Salary: Grade 8 (£45,585 - £56,021)

Contract: Full-time (35 hours), Open-Ended 

The full benefits package can be found here: https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm 

Interviews are anticipated to take place mid May 2024.

Detailed Description 

Heriot-Watt University recently expanded its portfolio into sport education and recently launched a BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science at its Edinburgh Campus which commenced in September 2022. In collaboration with Oriam, Scotland’s National Performance Centre, the launch of the BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science is an exciting opportunity to develop an outstanding, modern, and inclusive programme of teaching and research in Sport and Exercise Science.  As a result, we are seeking to appoint an Assistant Professor in Strength and Conditioning.  

You will be an enthusiastic and friendly professional with proven communication and interpersonal skills coupled with a commitment to providing an enriching student experience, allowing students to develop the key skills needed as a modern Sport and Exercise Scientist. An established national profile in the field of strength and conditioning with a passion for teaching and coaching on relevant programmes is essential. To be successful you will further enrich our students’ experience through your expertise and subject knowledge as evidenced through your qualifications and experience.  

One of the main aims of the Sport and Exercise Science team is to develop industry-changing Sport and Exercise Science graduates through high quality teaching that includes utilising technology to deliver from the laboratory to the field and ensuring integrate approaches throughout Undergraduate and Postgraduate provision. We are also aiming to undertake internationally renowned research in Sport and Exercise Science, from basic science to translational and industry-changing projects. 

Key Duties & Responsibilities:

Pioneering Education: 

• Develop and deliver high quality applied courses in line with your expertise to enable our students to become excellent practitioners, and assist with embedding of professional qualifications, to ensure our students are ‘Future Made’;
• Undertake continuous professional development both through the University and externally to remain up-to-date with current learning and teaching practice and external influencers in our sector to provide direction and leadership; 
• Share best practice in learning and teaching methodologies, working with colleagues to develop scholarly debate and the dissemination of excellence to advance the curriculum to be future focused and challenge-led; 
• Supervise undergraduate and postgraduate students’ work and take responsibility for dealing with referred issues regarding students within their own educational programmes. 

Research: 

• To pursue applied research of internationally recognised importance and quality that will make a significant contribution to the University’s submission to Future Research Excellence Framework exercises, enhance the international profile of the University and contribute to the development of its own communities of research;  
• Disseminate research through high-quality journal publications and papers, presentations at conferences, and relevant stakeholder events;  
• Mentor and coach research students, with particular focus on providing opportunities for developing their careers as interdisciplinary, collaborative, and effective researchers. 

Collaboration and Leadership: 

• Develop your leadership within the BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science programme to ensure excellent levels of student engagement, retention and outcomes;
• Collaborate with colleagues to ensure a consistent, effective, and high-quality delivery of teaching and research, in line with the strategic aims of EGIS, as well as the wider University;
• Represent EGIS with integrity in a professional capacity at national and international conferences, with industrial partners, in professional societies, etc. 

Education, Qualifications and Experience (i.e. Person Specification) 

The successful applicant will satisfy the following requirements: 

Essential criteria: 

• PhD (or equivalent professional experience) in the area of Strength and Conditioning;
• UKSCA Accreditation;
• A clear and evidenced personal research strategy, with the potential to attract research funding attracting external research funding, with publications in international journals and presenting at conferences, OR a clear and evidenced personal scholarly strategy, with the potential to develop sport and exercise science curriculum to enhance applied, industry-relevant skills through our educational provision;
• Ability to deliver innovative teaching, together with experience of teaching in a higher education environment ;
• Emotional intelligence, with a demonstrable collegiate attitude and proven interpersonal skills.

Desirable criteria: 

• UKSCA Trainer Assessor qualified;
• Membership of appropriate professional and/or academic societies ;
• Ability to draw on industrial and professional networks to develop and enhance the teaching and research portfolio. 

About Heriot Watt University 

Heriot-Watt University has established a reputation for world-class teaching and leading-edge, relevant research, which has made it one of the top UK universities for innovation, business and industry.  

Heriot-Watt University has five campuses: three in the UK (Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Orkney), one in Dubai and one in Malaysia. The University offers a highly distinctive range of degree programmes in the specialist areas of science, engineering, design, business and languages. Heriot-Watt is also Scotland's most international university, boasting the largest international student cohort.  

About our Team 

The School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society 

The School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society is one of the UK’s leading institutions for multidisciplinary research and teaching in areas critical to economic development and societal equity.  We aim to attain excellence in the teaching of the core disciplines that contribute to a sustainable, resource and energy efficient society and are committed to undertaking high value, high impact research and knowledge transfer in topics of relevance to global challenges. 

Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society - Heriot-Watt University (hw.ac.uk) 

Institute of Life & Earth Sciences 

The Institute of Life and Earth Sciences (ILES) undertakes multidisciplinary research in the areas of Environment and Bioscience, as well as Sport and Exercise Science, based both in Edinburgh (including staff based in the Lyell Centre) and at the International Centre for Island Technology (ICIT) in the Orkney Isles. ICIT is internationally recognised for research, training and consultancy in renewable energy, marine science and environmental resources. Our work within ILES focuses on life sciences in its broadest sense from cells to ecosystems, including physical geography and sport and exercise science, teaching and researching on how systems work, how they may be changing and how to manage the planet sustainably. Further information can be obtained at - https://www.hw.ac.uk/schools/energy-geoscience-infrastructure-society/iles.htm 

How to Apply 

Applications can be submitted up to midnight (UK time) on Friday 1st May 2024 

Interviews are anticipated to take place mid May 2024.

Applicants must make their submission via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment system and include: (1) cover letter describing their interest and suitability for the post; (2) full CV that includes the list of publications (3) research/scholarly and teaching statements, showing their strengths in one or more of the areas above. 

Informal enquiries should be directed to Dr Mark Ross (M.Ross@hw.ac.uk). 

At Heriot-Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team.

Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.

Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities.  Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.

Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our University community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers https://disc.hw.ac.uk/ .