Assistant Professor, Graphic Design

JOB DESCRIPTION
Purpose

To undertake teaching, curriculum development, and course management supporting the School’s
activities in graphic design across the undergraduate, postgraduate and international provision.

To engage actively in applied research and income generation with a particular focus upon graphic
design and visual arts.

To lead in the curriculum development and teaching of user experience and user interface design
for web and app contexts.

All role holders at this level will have a national reputation in their field which they will continue to
develop. They will contribute to a combination of teaching and/or scholarship and/or research
and/or enterprise, along with academic leadership and management. Typically, the role will
incorporate at least two areas of focus. The balance between these activities will vary
substantially depending upon the subject area/field, role holder’s experience and the institutional
needs. The post holder will be expected to develop new concepts, ideas and collaborations at an
institutional and national level. They will develop and win funding for innovative research and/or
teaching development and/or commercial activity. They will contribute to a global academic
community driven by international scholarly activity, international knowledge generation,
knowledge exchange, networking, partnerships and collaboration.

 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 in the relevant field and develops the ability of students to engage in debate,
critical discourse and rational thinking.

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:

i. contributing actively to Faculty Research Centres or communities of practice internally and/or externally
ii. making a substantial contribution to bids and tenders for external projects or contracts
iii. making a substantial contribution to delivery of externally-funded
projects or contracts
iv. disseminating research outputs using a range of media. For
example: academic publications, external reports, conference
presentations, short courses for knowledge transfer, exhibitions,
performances
v. developing external networks nationally and/or internationally
vi. 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.

11. [add any specific duty or responsibility in the Department/School/Faculty not covered above]

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

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

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

Education/
Qualifications

ESSENTIAL

PhD in an appropriate subject

And/or A good Honours
Degree (and/or Masters degree)
and appropriate professional
qualifications

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

Extensive experience and national
profile in subject/discipline

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

Applied Research

ESSENTIAL

A growing research profile in
graphic design and/or visual arts

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) experience of
leading- edge professional
practice/consultancy work
including evidence of effective
application of solutions to
business/practice problems, with
associated reports or other outputs

ADVANTAGEOUS

Experience of partnership
working with external
organisations

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

Job-related skills and
capabilities

ESSENTIAL

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

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

Commitment to delivering high
quality services to students and
external clients

Good 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

Evidence of successful external
networking and profile-raising

Some administrative and
organisational experience,
related to academic
development or equivalent if
from non-academic background

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 

ADVANTAGEOUS

Experience of working abroad or
working in partnership with
organisations overseas

Competence in more than one
language