About
The
Job.
Department of Automatic Control and Systems
Engineering
Faculty of Engineering
Senior Lecturer
About
The
Job.
Pursue the extraordinary
Overview
About the Department
Automatic Control and Systems Engineering (ACSE) is one of the largest departments
devoted to the subject in Europe, with 23 academic staff, 30 research staff, 20 professional
and support staff and nearly 400 taught and research students. We are an internationally
leading research department with a vibrant culture spanning all aspects of Systems and
Control Engineering. Our research addresses many of the complex issues of modern life
including problems in the life-sciences and healthcare, aerospace and transport, energy and
the environment, manufacturing and robotics and, more recently, social policy. Our
approach to these challenges focuses on generic theoretical developments in complex
systems with an overarching emphasis on autonomy and decision-making. Our
underpinning research themes are: modelling and simulation, control and optimisation,
sensing and actuation, signal processing and decision support, and, of course, systems
engineering. Together, these provide a fertile environment for strategic, multi-disciplinary
collaborations with leading academic groups and major industrial partners. For more
information about the department visit http://www.shef.ac.uk/acse
We are an ambitious department, aiming to be the first port-of-call for researchers,
students, industries and other stakeholders in Control and Systems Engineering. To achieve
this we need to employ the very best academic, research and support staff and to provide a
working environment that enables us to reach our goal. We have been at the forefront of
our subject in research, teaching and knowledge transfer for nearly 50 years and are
expanding faster than ever in response to the complex systems challenges of today’s
society.
Job Role
Your research programme will either consolidate or expand our current portfolio and plans
involving grand challenges and UK strategic priorities with strong potential for funding and
impact (academic or industrial) are of particular interest.
The University's expectations of the qualities and responsibilities of its academic staff are
captured by the concept of the Sheffield Academic. The role of the Sheffield Academic is
underpinned by a number of core values and qualities that are essential to the scholarly
pursuit and communication of knowledge in this University. Among them is the recognition
that the pursuit of research excellence and the pursuit of teaching excellence are closely
linked. Please see www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/sheffieldacademic/statement.html for further
information.
Job Description
Main Duties and Responsibilities

Contribute fully as researcher, teacher and leader, in fulfilment of the ideals of the
‘Sheffield Academic’.

Conduct internationally competitive research by determining and implementing
research objectives in line with departmental and Faculty strategy.

Identify appropriate and varied sources of funding, and prepare research proposals for
funding bodies.

Develop funding strategies and manage external research funding.

Initiate and lead substantial research programmes, encouraging and supporting the
activities of other staff as appropriate.

Contribute to, and build cross-research group activity, where appropriate.

Disseminate research findings through conference presentation, publications in
high-quality, peer-reviewed journals, and produce other appropriate outputs (e.g.
patents).

Attract and supervise high-quality research students and staff.

Design, deliver, assess and evaluate high quality research-led teaching programmes,
which will include identifying learning objectives and selecting appropriate curricula,
selecting teaching methods, resources and reading, and determining, designing and
producing study material.

Prepare and implement student assessments, which will include designing assessment
instruments and criteria; marking assessments, ensuring adequate moderation;
providing feedback; judging whether student circumstances should be taken into
consideration in the assessment; and collating and providing final assessments of
students.

Undertake personal tutor/pastoral responsibilities for undergraduate and postgraduate
students.

Develop a strong national and international professional profile by, e.g., refereeing
papers, editing journals, refereeing research grants, external examining, organising
conferences, committee membership and involvement with professional bodies.

Contribute to the life of the Department, the Faculty and the wider University community
through administrative responsibilities and committee membership as and when
appropriate.

Actively explore new research and scholarly pursuits and innovate in teaching and
administration, leading new initiatives as appropriate.

Plan and prioritise research activities, up to five years ahead, as appropriate. For teaching,
plan up to two years ahead to ensure smooth operation.

Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade of the post.
Person Specification
Applicants should provide evidence in their applications that they meet the following
criteria. We will use a range of selection methods to measure candidates’ abilities in these
areas including reviewing your on-line application, seeking references, inviting shortlisted
candidates to interview and other forms of assessment action relevant to the post.
Criteria
Essential Desirable
Qualifications and experience
1.
Have a PhD (or have equivalent experience) in a relevant area.
2.
Chartered Engineer status (or equivalent).
X
X
Research
3.
Strong record of high quality research in control and systems
X
engineering.
4.
Competitive publication record, showing evidence of creativity
X
and/or innovation.
5.
Strong record of winning competitive external research income
X
and successful delivery.
6.
Evidence of research leadership and industrial or academic
X
impact.
7.
Ability to supervise and monitor the work of research students.
X
Teaching and Learning
8.
Ability to teach using a range of appropriate instruction
X
methods (e.g. lectures, tutorials), ideally with a recognised
qualification.
9.
Ability to communicate complex theories and problems
X
effectively to undergraduate and postgraduate students.
10.
Experience of supervising undergraduate and postgraduate
X
projects.
11.
Ability to enhance the student learning experience.
X
Communication skills
12.
A high degree of fluency in both written and spoken English.
X
13.
Effective interpersonal and communication skills sufficient to
X
present complex ideas effectively and appropriately to a variety
of audiences and to conduct effective working relationships.
Team working
14.
Ability to work effectively both within a team and independently.
15.
Ability to build, lead and motivate a team to deliver high
X
X
performance.
Supporting staff performance
16.
Ability to motivate a high level of performance in others.
X
17.
Ability to mentor junior colleagues in developing both their
X
research agendas as well as teaching portfolios.
18.
Experience of undertaking staff development reviews for junior
X
colleagues.
Problem solving and decision making
19.
Ability to develop creative solutions to problems in the face of
X
resource and other constraints.
20.
Ability to plan and prioritise daily work and forward plan up to
X
five years for some tasks.
Project management
21.
Experience of designing and delivering teaching modules to a
X
high standard.
22.
Ability to assess and organise resources, and plan and drive
X
forward activities.
Personal effectivenessx
23.
Experience of developing a network of contacts within the
X
discipline and beyond.
24.
Possess excellent organisational skills and the proven ability to
X
work to deadlines.
Further Information
This post is full-time:
This role has been identified as a full-time post, but we are committed to exploring flexible
working opportunities with our staff which benefit both the individual and the University.
Therefore, we would consider flexible delivery of the role subject to meeting the business
needs of the post. See www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/wellbeing/info/wlb.html for more
information.
Benefits
Terms and conditions of employment: Will be those for Grade 9 staff.
Salary for this grade: £47,787 - £53,765 per annum. Potential to progress to £62,306 per
annum through sustained exceptional contribution.
More details on salaries, terms and conditions and our wide range of benefits for staff are
available at www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/reward/structures
Closing date: 6 May 2013
Informal enquiries:
For all on-line application system queries and support, contact:
e-Recruitment@sheffield.ac.uk .
For informal enquiries about this job and department, contact: Professor Visakan
Kadirkamanathan
on acse-hod@sheffield.ac.uk or 0114 222 25134.
Selection-Next Step
Following the closing date, you will be informed by email whether or not you have been
shortlisted to be invited to participate in the next stage of the selection process. Please note
that due to the large number of applications that we receive, it may take up to two working
weeks following the closing date before the recruiting department will be able to contact
you.
It is anticipated that the first stage of the selection process will take place on the 13 or 17
May 2013 followed by interviews and other selection action which will be held on 7 or 17
June 2013. Full details will be provided to invited candidates.
The University of Sheffield is committed to achieving excellence through inclusion.
The University of Sheffield is proud to be a Two Ticks employer
www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/equality/support/twoticks
The University has achieved the Athena SWAN award for Women in Science, Engineering
and Medicine.