durham is one of the very best in the UK, with an outstanding reputation for excellence in research, teaching and employability of our students. We are an active and vibrant Department, with a strong cohort of early career academics and future leaders. Our undergraduate programmes are ranked fifth in the Complete University Guide 2026. At postgraduate level, our students come from all over the world to carry out research. Our research strategy is focussed around three interdisciplinary grand challenge themes: Chemistry for Health; Chemistry for Sustainability; and Chemistry for Change, and there is a strong culture of collaboration within the Department and with other Departments and Institutes within the University, including the Biophysical Sciences Institute, the Durham Energy Institute and the Institute for Data Science. We have strong links with many universities, research centres, and a long tradition of working closely with industry both in the North East region, across the UK and overseas. The Department benefits from excellent facilities, including mechanical, electrical and glass‑blowing workshops, as well as state‑of‑the‑art analytical capability.

Responsibilities

The Department of Chemistry at Durham University seeks to appoint a talented and motivated individual to the role of Assistant Professor in the broad field of experimental spectroscopy. The successful candidate will be expected to establish and successfully maintain an externally funded world‑class research group. They will be required to teach aspects of core chemistry through lectures, tutorials, workshops and laboratory classes and contribute fully to teaching across the Department at both undergraduate and postgraduate level, whilst also engaging in Departmental academic citizenship. This post offers an exciting opportunity to make a major contribution to the development of internationally excellent research and teaching.