College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences / Scottish Graduate School of Social Science
UE09 £56,048 - £63,059 OR UE10 Starting from £64,946 Per Annum, Pro Rata (grade dependent upon candidate’s current role – see information below)
Part time, 17.5 hours per week
Fixed term secondment from March 2024 for an initial 3 years (see information below)
The Scottish Graduate School of Social Science (SGSSS) is a nationwide partnership of 16 universities, 14 of which are members of the ESRC-funded Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP). SGSSS is focused on social science excellence, equipping PhD graduates to develop into future research leaders on the national and global stage. We are seeking to appoint an enthusiastic and committed academic leader to join us and, as part of the Senior Director team, shape and deliver this ambitious vision. Working at a national level, this is a fantastic opportunity to contribute significantly to the development of social sciences postgraduate research and the formation of research leaders in Scotland and beyond.
This secondment post is available at grade 9 or 10, on a 0.5 FTE basis, initially for a three year term from March 2024 (to be reviewed by the Director and Supervisory Board in line with the funding mid-term review).
The opportunity:
The Deputy Director (Studentships and Partnerships) role is designed to provide strategic leadership to, and development of, SGSSS, an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP). The role holder will be part of the senior team that ensures SGSSS is an inclusive and collaborative consortium promoting postgraduate research in the social sciences Scotland-wide.
In 2016, the DTP was established as part of a UK-wide national network of 14 DTPs. The next phase of recommissioning has been applied for, with outcomes expected from the ESRC in August 2023. It is anticipated that the DTP funding will be renewed for a further five cohorts of PhD students, with the first students starting in October 2024. ESRC Doctoral Training Partnerships: 2024 – UKRI .
The role holder will oversee the next phase of SGSSS development, including implementation of the new ambitions of a recommissioned DTP. This role has particular responsibilities for all studentship competitions and partnership working in relation to impact, student internships (“research in practice” placements), knowledge exchange and other collaboration opportunities.
SGSSS brings together the expertise of 16 universities across Scotland to provide a world-class research environment for social science PhD researchers. SGSSS is led by the Director (0.5 FTE), supported by the Deputy Director (Training) and Deputy Director (Studentships and Partnerships) (both 0.5 FTE). The Deputy Director (Studentships and Partnerships) will work closely with the Director, Deputy Director (Training), a team of Associate Directors and SGSSS Head of Strategy and Operations on all aspects of SGSSS business, as the organisation requires. This role also involves working with PhD researchers, academic and professional services colleagues at the 16 HEI partners in the SGSSS consortium, funders (including the ESRC and the Scottish Funding Council), other stakeholders such as Scottish Government, Skills Development Scotland, and other collaborative partners.
Your skills and attributes for success:
Our ideal candidate will be an experienced, energetic, engaging and insightful academic leader and they will have a passion for encouraging and supporting postgraduate research students at all stages of the PGR lifecycle. The role holder will be adept in complex strategic planning and tenacious in advancing and completing projects, providing evidence-based recommendations for performance enhancement. A strong understanding of and engagement with equality, diversity and inclusion is required. The role holder will be naturally able to engage with senior academic colleagues, institutional leaders, funding bodies and external agencies with diplomacy and tact. They will be skilled in motivating and supporting the Directorate and wider SGSSS colleagues.
Click here to view a copy of the job description.
To apply for this role, please submit a CV and a covering letter which details how your skills and experience meet the essential (and if possible, desirable) attributes listed in the job description.
**T his opportunity is available to grade 9 or grade 10 candidates. As a secondment (see below), the position will be awarded at the substantive grade already held by the successful candidate. T his job description details the requirements of the role at grade 9: if a grade 10 candidate is appointed, some additional responsibilities will be discussed and expected.
Additional information:
A significant handover from the existing Deputy Director in advance of the formal start date will be required, to be negotiated with the successful candidate and their home university.
The role will be offered as a secondment from any DTP partner university. For clarity, the role holder will continue to be paid fully through their home university and existing payroll structure, with SGSSS providing a financial reimbursement for 0.5 FTE directly to that university. SGSSS activity and “line management” will be through the SGSSS Director, with any feedback and information pertinent to reviews/academic promotion etc. made available to the home university as required.
The role can be undertaken from the role holder’s home university, but in person presence is expected at relevant meetings, training events, student activities etc. These will be planned in advance with the senior team and professional services team.
Interviews will be held in late June/early July.
Informal enquiries may be made to:
Professor Jamie Pearce, current Director SGSSS: jamie.pearce@ed.ac.uk;
Professor Graeme Nixon, incoming Director SGSSS (September 2023 onwards): g.f.nixon@abdn.ac.uk; or
Linsey Fender, Head of Strategy and Operations SGSSS: linsey.fender@ed.ac.uk
The University is able to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role. If successful, an international applicant requiring sponsorship to work in the UK will need to satisfy the UK Home Office’s English Language requirements and apply for and secure a Skilled Worker Visa.
As a valued member of our team you can expect:
An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work. We give you support, nurture your talent and reward success. You will benefit from a competitive reward package and a wide range of staff benefits, which includes a generous holiday entitlement, a defined benefits pension scheme , staff discounts, family friendly initiatives , flexible working and much more. Access our staff benefits page for further information and use our reward calculator to find out the total value of pay and benefits provided.
The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter and we are also Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champions, actively promoting LGBT equality.