Heriot-Watt University

Directorate: School of Social Sciences

Grade: Grade 7 (£37,174 - £46,735)

Contract Type: Full Time (1FTE), Fixed Term (12 Months)

Rewards and Benefits: 33 days annual leave, plus 9 buildings closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday) for all full time staff. Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.

About our Team

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.

With a history dating back to 1821, Heriot-Watt University has established a reputation for world-class teaching and practical, leading-edge research, which has made it one of the top UK universities for business and industry. We connect with industry at every level and develop programmes to match their needs – so employers get work-ready industry-fit graduates.

Heriot-Watt is also Scotland's most international university, boasting the largest international student cohort. We have an established set of values that help us to nurture innovation and leadership and show our commitment to continuous improvement and development in all our activities.

Psychology at Heriot-Watt University has expanded greatly in the last decade. We offer both undergraduate and postgraduate Psychology programmes. The suite of MSc Business Psychology programmes for the largest component of our postgraduate teaching offer and is delivered in Edinburgh and Dubai. Our recently launched online MSc Business and Organisational Psychology is global and is growing. This online programme is accredited by the Association for Business Psychology (on-campus programme is pending).

Much of our research is applied in nature, and takes place in collaboration with industry, the NHS or charities. Current research in Psychology focuses on the following areas: work, society and environment; lifespan health and wellbeing; and brain, cognition and behaviour. We currently have a vacancy for an individual with a passion for teaching, and who has expertise either in social psychology with an interest in its application in the workplace or in some area of work-related psychology (such as workplace culture, diversity, leadership, organisational change, talent development, selection and assessment or marketing).

For full details on our University please view our Careers at Heriot-Watt: http://www.hw.ac.uk/about/careers-at-heriot-watt.htm

Detailed Description

Based at the Edinburgh campus, you will be a member of a strong academic teaching and research staff team. You will liaise closely with colleagues at our Dubai and Malaysia campuses, who will also be delivering programmes to our students.

The appointment will be made on the basis of a Teaching & Scholarship post for 12 months. Post holders will engage in teaching (approximately 70%), scholarship activities (approximately 10%) and carry out one or more administrative duties (approximately 20%). The successful post holder will be responsible for teaching predominantly across the postgraduate curriculum at HWU, but some undergraduate teaching is also expected.

You will have a demonstrable commitment to teaching (and where appropriate, research/scholarship), along with strong academic credibility and experience of one or more administrative roles. Experience of close collaborative working with other academics and professionals along with highly developed emotional intelligence, and personal resilience are all essential for this post.

The expectation is that you will have a flexible approach to teaching across a range of different areas within psychology, but predominantly within the field of workplace psychology.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

The post holder is required to:

• Contribute to teaching and learning in the form of lectures, tutorials, seminars, workshops and laboratories.
• Contribute to the marking of course formative and summative assessment.
• Undertake BSc and MSc research project supervision.
• Act as Personal Tutor to undergraduate and postgraduate students.
• Contribute to the management and administration of departmental activities.
• Undertake personal research/scholarship activities as per contract (complementing and building on existing departmental interests and taking advantage of its interdisciplinary nature) and produce publications of high quality in high impact journals.
• Further disseminate research/scholarship outputs using an appropriate range of media including external reports, conference presentations and short courses for knowledge transfer.
• Where appropriate, lead bids and tenders for externally funded research projects or contracts, thereby generating significant grant income.
• Engage with existing research activity and be involved in the development and leadership of further research groups.
• Promote more generally the research culture and activities of the Department and University through collaborative work across the academic sector.

Please note that this job description is not exhaustive, and the role holder may be required to undertake other relevant duties commensurate with the grading of the post. Activities may be subject to amendment over time as the role develops and/or priorities and requirements evolve.

Education, Qualifications and Experience

Essential Criteria

• PhD in Psychology or an appropriate work-related subject (we will consider those who have submitted and await viva voce)
• PG and/or UG teaching and assessment experience within a higher education context
• Good, lucid, clear communicator
• Good presentation skills
• Able to articulate complex topics effectively
• Able to demonstrate initiative in research/scholarship
• Demonstrates evidence of willingness to be involved in collaborative research/scholarship activities.

Desirable Criteria

• UG and/or PG teaching and assessment experience in Business Psychology within a higher education context
• Has acquired background knowledge of the University and the School
• Publications in international journals
• Chartership with BPS
• HCPC registered
• Experience of course leadership in postgraduate teaching
• Experience of research supervision at PG level
• Relevant teaching qualification
• Experience of developing/assessing course materials.

How to apply

Applications can be submitted up to midnight (UK time) on Sunday 13th July 2025.

Interviews will take place the week beginning 21st July 2025, if possible.

For further information and an informal discussion please contact Professor Deborah Hall (Deborah.Hall@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/ .

We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g. part-time working and job share options.

Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.