Position Details

Department of Applied Health Sciences

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £56,021 to £64,914 with potential progression once in post to £84,644

Grade: 9

Full Time, Permanent

Closing date: 26th September 2024

Travel and international travel may be required for this role

Role Summary

The Department of Applied Health Science is seeking to expand and develop its portfolio of Public Health and related teaching through the recruitment of an Associate Professor, to lead the development and delivery of a new Masters in Public Health (MPH) by Distance Learning (MPH DL). The MPH DL is part of a planned expansion of innovative postgraduate and undergraduate offerings which also include the use of hybrid and blended approaches and programmes located at the university’s Dubai campus. You will be expected to lead on the development and delivery of digital content in online programmes as well as on other campus-based programmes.

The Department has a series of highly successful postgraduate taught programmes, including the longstanding Master of Public Health (MPH) programme, recruiting over 60 international and home students each year. The MPH is designed to provide academic training to professionals currently working in, or who wish to work in, the public health field. The programme covers most aspects of population health and the disciplines underlying the practice of public health: epidemiology, applied health research methods and statistics; health economics; health information and informatics; healthcare public health and health service management; health improvement and health protection; and global health. As well as practising clinicians and those working in public health roles, the course attracts those involved (or thinking about becoming involved) in planning and commissioning roles in health services, and life sciences industries, where a knowledge of population health and research methods is highly valued.

You will develop and lead the translation this successful programme for delivery by distance learning, utilising knowledge and experience from your own specialisation and working in partnership with University of Birmingham Online as part of the development of a portfolio of online degree courses.

Your teaching leadership will enhance student experience and employability, and will be of manifest benefit to the College and the University. It is expected that you will demonstrate a significant contribution to the advancement of teaching in Public Health (policy, practice, standards), provide leadership in teaching and learning that is innovative to the subject area or the university more widely, and make a significant contribution to the debate nationally about teaching.

You will be expected to take on a lead role within the Department that reflects your educational portfolio, as well as contributing to the whole range of teaching and administration on other programmes.

In addition you will be expected to contribute to academic citizenship, likely to be demonstrated through generous, mutually respectful and supportive working relationships with all staff and students. Management and administration is likely to include Departmental/School leadership and management activity (eg working groups) within the College of Medical and Health Sciences and the University – for example through sustained high value impact knowledge transfer, enterprise, business engagement, public engagement, widening participation, international outreach or similar activities. This may require you to be a member of the Department or School Executive Committee or deputise for others as appropriate.

This is an exciting time to join the Department; over the last year, the Department has benefited from over £22m research funding and now employs over 300 members of staff. The Department is a key part of the PHRESH consortium, which has been successful in joining the NIHR School for Public Health Research and is developing close research and educational links with Public Health in Local Authorities (principally Birmingham City Council and Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council).

Main Duties

Education 

You will plan, develop deliver and assess distance learning modules in conjunction with learning designers and other colleagues, leading module tutor teams as appropriate.

You will take an active role in admissions for distance learning programmes.

You will contribute across the range of teaching and learning activities:

• making a significant contribution to the pedagogical knowledge base of the subject that advances teaching through the enhancement of practice, the development of teaching resources and/or through practice-based research;
• leading on the management and the development of approaches to teaching and learning, including designing innovative approaches and supporting colleagues to use them in the subject area or institution;
• leading on curriculum design at module and programme level to ensure it is contemporary, inclusive, engaging and academically challenging;
• actively engaging students in curriculum design;
• making an impactful, high quality contribution to debates about education policy, methods and practices through internal and external publications, subject societies and conference activity;
• developing an external profile evidenced through engaging in external quality assurance activities related to teaching, eg. external examining and engaging with/supporting education in other institutions;
• where appropriate, playing an important and sustained role in the recruitment and admission of students;
• co-supervising doctoral students to completion;
• leading the development of teaching, learning and assessment policies and strategies;
• acting as an education mentor to colleagues in the School/Department/College or more widely;
• leading the development of new and appropriate approaches to learning and teaching.
• leading sustained high value impact in knowledge transfer and enterprise (including business engagement, public engagement) that enhances the student experience and/or or employability, and is of manifest benefit to learning and teaching in the College and the University
• undertaking own teaching, which will include teaching and examining courses at a range of levels, planning and reviewing own teaching approaches, developing programme proposals, supervision, marking and examining. You will ensure that your teaching practice is informed by discipline based research, through participating in the research culture of the School.

Management/administration

Lead activities in the Department/ School and represent the School on College/ University committees or working groups. Where appropriate to the discipline, this is likely to include some but not all of the responsibilities listed below.

• making an important contribution to the development and running of the Department or School, for example, leading activity on teaching assessment;
• leading a successful international engagement at School or College level;
• developing and managing staff and resources in support of major teaching activities
• making important contributions to the development of the Department’s (and the Univeristy) learning and teaching strategy
• contributing significantly to the development and delivery of knowledge transfer, enterprise, business engagement and public engagement activities with sustained high value impact of manifest benefit to the College and the University in a teaching/education context;
• develops and implements a culture (including policies and procedures) that promotes Equality and values diversity and inclusion
• leading, serving on and assisting the work of committees and task and finish groups beyond School/Department, e.g., Senate, Council, University Education or Research Committee etc.;
• leading external committees, e.g., those associated with public/professional bodies or delivery of activities for an external body at an appropriate level, e.g., chairing sub committees associated with large elements of work;
• leading/project managing a team to devise and implement a new and/or revised process (e.g. new programme or a recruitment drive);
• making a sustained contribution to widening participation, schools outreach and/or public understanding of the discipline;.
• contributing to administrative activities within the University (e.g. appeals panels, working groups).

Citizenship

• identifying wellbeing issues within the School/College/University and developing appropriate solutions to address these;
• taking collective ownership of challenges faced by the School or College and working with colleagues to develop solutions;
• mentoring and coaching of colleagues, particularly those in the early stages of their career.

Person Specification

• Normally, a higher Degree relevant to the discipline area (usually PhD) or equivalent qualifications.
• Demonstrated excellence in Learning and Teaching, and Management and administration.

Learning and teaching requirements

An excellent teaching profile and performance in terms of both impact and quality. Teaching quality demonstrated to be informed by an appropriate level of scholarship.

Evidence of success under the following headings.

• Ability to communicate effective learning materials successfully in an online distance learning environment or equivalent experience.
• Ability to deliver interactive live online sessions or equivalent experience to students from around the world.
• High national reputation for the development of teaching and learning excellence within the discipline
• Successful and sustained use of a range of appropriate teaching methods, and assessment strategies that promote high quality learning, including learning that is flexible, distinctive and current and stimulates learners’ natural curiosity.
• Significant and sustained contribution to one or more of the following: strategic development of new programmes, approaches to learning, the development of learning resources.
• High quality and sustained contributions to fostering excellence in teaching activities more widely, i.e. in the Department/School or College and/or externally.
• Mentoring and expert advice which develops the skills of colleagues in teaching and in fostering learning
• Sustained high value impact knowledge transfer and enterprise that is of manifest benefit to the College and University.

Management and administration-related requirements

Demonstrated significant achievement in management and administration-related activities, which may include leadership of activities/initiatives. Evidence of success under the following headings.

• Appreciation of management and administration processes for distance learning.
• Successful and sustained performance in significant administrative/managerial role (s) (e.g. exams officer).
• Significant and sustained high quality innovative contributions to the management/administration of the Department/School/College or University.
• Successful and sustained contribution to the corporate life of the School/College/University, displaying willingness to contribute actively to committees, collaborative teaching and administrative tasks.
• Actively promotes equality and diversity to internal and external stakeholders.
• Able to use data to identify equality and diversity issues.
• Experience of developing interventions to address equality and diversity issues.

Further particulars can be found here

Informal enquiries to Dr Clare Davenport c.f.davenport@bham.ac.uk

We believe there is no such thing as a ‘typical’ member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website.