Assistant Professor - Digital Media

Purpose

1. To undertake teaching, assessment and curriculum development, supporting the School’s activities, with a particular focus on connected (mobile interactive, participatory) and digital media, both creative practice/production and analysis.

2. If appointed as course director, to develop and oversee the course within the ethos of the School of Media and Performing Arts, a way that maintains a commitment to the pastoral care,
sensitivity and active engagement with student welfare and collaboration with staff/student projects.

3. To undertake academic administration and course level management within the School.

4. To engage actively in applied research, scholarship and income generation (to contribute to REF or successor evaluations), in the field of the theory and creative practice of Digital Media.

 Main Duties and Responsibilities

1. To take responsibility for the development and delivery of learning, teaching and assessment.
This can include substantial responsibility for the design, enhancement and organisation of
teaching and learning, for curriculum development, or for the student experience more broadly
e.g. as year tutor or course tutor.

2. To demonstrate innovative approaches to teaching and support for students through the use of
a wide range of learning resources and appropriate pedagogic practice.

3. To ensure that the teaching for which you are responsible is informed by contemporary
research and practice in the relevant field and develops the ability of students to engage in
debate, critical discourse, rational thinking and media practice.

4. To ensure that students have an effective learning experience by providing high quality academic guidance and advice and by enhancing their employability.

5. To reflect critically on the teaching for which you are responsible, implementing improvements,
disseminating good practice effectively to others, contributing to quality monitoring and enhancement and to professional accreditation processes as appropriate.

6. To undertake applied research through, as appropriate:

• Contributing actively to applied research groups or communities of practice
  internally and/or externally
• Making a substantial contribution to bids and tenders for external projects or contracts
• Making a substantial contribution to delivery of externally-funded projects or contracts
• Disseminating research outputs using a range of media. For example:
  academic publications, external reports, conference presentations, short
  courses for knowledge transfer, exhibitions, performances
• Developing external networks nationally and/or internationally
•  Supervising research students

7. To undertake work with a range of external partners and professional bodies/agencies in the
UK and overseas.

8. To contribute to the promotion and external profile of the University and adopt a
customer/client-focused approach where appropriate.

9. To work effectively as a team member, chairing committees and working groups, and where
appropriate supervising or mentoring other members of staff.

10. To undertake professional development in support of teaching and applied research, and if
appropriate in support of student welfare and curriculum management.

AND such other duties as are within the scope of the spirit of the job purpose, the title of the post and it's grading.

Supervision Received
School Head
Associate Heads
Programme leaders / Directors of Applied Research Centres and Institutes as appropriate
Deans and Associate Deans of Faculty

 Supervision Given
Graduate Teaching Assistants, Assistant lecturers, Instructors, Lecturers and Research
Associates as appropriate.

Education/ Qualifications

ESSENTIAL

PhD in an appropriate subject

Or (if from Professional practice
background) a good Honours
Degree (and/or Masters degree)
and appropriate professional
qualifications and/or membership
and/or equivalent professional
qualifications that might be
considered as equivalent to a PhD

ADVANTAGEOUS

Active membership or fellowship
of a professional body

Recognised teaching
qualification

HEA Accreditation

Teaching Experience

ESSENTIAL

Recent teaching experience at
higher education level with
evidence of successful student
learning outcomes

Evidence of good/innovative
pedagogic practice

Or (If from Professional practice
background) evidence of high
quality presentation skills, and
evidence of coaching, or mentoring
and teaching other professionals

Willingness to undertake a
teaching qualification (if not
already qualified)

ADVANTAGEOUS

Evidence of contribution to the
wider student experience e.g. in
recruitment/retention initiatives,
in employability/ enterprise
initiatives, student welfare

Research

ESSENTIAL

A growing research profile in Digital Media.

Active researcher supported by
evidence of publications or other
appropriate output

Evidence of contribution to
research group or network or
community of practice

Or (If from Professional practice
background) 

ADVANTAGEOUS

Experience of partnership
working with external
organisations

Evidence of securing and/or
delivering externally funded
projects or contracts

Recent, relevant, business
experience

Job-related skills and
capabilities

ESSENTIAL

Areas of expertise must include at
least two of the following;:

• Web-based media design and
creative practice (Dreamweaver,
Flash, CSS)

• Reactive sensor –based media
(e.g. Max/MSP)

• Digital moving Image / sound
production

• Data, analytics, systems

• SEO, social media and networks

• Critical digital media theory

Ability to work independently, to
take the initiative, and to innovate

Ability to identify and secure
opportunities for development of
the School/university

Commitment to delivering high
quality services to students and
external clients

Good organisational and
management skills

Suitable level of proficiency in ICT
and understanding of its
application to teaching, learning
and applied research

Ability to demonstrate adherence
to regulations regarding ethics,
governance, social responsibility,
legal requirements, IPR, copyright,
attribution and co-authorship and
appropriate practice

Ability to support the development
and delivery of professional
learning and development
programmes and contribute to
other commercial activity
associated with teaching,

Ability to develop and maintain
successful external and internal
networks to seed relationships for
future business collaborations,

Ability to contribute to the
development and delivery of
transnational education
partnerships and international
commercial projects

A demonstrable appreciation of
other cultures; the global reach of
the University and its International
agenda

ADVANTAGEOUS

Experience of process and
systems improvement

Evidence of disseminating own
‘good practice’ effectively to
others and of taking up ‘good
practice’ from other sources into
own work

Interpersonal Skills

ESSENTIAL

Effective oral and written communication skills in both
individual and group situations

Ability to lead, and work as a
member of, a team or group

Ability to relate to students with
diverse backgrounds, ages and
experience

Ability to relate to a range of
external clients and partners of the
university from the
private/public/voluntary sectors

ADVANTAGEOUS

Experience of mentoring or supporting more junior or less
experienced colleagues

Other Requirements

ESSENTIAL

Willingness to undertake academic
activities in the evening when
necessary, and participate in
occasional weekend activities such
as recruitment days

Willingness to travel abroad to
undertake academic and related
activities as appropriate

ADVANTAGEOUS

Experience of working abroad or
working in partnership with
organisations overseas

Competence in more than one
language