Salary:

Lecturer Grade F: £38,474 to £43,155 per annum

Lecturer Grade G: £44,414 to £52,841 per annum

Senior Lecturer: £54,421 to £57,723 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 23 July 2023

The Role

The School of Natural and Environmental Science (SNES) is looking to appoint a Lecturer/ Senior Lecturer in Pig and poultry Animal Welfare or Animal Health or Production. We seek a researcher and educator who is passionate about livestock systems which prioritises the animal and environment. You would contribute to the research and teaching excellence of the Animal Science Expertise Group. The Group is comprised of 10 academics who, alongside research staff and talented postgraduate research students, are working together to create a high-quality education and research environment within the animal sciences. Together with colleagues from the Institute of Biosciences, Newcastle is an internationally recognised hub of animal welfare research and has long-standing reputation within both animal behaviour (through the Centre for Behaviour and Evolution) and Agriculture (which was established in 1887). The applicant would work closely with other academic groups within the School of Natural and Environmental Science including the Agricultural Production Systems, Applied Social Science and Modelling Evidence and Policy groups, as well as link to the Schools of Engineering and Computing. Our supportive and interdisciplinary environment will enable you to develop a rigorous, independently funded research portfolio with real world impact.

You should have expertise in pig or poultry health or welfare or production with applications particularly welcomed in one of the following areas: digital approaches, regenerative agriculture, nutrition, gut microbiome or modelling/ informatics as applied to animals. These research areas would fit with or enhance current expertise within the School and collaborations with colleagues in Computing, Engineering and the Faculty of Medical Sciences. We would also prefer candidates who have expertise within open science practices and who have contributed to a positive research culture. The research and teaching delivered by the candidate will be expected to promote systems and husbandry which prioritize the animal and environment. The undergraduate and postgraduate teaching you deliver would be research informed and would contribute to Biology, Agriculture or Animal Sciences Degree programmes and related areas. To enable your research, you will have access to our commercial livestock (pigs and cattle) and animal research facilities, including two purpose-built poultry buildings for small scale trials, the porcine research unit and the Center for Digital Innovation Applied to Livestock which can precisely measure animal movements in an 18m long gait lab or continuously monitor animals housed within the facility. You will conduct research within these facilities supported by specialised and highly trained Animal Technicians. You will help to deliver research projects within these buildings by acting as a key liaison for livestock industries for the University.

To apply, please provide the following documents:
(i) A cover letter detailing how you meet the Person Specifications for either a Lecturer or Senior Lecturer level appointment and how a position at Newcastle University will foster your academic career and how your research complements the relevant research group;
(ii) A full curriculum vitae including details of your qualifications and publications, including any relevant research funding, post-graduate supervision or teaching experiences and citizenship or leadership roles;
(iii) A research statement of no more than two-sides of A4. Your statement should include details of your proposed research area, your research goals and a three-year plan for obtaining research funding;
(iv) A teaching statement of no more than two-sides of A4. Your statement should include details of your existing or proposed teaching area(s) and a description of your teaching philosophy.

Please state whether you are applying on the basis of Lecturer or Senior Lecturer as the criteria differ for these different positions. Please upload your cover letter, research and teaching statement as one PDF document to the cover letter section of our recruitment system. Any other attachments included in the ‘Additional Document' section may not be received by the reviewing panel.

This position is available on full time on an open-ended basis and available to start as soon as possible

We welcome applications from underrepresented groups and researchers at earlier career stages who would be supported with transition to independence.

For further information about this position and for all informal enquiries please contact: Professor Lucy Asher, Group Leader for Animal Sciences at Natural and Environmental Sciences. Lucy.Asher@ncl.ac.uk.

For further information about the School of Natural and Environmental Science, please click here.

For more information about Animal Sciences please click here.

Key Accountabilities

• Contribute to an internationally visible research profile that delivers impact in the area of livestock research and teaching in monogastrics, both independently and as a member of anexpertise group
• Apply for external research funding, including developing collaborative research proposals across the School, Faculty or University and with external organisations
• Seek and manage industry relevant relationships and research projects for animal research zone NUFarms
• Conduct and publish high quality research following open access framework where possible
• Represent the School and University at national and international meetings and conferences to disseminate research and/or scholarship outputs
• Maintain and enhance Newcastle University’s 125-year history within the field of Agricultural and  Animal Sciences
• Seek industry investment in research and NU farm infrastructure
• Complete and pass the teaching and learning University training programme (NEPS) or to have an equivalent qualification
• Deliver high quality undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in Livestock Science as directed by the Head of School, with a focus on the Animal Science, Agriculture, Biology, Zoology degree programmes
• Be a member of relevant academic and teaching groups, supporting collective activity in teaching and research
• Participate in the management and administration of relevant modules within the School and contribute to the development of new initiatives in these areas
• Supervise postgraduate research students
• Provide mentoring, academic guidance and pastoral support to students and staff in support of their learning experience
• Act in a collegiate manner, making a positive contribution to maintaining and enhancing a working environment that upholds equality, diversity and inclusivity

The Person (Essential)

Knowledge, Skills and Experience 

• Research and teaching experience relevant to livestock science in pigs and poultry
• Research expertise relevant to one of the following key strategic areas: animal health and welfare, sustainability in agriculture, precision livestock farming, informatics
• A track record of interdisciplinary and impactful research
• Experience of applying for research grant funding
• Experience of presenting at national and international conferences / meetings
• Experience of conducting research in porcine and poultry science, both independently and as a member of a team, and engendering a strong open and inclusive research culture
• A track record of engagement with industry, understanding current challenges facing animal production and supporting businesses, to ensure research is relevant and likely to make a difference
• Experience of lecturing, running seminars and a range of other teaching techniques, assessment and supervising research projects
• An ability to utilise state-of-the-art animal and research facilities within SNES for teaching and research, particularly NU farms
• Strong statistical, research design skills and understanding of animal research ethics

Desirable

• Evidence of industry contacts relevant to UK and global farming and evidence of influence on commercial practices of animal husbandry or management
• Membership and contribution to relevant external bodies or funding organisations to impact their field
• Ideas which are fundable from a range of sources (e.g. Research Councils, Charities, Government Departments or agencies and the private sector)
• Experience of supervising Postgraduate students
• Experience of providing mentoring, academic guidance or pastoral support to students
• The ability to develop productive links with fellow professionals from other organisations and agencies with whom the University interacts
• Industry links in porcine or poultry productions systems to align with commercial livestock at NU Farms and the longstanding reputation Newcastle University has with these species

Attributes and Behaviour

• Ability to meet the University's standard for the Research Excellence Framework
• Ability to communicate complex oral and written information clearly
• Ability and willingness to work in interdisciplinary environments
• Ability to engage with and respond enthusiastically and positively to students
• Ability to provide pastoral care where appropriate
• Ability to work collaboratively and constructively with both academic colleagues and support staff
• Commitment to open science or reproducible scientific practices and to the highest standards of research and animal ethics
• Commitment to maintaining and supporting a diverse and inclusive environment, where colleagues and students are treated fairly and with respect

Qualifications

• PhD in biological or veterinary science or relevant field

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.  As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.  We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.

Requisition ID: 25577