Lecturer in Philosophy

The Role 

We are seeking to appoint a Lecturer in Philosophy (Teaching and Scholarship) to a one-year fixed-term contract.  The start date is 1 September 2026, and the end date is 31 August 2027. 

At 1.0 FTE the role will focus primarily on delivery of teaching (acting as module leader and delivering lectures and seminars on one or two modules and contributing to others – e.g. Introduction to Moral Philosophy (Stage 1), Foundations of Philosophy (Stage 1), Introduction to Political Philosophy (Stage 1), and contributing to academic advising/personal tutoring of our students. The modules to be taught would suit a generalist familiar with post-Kantian thought in the continental tradition.  

For an informal discussion on this role please contact Stephen Overy, Head of Philosophy at stephen.overy1@newcastle.ac.uk. 

Interviews will be held online the week commencing of 6 July 2026.

About Philosophy and School X

Philosophy at Newcastle is home to the BA (Hons.) Philosophy, which currently has around 200 undergraduate students and a small but expanding post-graduate community. We have nine full-time permanent staff, whose common interest is in Continental European Philosophy.   

The undergraduate degree provides a broad education in the crucial areas of the history of philosophy, from ancient Greece to contemporary Europe. Whilst the teaching is centred around traditional philosophical problems, it generally addresses these problems by way of classic texts from the discipline’s history, with a particular stress laid upon the way in which these problems are formulated in post-Kantian thought.   

With a strong track record of excellent NSS results, the subject is firmly committed to the student experience, combining core teaching in the history of philosophy with research-led and experiential learning modules. A central part of each stage of the undergraduate degree is the annual Project, which involves individual students, guided by their personal tutor, pursuing a philosophical investigation into a topic of their choosing. The project allows students to apply philosophical ideas to their interests outside of the course.  

Philosophy sits within School X in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. School X was established in 2021 as a new academic school to be a focus and catalyst for University-wide interdisciplinary innovation, working practices and projects. School X was founded on three distinct academic units (Philosophy, Combined Honours and Researcher Education and Development) and is anchored in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (HaSS) but with a remit to work proactively across all of Newcastle University’s faculties and services, applying interdisciplinary concepts of collaboration to explore and develop innovative approaches.

Key Accountabilities

•    Undertake high quality teaching and learning and student support
•    Lead and contribute to growing a programme of pedagogical activity relevant to the role, striving for continuous improvement of the degree programmes you deliver in order to provide an excellent student experience.
•    Identify and obtain funding from appropriate sources to support your own pedagogic research or for innovation and development of teaching and learning as principal applicant.
•    Communicate, publish, and promote high quality pedagogical scholarship outputs.
•    Lead, in collaboration with colleagues, the planning and development of new content and modules.
•    Make a significant contribution to the design and delivery of modules, using appropriate instruction methods and other pedagogic work, and assess students’ work, providing appropriate feedback.
•    Supervise students’ projects and dissertations and supervise PGR students and staff engaged on higher degree work by research.
•    Lead on the integration, management and supervision of student learning experiences such as individual projects and, where appropriate, field trips and placements. 
•    Provide personal tutoring and mentoring for students, giving first line support and referring students as appropriate to services providing further help.
•    Undertake curriculum development work, planning, development and evaluation of courses and course materials.
•    Participate in the administrative and management processes of the School e.g. as Chair of the Board of Studies for a major programme
•    Cultivate interdisciplinary collaborations within the University, and with other UK and international collaborators.  This may include external examining, editorship of teaching periodicals, collaboration on joint projects etc.
•    Organise and contribute to programmes of networking, recruitment, marketing, outreach, and public engagement as appropriate. 
•    Represent the discipline on School, Faculty or University committees/groups. 

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience 

•    Extensive experience of excellent teaching and assessment at UG and PG levels, in different settings and formats. 
•    Experience of introducing new insights and innovations to educational programmes, including technology enabled learning and online approaches that engage our students.  
•    Experience of sustained international scholarship and innovation profile record that is nationally and internationally recognised
•    Experience in new course development, designed to reach new markets of prospective students.  
•    Extensive experience of delivering innovative and effective teaching and learning materials and activities for students
•    An exceptional standard of academic support and pastoral care towards students. 
•    Undertaking an impactful leadership role with evidence of scholarship and positive impact on student experience.  
•    Supervising and mentoring junior colleagues.  
•    Highly developed planning and organisational skills.
•    Evidence of working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders
•    Excellent skills in communication, both verbally and in written forms to create and present effective learning materials. 
•    Effective time management and prioritisation skills to balance teaching, scholarship and administration 

Attributes and Behaviour 

•    The ability to persuade and influence at all levels to foster and maintain relationships, resolving difficulties as they arise. 
•    Original thinking and analysis of complex information that brings new pedagogical insights to the subject and School. 
•    Potential to provide leadership to teaching teams.  
•    Willingness to participate in projects, including those with collaborators outside the School and to assist with the administration of the School. 
•    A vision for education that represents a good fit with the aims of the academic unit and can meet the university’s standard for submission to the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). 
•    Demonstrable commitment to our values,  displaying high standards of conduct managing institutional and individual priorities, identifying and managing conflicts of interest, treating others fairly and showing commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
•    Professionalism: care and diligence, investing in self-development, taking responsibility, acting with integrity, championing the organisation. 
•    Independence: challenging the status quo, seeking clarification, questioning assumptions, encouraging diverse views.
•    Performance focus: focus on goals and priorities, exhibiting an entrepreneurial spirit, setting high standards. 
•    Awareness of self and others: recognising and limiting bias, displaying empathy and cultural sensitivity.
•    Excellent team working and networking skills.

Qualifications 
•    A bachelor’s or master’s degree in a relevant subject area.   
•    A PhD (or equivalent work experience) in a relevant subject area.