King’s Reference: A6/AAE/0206/16-SH
Hirewire Reference: THW/16/059639/000177
About King’s
King's College London offers an intellectually stimulating environment in which to work, where staff
are dedicated to the advancement of knowledge and learning, in the service of society. We are a multifaculty institution, providing high-quality teaching, research and innovation across the sciences,
humanities, medicine, law, dentistry, and social sciences. As a member of the Russell Group, an
association of leading UK research-intensive universities, we are committed to maintaining the
highest standards in research and education. King's is the largest centre for the education of
healthcare professionals in Europe, and is home to five Medical Research Council Centres spread
across its three teaching hospitals.
King's is one of the top 20 universities in the world (2014/15 QS World University Rankings). We are
the fourth oldest university in England and based in the heart of London, King's has more than
26,000 students from nearly 140 countries, and more than 7,000 employees.
The UK higher education funding bodies allocate about £2 billion per year of research funding to UK
universities, based on the quality and volume of each university’s research. As well as informing
funding allocations, the REF provides accountability for public investment in research, demonstrates
its benefits, and provides important reputational yardsticks and benchmarking information about the
research performance of UK universities. The results of the 2014 Research Excellence Framework
(REF) have confirmed King’s College London as a world-leading research university.
Top ten nationally for research ‘power’ and ‘quality’
King’s has risen to 6th position* nationally in the ‘power’ ranking – up from 11th in the Research
Assessment Exercise (RAE) 2008. ‘Power’ takes into account both the quality and the quantity of
research activity. King’s has also risen to 7th position* for quality – up from 22nd in 2008. 84 per
cent of our research has been deemed 3* and 4* (up from 61 per cent in RAE 2008), meaning that it is
regarded as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. The proportion of the university’s overall
submission classified as 4* has risen from 19 per cent in 2008 to 39 per cent in REF 2014. King’s
submitted 1,369 staff compared with 1,172 in RAE 2008, which represents an increase of 14 percent.
80 per cent of eligible staff were submitted to REF 2014 compared with 79 per cent last time.
Higher education sector comparisons
In terms of comparison across the sector, King’s has had some outstanding successes notably:
• Law is 1st in the country for quality of research and 7th for power (up from 19th and 14th
respectively);
• Education is 2nd for quality and 4th for power;
• Clinical Medicine is 3rd for quality;
• General Engineering (Imaging Sciences) is 5th for quality and submitted twice the number of
staff compared with 2008;
• Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience is 2nd in the country for power and achieved 100
percent 4* ranking for research ‘environment’;
• Politics and International Studies is 1st for power*;
• History is 5th for quality and 7th for power;
• Philosophy is 3rd for quality and 3rd for power;
Document Created: 2015.01.12
•
Communication, Cultural and Media Studies (Culture, Media and Creative Industries and
Digital Humanities) are 1st for power and 8th for quality and scored 100% at 4* for research
‘environment’.
Based on proportions of research at 3* and 4*, 19 of our 27 submissions rank in the top quartile
nationally. Outstanding performances include: General Engineering (Imaging Sciences) with a total
of 99 per cent, putting us in first position nationally in terms of proportion of submissions ranked at
4*/3*; Clinical Medicine with 93 percent, also in first position nationally in terms of proportion of
submissions ranked at 4*/3*; and the three submissions to Subjects Allied to Medicine (Dentistry;
Nursing & Midwifery and Palliative Care; and Pharmacy, Nutritional Sciences and Women’s Health),
which also achieved scores in the 90s.
Research outputs
For research outputs, 15 of 27 Units of Assessment have achieved an upper quartile ranking based on
3* and 4* classifications. Particularly strong performances have been seen for General Engineering
(Imaging Sciences), Clinical Medicine, Dentistry and Mathematics.
Impact
The ‘impact’ of research was introduced as a new metric in the REF and represents 20 percent of the
overall submission. Eighteen of King’s 27 submissions have upper quartile status based on 3* and 4*
quality ratings. In particular the areas of Education; Culture, Media and Creative Industries/Digital
Humanities; Nursing, Midwifery and Palliative Care; Public Health; General Engineering and Law
scored highly for impact. Furthermore, measured against other multi-disciplinary universities, rather
than specialist higher education institutions, King’s is ranked 4th in the country for research impact.
*Times Higher Education REF rankings
King’s Health Partners
King's College London, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation
Trust (GSTT), King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
(KCH) and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
(SLaM) are part of the King's Health Partners Academic Health
Sciences Centre, a pioneering global collaboration between one of
the world's leading research-led universities and three of
London's most successful NHS Foundation Trusts, including leading teaching hospitals and
comprehensive mental health services. Accredited by the Department of Health in 2009, King’s
Health Partners (KHP) is one of five academic health science centres in the UK. The four sovereign
partner organisations within KHP are committed to working cooperatively to create an
internationally recognised centre of excellence which draws upon academic expertise in medical
science, basic science, social science, law and humanities and brings together world leading research,
education and clinical training and practice within an integrated environment. KHP hosts two
National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) funded Biomedical Research Centres (BRCs) and a
NIHR funded Biomedical Research Unit in Dementia through local KCL-GSTT and KCL-SLaM
partnerships respectively. These NIHR centres and unit are specifically focused on enhancing the
NHS clinical research environment, in order to accelerate the pace of translation of basic discovery
science into experimental medicine and early phase clinical research and thus speed up the delivery
of new treatments and diagnostics for patient benefit. More information about the collaboration is
available from the King’s Health Partners website: www.kingshealthpartners.org
World Questions | King’s Answers
The university is in the midst of a five-year, £500 million fundraising campaign – World Questions |
King’s Answers – created to address some of the most pressing challenges facing humanity as quickly
as feasible. The campaign’s five priority areas are neuroscience and mental health, leadership and
society, cancer, global power and children’s health. More information about the campaign is available
from the World Questions | King’s Answers website: www.kcl.ac.uk/kingsanswers
The Faculty of Arts and Humanities
Facts, figures and vision
The Faculty of Arts and Humanities is one of the most prestigious faculties of its kind, being ranked
4th in the UK and 15th in the world according to the 2015/16 Times Higher Education World
University Rankings. The Faculty’s departments are all regularly ranked in the top ten in the UK, with
most departments also regularly ranking in the top three nationally. The Faculty has a bold strategic
vision, as set out in its Strategy Map 2014-18: that by the end of 2018 it will be recognised as one of
the top three faculties of its kind in the UK and one of the top twenty in the world for the quality,
impact and integration of its research and education and for the exceptional student experience it
offers.
The Faculty of Arts and Humanities is one of the most comprehensive faculties of its kind, based on
strong foundations in such core traditional disciplines as Classics, English, History, Modern
Languages, Music, Philosophy and Theology, all of which thrive in conjunction with more recent and
emerging disciplines such as Culture, Media & Creative Industries, Digital Humanities, Film and
European & International Studies. The Faculty also includes the King’s Modern Language Centre,
which offers language instruction to students throughout King’s and to external clients.
The Faculty employs c.330 FTE academic staff and c.77 FTE professional services staff. In the 201516 session there were 4,840 students registered on degree programmes, broken down as follows:
3,491 (FTE) students on undergraduate programmes, 879 FTE students on taught Master’s
programmes and 470 (FTE) research students. Nearly a fifth of our current students come from
outside the EU. The Faculty greatly values a large intake of international exchange students from all
over the world, as well as study abroad students from the US. Students come from a very wide range
of cultures and backgrounds, and all contribute to and benefit from the exciting cultural diversity
which characterises King’s and London generally.
Situated in the heart of London, the Faculty is also deeply involved with the city’s arts sector: there
are already thriving collaborations with, amongst others, the British Museum, Shakespeare’s Globe
Theatre, the BFI, the National Gallery, Tate Modern and Tate Britain, and the British Library, as well
as with smaller arts organizations including London Symphonia and Fuel Theatre. Colleagues in the
Faculty work closely with the Cultural Institute at King’s, which fosters collaborations with the
cultural and private sector, thus maximizing the social, cultural and economic impact of our teaching
and research.
Teaching and research
The Faculty of Arts and Humanities is organised into academic departments, programmes and
centres, which are its basic teaching and research units. Several interdisciplinary programmes are
also offered, which are taught by staff coming together from a number of departments to combine
their expertise. The Faculty also has a number of very active interdisciplinary research centres
operating under the aegis of the Arts and Humanities Research Institute, which fosters collaborative
research across departments, encourages postgraduate-led workshops and enhances research impact.
Based on a strong departmental tradition and a keen interest in interdisciplinary cooperation
between departments and with other Faculties within King’s, the Faculty is able to provide a
comprehensive range of taught programmes and research opportunities in the following disciplines:
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Classics (including Classical Art and Archaeology, Byzantine & Hellenic Studies )
Comparative Literature
Culture, Media & Creative Industries
Digital Humanities
English Language & Literature (including American Studies)
European and International Studies
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Film Studies
French
German
History
Music
Philosophy
Spanish, Portuguese & Latin American Studies
Theology & Religious Studies
Since 2012, the Faculty has also been leading on a pioneering BA in Liberal Arts, which is taught
across Arts & Humanities and the Social Sciences and in which students can major in a wide range of
subjects.
The Faculty has a strong tradition of pastoral support for students and remains committed to
teaching that is both research-led and student-centred, with 10 out of 13 departments scoring more
than 90% for the quality of their teaching in the 2015 National Student Survey. The Faculty has
excellent e-resources with a pioneering bespoke electronic platform that enables digital research,
assessment and marking.
The Faculty has one of the largest cohorts of research students in the Arts and Humanities in the UK
and has developed fruitful areas of cooperation with other world-class universities internationally
(such as joint degrees with Georgetown, the Humboldt and Stuttgart). A particularly close
relationship is enjoyed with the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill), with whose staff the
Faculty co-supervises PhD students and organizes joint workshops and conferences. In addition, the
London Arts and Humanities Partnership (LAHP), funded by the Arts and Humanities Research
Council (AHRC), brings together King’s, the School of Advanced Study and University College
London and offers up to 80 multi-institutional PhD studentships per year, creating one of the most
vibrant centres for graduate training in the Arts and Humanities in the country.
The Faculty has also been successful in attracting external funding for its research from, amongst
others, the AHRC, the British Academy, the European Research Council, the Leverhulme Trust and
the Wellcome Trust. The world-class quality of the Faculty’s research has been recognised by
successive assessment exercises. In the most recent Research Excellence Framework (2014), over
80% of our research activity was judged to be world-leading and internationally excellent in terms of
originality, significance and rigour, and nearly 99% of our impact-related submission was assessed as
of outstanding and very considerable reach and significance.
The Department of English
The English Department at King’s is one of the oldest in the country. English courses have been
taught since the 1830s and scholars attending classes or giving lectures in the early years included
George MacDonald, Sir Israel Gollancz, John Ruskin and W.S. Gilbert. Today the Department is
committed to contemporary directions in Anglophone literary and cultural studies, from the AngloSaxon period to the present day, across a broad sweep of geographical locations and national
traditions, genres, styles, and media (including theatre and performance, and creative writing). This
range is reflected in the Department’s innovative teaching programmes and research initiatives. The
Department has built a distinctive programme of teaching and research collaborations with local
institutions, including the British Museum, the British Library, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, the
National Theatre, and the Museum of London, and hosts the Wellcome-funded Centre for the
Humanities and Health. We are strongly committed to undergraduate and postgraduate teaching,
and the department is regularly ranked highly in national and international surveys. It has a young
and dynamic profile on an upward trajectory, and for REF 2020 and beyond is strategically building
on its 2014 REF success (80% of our submission was ranked either 4* or 3* and we scored highly on
environment and impact).
During the last six years, the Department has undergone an ambitious programme of expansion
which has raised its numbers to around 48 full-time post-holders, and nine postdoctoral research
fellows. A cross-college process of institutional restructuring in 2009-10 brought transfers from the
former Department of American Studies, and since 2011, we have made additional posts in 20th/21st
century literature, English and Comparative Literature, literature and visual and material cultures,
and creative writing, as well as consolidating core strengths in medieval studies, early modern
literature, 18th and 19th-century literature, contemporary literary and cultural studies, and
performance. Through appointments, some shared with Comparative Literature, we have extended
our geographical and linguistic range, and deepened research in colonial, postcolonial and
transnational studies. We now encompass expertise in a wide range of literatures other than English,
including Persian, Urdu, Bengali, Hindi, Arabic, Hebrew, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and
Irish.
Research within the Department ranges across periods from the 7th century to the present day, and
includes textual editing, literary criticism and interpretation, literary and cultural history, the history
of print, literature and medicine, life writing, creative writing, and practice-based research in
performance; and it engages with manuscript, print, digital and oral sources, visual and material
artefacts, and music. Research is organised in five cross-period themes, which focus activities and
generate cross fertilisation of ideas and approaches: 1. material, visual and textual and digital
cultures; 2. literature, medicine and science; 3. life writing, performance and creative
writing; 4. sexuality and gender studies; and 5. colonial, postcolonial, and transnational
cultures. The Department currently hosts three ERC-funded projects (Kabir, ‘Modern Moves: Afrodiasporic rhythm cultures’ [2013-18]; Feigel, ‘Beyond Enemy Lines’ [2013-18]; Saunder’s ‘Ego Media’
[2014-19]), a HERA-funded project (Das, ‘Cultural Exchange in the Time of Global Crisis: Colonials,
Belligerents and Neutrals in WW1’[2013-2016]), and an AHRC-funded project (Pettitt, ‘Scrambled
Messages’ [2013-18]).More extensive discussion of the Department’s areas of research expertise can
be found on our webpages: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/english/research/index.aspx.
Since 2009, we have been home to the Wellcome-funded Centre for Humanities and Health (dir.
Hurwitz). The Department has a growing body of postdoctoral fellows funded by the British Academy,
Leverhulme, and EU (Marie Curie Fellowships), in addition to those funded through projects listed
above. The research culture of the Department is enhanced by the presence of short term and long
term visitors, including an annual Visiting Professor from the University of Pennsylvania’s English
Department, and Visiting Research Fellows from universities around the world. Professors Emeritus
John Stokes and Ann Thompson, and Professor Cora Kaplan (Visiting Senior Research Fellow) are
active members of our research community.
We work closely with writers and artists, and since 2010 have been building a strong group of creative
writers in the department. We have a strong relationship with the Royal Society of Literature
(including a student internship programme) and the English PEN, the international organisation
promoting literature as a means to understanding between cultures. Between 2010 and 2013, the
theatre practitioner Gregg Whelan was in residence as an AHRC-funded Creative Fellow.
Academics and postgraduates in the Department host regular research seminars, conferences and
symposia in a variety of subjects both within the Department and the School, and are also actively
involved in activities of the Institute of English Studies in the University of London’s School of
Advanced Studies. Members of the Department are also closely connected with a number of
important interdisciplinary research centres at King’s including: the Centre for Life Writing Research,
Centre for Late Antique and Medieval Studies, London Shakespeare Centre, Queer@King’s, Centre
for Enlightenment Studies, and the Centre for Modern Literature and Culture. See below.
Our current intake of BA students (mainly single honours English, with a smaller number of BA
English with Film) is around 220, and we accept 130 MA and around 25 doctoral students each year.
Applications to our programmes are buoyant. At both UG and PG level, our students are increasingly
international. We teach significant numbers of visiting students principally from North America,
Europe and Asia. We also have a long-standing programme with the English Department at
University of Pennsylvania, which sends on average 10-15 students to the Department for a semester
each year and a new exchange agreement with Dartmouth College from 2015.
The Department runs a broad range of taught MA Programmes, including the very successful MA in
English 1850-Present, the MA in Contemporary Literature, Culture and Theory, MA in Theatre and
Performance, and the MA Medieval English: Sex, Gender and Culture. Two MA programmes in the
Early Modern period reflect our commitment to a research and teaching culture that capitalizes on
our location in London and close ties with cultural institutions: MA Shakespeare Studies: Text and
Playhouse, taught in collaboration with Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, and MA Early Modern
Literature: Text and Transmission, taught in collaboration with the British Library. The MSc in
Medical Humanities is a unique programme in the UK and linked to the Centre for the Humanities
and Health. The School of Arts and Humanities’ award-winning MA in Eighteenth-Century Studies is
taught collaboratively with the British Museum and is convened by members of the Department, as is
the interdisciplinary MA in Medieval Studies. Members of the Department also contribute to new
interdisciplinary School and College-based MA programmes.
M.Phil/ PhD Students in the Department are currently supported by an AHRC block grant agreement
through London Arts and Humanities Partnership (LAHP), a consortium in which King’s is partnered
with UCL and SAS, the Wellcome Trust, King’s College Graduate School awards, and other sources.
We have a graduate exchange programme with Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, and joint PhD
programmes with University of Hong Kong, National University of Singapore and Humboldt
University in Berlin. The Department also has collaborative research relationships with University of
North Carolina. We have been successful in securing AHRC collaborative doctoral awards, which
have been held with the Imperial War Museum, National Portrait Gallery, and Shakespeare’s Globe
Theatre, and currently with the British Library, the British Museum, the Museum of London, and the
Natural History Museum.
The London Shakespeare Centre: The London Shakespeare Centre, directed by Professor Gordon
McMullan, promotes research and teaching in the area of Shakespeare and Early Modern Studies,
building on King’s location in central London and its strong partnerships with Shakespeare’s Globe,
the British Library and the National Theatre. The five Shakespeare specialists in the English
department –Prof Gordon McMullan, Dr Sonia Massai, Dr Hannah Crawforth, Dr Lucy Munro and
Dr John Lavagnino – provide expertise in key areas of contemporary Shakespeare studies: the
original circumstances and historical contexts for the production of Shakespeare’s works, the nature
of Shakespearean texts and their reproduction and transmission, and the subsequent analysis,
production, adaptation and appropriation of Shakespeare around the world. There are shared and
developing interests and links with the theatre and performance research staff in the Department.
The Centre for the Humanities and Health: Directed by Professor Brian Hurwitz, the Centre for the
Humanities and Health at King's has been created with the help of a £2 million Strategic Award from
the Wellcome Trust and offers unparalleled opportunities to develop a wide ranging interdisciplinary
interface between health sciences and the humanities. It is a college-wide initiative, three of whose
leading participants are members of the English Department, conducting a multi-stranded
programme of research entitled ‘The Boundaries of Illness'.
Centre for Life Writing Research: Co-directed by Professor Clare Brant and Professor Max Saunders,
the CLWR is a School Arts and Humanities Research Centre that provides a hub for interdisciplinary
research related to all aspects of life-writing, including critical biographies and biographical
networks; studies of life-writing forms; and analyses of life-writing practices. The Centre hosted a
major international conference, ‘The Work of Life-Writing’, in May 2009. Recently CLWR has led the
research project ‘Strandlines’, a digital community exploring life on the Strand. See
http://www.strandlines.net/
Centre for Late Antique and Medieval Studies: King’s College London has a long tradition of
supporting Medieval Studies, and over the years it has been home for some of this country’s leading
medievalists. Today CLAMS continues to include among its members experts in a rich array of fields:
late antique and Byzantine studies, medieval languages and literatures, visual culture, palaeography
and codicology, medieval history, music, philosophy, and theology. The intellectual vitality of
contemporary Medieval Studies is fully reflected in the diversity of the theoretical and methodological
approaches practised by King’s medievalists, for whom the Centre provides a space and catalyst for
the critical exchange of ideas. CLAMS runs a successful MA in Medieval Studies, currently convened
by Dr Sarah Salih, and organizes research seminars, symposia, invited lectures and other events. Dr
Sarah Salih is also a member of the Advisory Board for the Centre. See
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/ahri/centres/clams/index.aspx
Queer@King’s: This research centre provides a focus for staff and postgraduates with interests in
queer and sexuality studies. Queer@King’s organizes a regular research seminar – ‘queer discipline’ –
and day-conferences and symposia, including in 2010 a roundtable discussion of Eve Sedgwick’s work
and ‘Queer Sound’ and in 2011 a study day for postgraduates on ‘Sexuality and the Archive.’ See
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/ahri/centres/q@k/index.aspx
Menzies Centre for Australian Studies: Established in 1982, and joining King’s College London in
1999, the Menzies Centre is the oldest and largest centre for the study of Australian culture, history
and politics outside Australia. Its strengths include supporting and promoting research focused on:
historic and contemporary British and European representations of Australia, notably
representations of the Aboriginal peoples of Australia; the historic influence of British and European
ways of seeing on Australian society and culture; the interaction of Indigenous Australian, British,
and other identities in contemporary Australia; the history of diplomatic and military links between
Australia and Britain; and the experiences and history of Australians in Britain. Dr Ian Henderson, its
current director, is also a member of the English department.
Centre for Modern Literature and Culture: Established in October 2013, and directed by Dr Lara
Feigel and Professor Erica Carter (German Dept), the Centre for Modern Literature and Culture is a
forum for academics, writers and artists to explore, interrogate, dismantle and reinvent the notion of
the ‘modern’. It funds and organises regular events aimed both at the academy and the wider public.
It also runs a yearly prize for creative responses to modernism. In its first year of operation, the
Centre is exploring avenues for future interdisciplinary research and aesthetic reinvention with a
project titled Inventing the Modern.
ACADEMIC STAFF IN THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
Applicants are invited to visit the Department’s webpages for details of Staff interests.
Medieval Language and Literature
Professor Clare Lees
Dr Sarah Salih
Dr Lawrence Warner
Dr Joshua Davies
Early Modern, Renaissance, 18th century
Dr Rowan Boyson
Professor Clare Brant
Dr Hannah Crawforth
Dr Elizabeth Eger
Dr John Lavagnino (joint with Department of Digital Humanities)
Dr Sarah Lewis
Professor Gordon McMullan
Professor Sonia Massai
Dr Lucy Munro
Dr Pat Palmer
Dr Elizabeth Scott-Baumann
Dr Emma Whipday
Professor Rivkah Zim
Romantics, Victorians, 20th and 21st Century
Dr Anna Bernard (joint with Department of Comparative Literature)
Dr Alexander Bubb (Leverhulme Early Career Fellow)
Dr Adelene Buckland
Dr Santanu Das
Dr Jon Day
Dr Elina Djebbari (ERC Postdoctoral Research Associate, Modern Moves)
Dr Jane Elliott
Dr Janet Floyd
Dr Seb Franklin
Dr Rob Gallagher (ERC Postdoctoral Research Associate, Ego-Media)
Professor Paul Gilroy
Dr Ian Henderson
Professor John Howard
Dr Clara Jones
Professor Ananya Kabir
Professor Richard Kirkland (Head of Department)
Professor Josephine McDonagh
Dr Alan Marshall
Professor Javed Majeed (joint with Department of Comparative Literature)
Dr Madison Moore (ERC Postdoctoral Research Associate, Modern Moves)
Dr Elaine Morley (ERC Postdoctoral Research Associate, Beyond Enemy Lines)
Dr Cassie Newland (AHRC Postdoctoral Research Associate, Scrambled Messages)
Dr Zoe Norridge (joint with Department of Comparative Literature)
Dr Emily Oliver (ERC Postdoctoral Research Associate, Beyond Enemy Lines)
Professor Clare Pettitt
Dr Ruvani Ranasinha
Dr Rebecca Roach (ERC Postdoctoral Research Associate, Ego-Media)
Dr David Russell
Professor Max Saunders
Dr Nicole Sierra (Leverhulme Early Career Fellow)
Professor Anna Snaith
Dr Daniel Steinbach (HERA Postdoctoral Researcher, Cultural Exchange in a Time of Global Conflict)
Dr Edward Sugden
Professor Mark Turner
Dr Rhys Williams
Professor Patrick Wright
Creative Writing
Edmund Gordon
Ruth Padel
Theatre and Performance Studies
Dr Kelina Gotman
Professor Alan Read
Dr Harriet Curtis (joint with Programme for Liberal Arts)
Dr Lara Shalson
Literature and Medicine
Dr Lara Feigel
Professor Brian Hurwitz (D’Oyly Carte Professor of Medicine and the Arts)
Dr Neil Vickers
The Post
The English Department wishes to appoint a Lecturer in Old and Middle English before 1400 for a
fixed-term period of two years. Applicants must be able to teach MA modules in The Contemporary
Medieval and Visual and Verbal, and will participate in the teaching of BA English modules on Old
English language and literature and Middle English literature at all levels of the curriculum
(including Medieval Literary Culture, Cultural Encounters: Literature and Language in Anglo-Saxon
England, Old English Poems and Modern British Poetry, Subjects of Desire, and Beowulf). The
successful applicant will join a vital group of medievalists in the English Department and in the
Faculty of Arts and Humanities and will be expected to participate in the Centre for Late Antique and
Medieval Studies (CLAMS). Applicants must be active researchers, able to offer some postgraduate
research supervision and to contribute to the Department’s research culture. A record of work in
public engagement and impact would be an advantage.
The post will be based at the Virginia Woolf Building, King’s Strand Campus.
Job Description
Post title
Lecturer in Old and Middle English before 1400 (fixed term, 2 years)
Department/Division
English Department
Faculty/Directorate
Arts & Humanities
Grade
6
Responsible for
N/A
Responsible to
Professor Richard Kirkland
Role purpose
Summary of the overall purpose of the job.
 To participate in the planning, organisation, delivery and assessment of undergraduate and
postgraduate programmes,
 To undertake internationally leading research that is consistent with the Department and
Faculty’s research strategy
 To carry out administration as requested by the Head of Department.
Role Profile
Key objectives:
 Participate in the planning, organisation and delivery of teaching activities within the department
in accordance with established departmental practice.
 Serve as module convenor for large undergraduate module, supporting and training graduate
assistants, and coordinating academic staff.
 Act as personal tutor to students as agreed with the Head of Department and assist with
difficulties, e.g. learning support/problems.
 Participate fully in assessment and examination processes as appropriate using a variety of
methods and techniques and provide effective, timely and appropriate feedback to students to
support their leaning.
 Engage in professional development as appropriate
 Contribute to developing and enhancing the research profile of the Department, Faculty and
university, including establishing a track record of high quality publication;
 Attend and participate in appropriate research seminars/conferences within subject related areas.
 Accept academic responsibility within the Department and Faculty, involving departmental
administrative responsibilities in respect of student services, student recruitment and advice as
well as participating in aspects of Faculty governance on Faculty committees.
 Undertake any other reasonable duties that may be requested by the Head of Department.
Communication & networking:
 Communicate conceptual and complex ideas to a variety of audiences using appropriate media
and methods
 Lead and develop internal networks
 Participate in and develop external networks

Communication with students through the appropriate media
Decision making, planning & problem solving:
 Identify programme development needs and propose how these should be achieved.
 Develop ideas for promoting the subject, disseminating and applying the results of scholarship
and generating income,
 Design, deliver and assess modules
 Collaborate with colleagues on implementation of assessment procedures
 Contribute to accreditation and quality control processes.
 Ensure student needs and expectations are met
 Manage projects relating to own area of work.
 Take responsibility for administrative duties such as admissions, time-tabling, examinations,
attendance, etc.
 Attend staff training courses as appropriate, and identify areas in which further training is
required
Service delivery:
 Take a role in the provision of, managing, agreeing, and defining of service standard
 Balance the pressures of teaching and administrative demands and competing deadlines
 Conduct risk assessments and take responsibility for the health and safety of students and
others.
Analysis & research:
 Extend, transform and apply knowledge acquired from scholarship to teaching and
appropriate external activities
Team work, teaching & learning support:
 Act as a responsible team member, leading where agreed, and develop productive working
relationship with others
 Collaborate with colleagues to identify and respond to student needs
 Collaborate with colleagues across departments to deliver relevant interdisciplinary
programmes
 Design teaching material and deliver across a range of modules within subject area
 Use appropriate teaching, learning support and assessment methods
 Supervise student projects at all levels
 Contribute to the planning, design and development of objectives and material
 Identify areas of current provision in need of revision or improvement
 Set, mark and assess work and examinations and provide feedback to students
Sensory/physical demands & work environment:
 Conduct risk assessments and take responsibility for the health and safety of students and
others
 Balance the pressures of teaching and administrative demands and competing deadlines
Pastoral care:
 Take responsibility for the welfare of tutees and students on their courses
 Provide support and be considerate of other members of staff.
Specific Aspects - indicate frequency D (daily), W (weekly), M (monthly) where applicable:
Intensive Display Screen Equipment work
(eg. data entry or digital microscopy)1:
n/a
Direct patient contact involving exposure prone
procedures (EPP)2:
n/a
Heavy manual handling1:
n/a
Direct patient contact, no EPP2
n/a
Highly repetitive tasks (eg. pipetting or reshelving books)1:
n/a
Work with patient specimens (eg. blood or tissue
samples)2:
n/a
Shift work, night work or call-out duties2:
n/a
Work with GM organisms or biological agents
that may pose a hazard to human health2:
n/a
Work involving risk of exposure to
environmental or human pathogens (eg. in
waste streams or soils)2:
n/a
Hazards which require health surveillance eg.
respiratory sensitisers (allergens, substances with
risk phrase R42, wood dust etc) or loud noise2:
n/a
Driving vehicles on College business2:
n/a
Food handling or preparation2:
n/a
Work at height (eg. ladders, scaffolds etc)1
n/a
Work in confined spaces (eg. sump rooms, etc)1
n/a
Additional Requirements
 All employees are expected to adhere to King’s policies and procedures which are published on the
HR webpages.
 Employees will be expected to comply with any reasonable request from a manager to undertake
work of a similar level that is not specified in this job description.
 This post may be required to work irregular hours in accordance with the needs of the role.
 You will be expected to teach and/or assist, as appropriate, using both traditional and innovative
methods in such areas as eLearning, short courses, blended learning, summer courses, distance
learning, multi-media learning, this list is not exhaustive but to give an indication of the type of
areas currently offered.
Occupational Health Clearance
As part of our pre employment checks the successful applicant will be sent a ‘Health and Capability
Declaration Form’ and if they declare that they do have a health condition or disability that may
require accommodation measures so that they are able to carry out their work comfortably and
efficiently, they will be sent an Occupational Health Questionnaire to determine whether any
reasonable accommodation measures are required for the candidate to take up the post.
Please note
This job description reflects the core activities of the role and as the university and the post-holder
develop there will inevitably be changes in the emphasis of duties. It is expected that the post-holder
recognise this and adopt a flexible approach to work and be willing to participate in training.
If changes to the job become significant, the job description should be reviewed formally by the postholder and line manager. The Human Resources department should then be consulted as to the
implications of the proposed changes.
Confidentiality
In the course of your work you may have access to personal or confidential information which must
not be disclosed or made available to any other person unless in the performance of your duties or
with specific permission from your Dean of Faculty/ Division /Department. (In particular if your
work involves the handling of clinical samples and/or patient data, NHS policies for the maintenance
of security and confidentiality of NHS systems and data must be observed). Breaches in
confidentiality may lead to disciplinary action.
No Smoking Policy
King’s College London is committed to maintaining a healthy environment for staff, students and
visitors. Therefore, please note that smoking is not permitted in any of the university buildings or in
university vehicles. Smoking is also not permitted immediately outside the entrances to university
buildings or near to windows and air intake units. Staff working at associated NHS trust sites or other
premises should adhere to whatever policy is in place at these locations. NB. This information is
provided as guidance only, and does not form part of the employment contract.
Person Specification
Eligibility to work in the United Kingdom
Applications are welcomed from international candidates. The recruitment of this post meets Home
Office advertising requirements that qualify the role for sponsorship under Tier 2. Consequently, if
required, the university could potentially sponsor the successful candidate in applying for a visa
under Tier 2 of the points based immigration system, providing all other requirements are met.
Information on Tier 2 sponsorship can be found on the UK Visas and Immigration website:
www.gov.uk/tier-2-general/overview
Criteria
E
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T
I
A
L
D
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A
B
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HOW IDENTIFIED
AND ASSESSED
AP Application
AS Assessment
I Interview
P Presentation
R References
Education/qualification and training
PhD in Old or Middle English
X
AP/R
Teaching experience at undergraduate and postgraduate level
X
AP/I/P/R
Ability to teach Old and Middle English literature at BA level and
MA level and to work closely with doctoral students in nonsupervisory capacity
X
AP/P/I/R
High-quality teaching skills: ability to communicate difficult
concepts and material to students of all levels; ability to inspire
students; ability to enable students to develop their individual
intellectual and personal potential
X
I and P and R
Knowledge of Old and Middle English literature and culture, its
contexts and its critical traditions.
x
AP, I P
Ability to organise research workshops etc.
X
AP, I, and R
Excellent presentational skills: ability to present information and
concepts in written and oral form to a variety of levels
X
AP and I
Excellent administrative skills: ability to support the organisational
aspects of teaching, learning and research
X
R and I
Ability to be innovative in teaching and in curriculum design
X
AP/ R/ I
X
AP, I and P
Knowledge/skills
Experience
Experience of teaching undergraduate students
Experience of teaching postgraduate students
X
AP, I and P
Higher education administrative experience, or equivalent.
X
AP and I
Engagement in professional organisations (conference papers,
X
AP
workshops, memberships)
Record of innovation in teaching and in curriculum design
X
AP and R
Team player, ability to work with others, and to support others,
when necessary
X
AP and I
Desire to promote the subject at all levels
X
AP and I
Willingness to contribute to the pastoral care of students
X
AP and I
Personal characteristics/other requirements
Summary of Terms and Conditions of Service
This appointment is made under the King’s College London Terms and Conditions of Service for
Academic staff, a copy of which is available from the Recruitment Team upon request.
Period of Appointment:
2 years fixed term
Salary:
£32,600 - £38,896 per annum
plus £2,323 London Weighting Allowance per annum
Probation:
The typical probation period for this post would be three years, however since this post is a fixed term
contract for less than that period of time, it will be subject to probation for the entire duration of the
contract. In the event that the contract is extended, the probation period will continue.
Annual Leave:
27 working days per annum pro rata (please note the annual leave year runs from JanuaryDecember) bank holidays and customary closure days in are in addition to the annual leave
entitlement. Staff receive four additional customary closure days in December. Notification as to how
these days are taken is circulated at the start of the academic year.
Superannuation
This appointment is superannuable under the USS pension scheme. In accordance with recent
legislation, we automatically enrols our staff in a pension scheme if they meet certain age and earning
criteria. This is known as auto-enrolment. The university collects pension contributions via a salary
sacrifice method called PensionsPlus. These deductions are made before the calculation of tax and
national insurance is calculated; therefore reducing the amount you pay.
Staff already superannuated under the NHS Superannuation Scheme may opt to remain in that
scheme provided an application to do so is received by the NHS scheme trustees within three months
of appointment to King’s College London. Please note that NHS Superannuation Scheme: Medical
Schools are classed as “Direction Employers” and some benefits of the NHS Scheme are not available
to Direction members.
Alternatively staff may opt to take out a personal pension. Please note that the university does not
provide an employer's contribution towards a private pension plan.
Training and Education:
King’s College London recognises the importance of training in achieving its objective of pursuing
excellence in teaching, research and clinical practice through the activities of its staff. We are
committed to providing training for all members of staff so that they can perform their jobs effectively
and offering them opportunities for further development. Most training and development will occur
"on the job" and formal training opportunities are also available within King’s College London
associated hospitals trusts and through other external organisations.
Staff Benefits:
King’s College London offers a wide range of staff benefits. For the full comprehensive list of staff
benefits please refer to our website: Staff Benefits
Equal opportunities:
King’s College London recognises that equality of opportunity and the recognition and promotion of
diversity are integral to its academic and economic strengths. The following principles apply in
respect of the university’s commitment to equality and diversity:
 To provide and promote equality of opportunity in all areas of its work and activity;
 To recognise and develop the diversity of skills and talent within its current and potential
community;
 To ensure that all university members and prospective members are treated solely on the basis of
their merits, abilities and potential without receiving any unjustified discrimination or
unfavourable treatment on grounds such as age, disability, marital status, pregnancy or maternity,
race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, trans status, socio-economic status or any other
irrelevant distinction;
 To provide and promote a positive working, learning, and social environment which is free from
prejudice, discrimination and any forms of harassment, bullying or victimisation;
 To foster good relations between individuals from different groups and tackle prejudice and
promote understanding.
King’s has been a member of the Athena SWAN Charter since 2007 and gained its Bronze
institutional award in 2008. Our award was successfully renewed in September 2013 for a further
three years. The Athena SWAN agenda forms part of a wider suite of diversity and inclusion work
streams. Working with the Charter is helping King’s to identify best practice for the working
environment of all staff working in science disciplines.
Applying for the Post:
At the bottom of the HireWire advert you will be directed to download and complete the required
application form. Please then upload your application form via your profile into the HireWire system.
We will not accept Curriculum Vitae in isolation and you must complete the required application
form for your application to be considered.
Applicants with disabilities:
King’s College London is keen to increase the number of disabled people it employs. We therefore
encourage applications from individuals with a disability who are able to carry out the duties of the
post. If you have special needs in relation to your application please contact the Recruitment
Coordinator responsible for the administration of the post on recruitmentteam3@kcl.ac.uk
Response and Feedback
Unfortunately we are not able to provide feedback to candidates who are not shortlisted for the role.
We are only able to provide feedback to interviewed candidates upon request. We would like to assure
you, however, that every application we receive is considered in detail and a shortlist only drawn up
after careful reference to a detailed person specification.
If therefore, your application is not successful, we hope that you will not be discouraged and will still
apply for other suitable vacancies at King’s College London as and when they are advertised.