4 Posts of Assistant Professor in Statistics @ University of Durham

Assistant Professor in Statistics (MATH21-51) (4 Posts) (Job Number: 20000841)
Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Durham
Grade 7/8: - £33,797 - £49,553 per annum
Open-Ended/Permanent - Full Time
Contracted Hours per Week: 35
Closing Date: 08-Jan-2021, 1:59:00 AM
https://durham.taleo.net/careersection/du_ext/jobdetail.ftl?job=20000841&tz=GMT%2B00%3A00&tzname=Europe%2FLondon

The role is full time but we will consider requests for flexible working arrangements including potential job shares

Successful candidates will ideally be in post by September 1, 2021.

Durham University
A globally outstanding centre of teaching and research excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, a unique and historic setting – Durham is a university like no other.

We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things in the world.

As part of Durham University, you’ll be working with exceptional minds, all with the desire to ask, and answer, the big questions. Access to leading edge facilities and an active contributor to the global research and university community means you’ll be part of an international and diverse network of partners spanning the world’s best research institutions, organisations and businesses. And all this within the evocative and historic surroundings of the city, county and community that is Durham.

We find it easy to be proud of the extraordinary people we have at Durham. We offer the inspiration, they achieve the outstanding. We invite you to join them.

Applications are particularly welcome from women and black and minority ethnic candidates, who are under-represented in academic posts in the University.  We are committed to equality: if for any reason you have taken a career break or periods of leave that may have impacted on your career path, such as maternity, adoption or parental leave, you may wish to disclose this in your application. The selection committee will recognise that this may have reduced the quantity of your research accordingly.

Durham University’s Athena Swan institutional award recognises and celebrates good practice in recruiting and supporting the development of women. We have also signed up to the Race Equality Charter, a national framework for improving the representation, progression and success of minority ethnic staff and students within higher education.

The Department
The Department of Mathematical Sciences at Durham University seeks to appoint four talented individuals to the role of Assistant Professor.  We welcome applications from those with research and teaching interests in the broad field of Statistics, including statistical machine learning and artificial intelligence. (Further details of the research interests of the Statistics Group may be found near the end of this document.)

This post offers an exciting opportunity to make a major contribution to the development of internationally excellent research and teaching while allowing you unrivalled opportunities to progress and embed your career in an exciting and progressive institution. For more information, please visit our Department pages at https://www.dur.ac.uk/mathematical.sciences/.

Assistant Professors at Durham

The University is committed to enabling all of our colleagues to achieve their full potential. We promote and maintain an inclusive and supportive environment to ensure that all colleagues can thrive.  Academic colleagues are supported to publish world-class research in their area of interest with a focus on quality in high impact journals, rather than quantity. We will fully support your research needs including practical help such as resources to attend conferences and to fund research activity, as well as a generous research leave policy and a designated mentor. Sitting alongside world class research, teaching quality and innovation is critical to ensure a first-class learning environment and curricula for all of our students. You will be supported to develop your teaching expertise and to engage in teaching innovation to embed our student experience.

All of our Assistant Professors are encouraged to focus on research and teaching but also to engage in wider citizenship to enhance their own development, to support their department and wider discipline, and to contribute to the wider student experience.

We are confident that our recruitment process allows us to attract and select the best international talent to Durham. We therefore offer a reduced probation period of 1 year for our Assistant Professors and thereafter, subject to satisfactory performance, you will be confirmed in post.

Assistant Professor in Statistics

Applicants must demonstrate research excellence in the field of Statistics, with the ability to teach our students to an exceptional standard and to fully engage in the services, citizenship and values of the University. The University provides a working and teaching environment which is inclusive and welcoming and where everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate these key principles as part of the assessment process.

Key responsibilities:
Pursue research that is world-leading in terms of originality, significance and rigour, commensurate with the Department’s continuing emphasis on international excellence;
Develop clear plans for the pursuit of suitable national and international funding opportunities to support research and impact;
Contribute to enhancing the quality of the research environment in the Statistics Group, the Department, the University, and beyond through collaborative research activity;
Contribute to attracting and supervising research students, and enhance the Department’s commitment to its vibrant and international postgraduate culture;
Deliver lectures, seminars and tutorials at undergraduate and taught postgraduate levels, as well as engaging in related activity such as assessment;
Contribute to ongoing curriculum development;
Demonstrate a willingness to contribute to the administrative work and citizenship duties of the Department;
Fully engage with and enhance the values of the Department;  
Carry out such other duties as specified by the Head of Department.

Person Specification
Candidates applying for a grade 7 post will have recently completed or be concluding their PhD and, while they may have limited direct experience of the requirements for the post, they must outline their experience, skills and achievements to date which demonstrate that they meet or that they have the potential to achieve the essential criteria.

Candidates applying for a grade 8 post must meet all of the essential criteria.

Research
Candidates must have capacity for and be progressing towards the independent development of internationally excellent research that produces high quality outcomes, including some work that is recognised as world class.

Essential Research Criteria – Grade 7
Qualifications - a good first degree and a PhD in Statistics or a related subject (which for grade 7 candidates may be completed or under examination).
Outputs - experience, skills and/or achievements which demonstrate experience of or the potential to produce high quality outputs, some of which is recognised as world-class. Candidates are asked to submit two research papers with their application (as outlined in the How to Apply section below).  Candidates may additionally choose to submit evidence such as external peer review of their outputs.
Personal Research Plan - evidence of a personal research plan which supports and enhances the Department’s research strategy.
Essential Research Criteria – Grade 8
Qualifications - a good first degree and a PhD in Statistics or a related subject.
Outputs - evidence of high quality outputs, some of which is recognised as world-class.  Candidates are asked to submit two research papers with their application (as outlined in the How to Apply section below).  Candidates may additionally choose to submit evidence such as external peer review of their outputs.    
Personal Research Plan - evidence of a personal research plan which supports and enhances the Department’s research strategy.

Teaching
Candidates must demonstrate the development and delivery of high quality teaching that contributes to providing a world class learning environment and curricula which enables students to achieve their potential.

Essential Teaching Criteria – Grade 7
Qualification - candidates must have or have the ability to attain the rank of Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/individuals/fellowship/fellow), which is the national body that champions teaching excellence.
Quality - experience, skills and/or achievements that demonstrate experience of or the potential to deliver high quality teaching.
Innovation – experience, skills and/or achievements that demonstrate experience of or the potential to innovate in the design and delivery of high quality teaching or assessment of learning including lectures, small group learning and/or using technology or other techniques to enhance learning and/or assessment.
Strategic - experience, skills and/or achievements that demonstrate experience of or the potential to engage in the design of excellent teaching programmes which are research informed and led.
Essential Teaching Criteria – Grade 8
Qualification - candidates must have or have the ability to attain the rank of Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/individuals/fellowship/fellow), which is the national body that champions teaching excellence.
Quality - evidence of the development and delivery of high quality teaching.
Innovation – evidence of innovation in the design and delivery of high quality teaching or assessment of learning including lectures, small group learning and/or using technology or other techniques to enhance learning and/or assessment.
Strategic - evidence of strategic teaching development - engagement in the design of excellent teaching programmes which are research informed and led.

Services, Citizenship and Values
Candidates must actively engage in the administrative requirements of the Department and positively contribute to fostering a collegial environment; as well as demonstrating their commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

Essential Services, Citizenship and Values criteria – Grade 7
Collegial contribution – experience, skills and/or achievements that demonstrate experience of or the potential to participate in the collegial/administrative activities or an academic Department, Faculty or University.  (Candidates may choose to evidence departmental or University roles, mentoring activity, engagement with widening participation, involvement in equality and diversity initiatives and membership or engagement with external bodies).
Leadership - experience, skills and/or achievements that demonstrate experience of or the potential to engage in activities that contribute to the administrative functioning of an academic Department, Faculty, University and/or discipline including leadership or responsibilities in an academic context.  (Candidates may choose to detail any leadership roles which they have undertaken, preferably in an academic context).
Communication - candidates must have excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to engage with a range of students and colleagues across a variety of forums.
Essential Services, Citizenship and Values criteria – Grade 8
Collegial contribution – evidence of participation in the collegial/administrative activities of an academic Department, Faculty or University.  (Candidates may choose to evidence departmental or University roles, mentoring activity, engagement with widening participation, involvement in equality and diversity initiatives and membership or engagement with external bodies).
Leadership - engagement in activities that contribute to the administrative functioning of an academic Department, Faculty, University and/or discipline including leadership or responsibilities in an academic context.  (Candidates may choose to detail any leadership roles which they have undertaken, preferably in an academic context).
Communication - candidates must have excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to engage with a range of students and colleagues across a variety of forums.

Desirable Criteria – Grade 7
The desirable criteria for this post (for which candidates should provide evidence of some if not all criteria) are:
Research Leadership - experience, skills and/or achievements that demonstrate experience of or the potential to contribute to the leadership of research groups and the mentoring of early career researchers.  (Candidates may choose to include information about research group leadership, mentoring of research colleagues, invitations to external events, engagement with international networks or projects).
PhD Supervision – experience, skills and/or achievements that demonstrate experience of or the potential to provide excellent supervision for PhD students.
Research Impact - experience, skills and/or achievements that demonstrate experience of or the potential to evidence research impact beyond their institution.  
Income Generation - experience, skills and/or achievements that demonstrate experience of or the potential to develop successful research project proposals.

Desirable Criteria – Grade 8
The desirable criteria for this post (for which candidates should provide evidence of some if not all criteria) are:

Research Leadership - contribution to the leadership of research groups and the mentoring of early career researchers.  (Candidates may choose to include information about research group leadership, mentoring of research colleagues, invitations to external events, engagement with international networks or projects).
PhD Supervision – involvement in the provision of excellent supervision for PhD students.
Research Impact - demonstrable evidence of the impact of the Candidate’s research beyond their institution.  
Income Generation - evidence of engagement in the development of successful research project proposals.  
Contact Information


Department contact for academic-related enquiries

Professor Ian Jermyn (i.h.jermyn@durham.ac.uk).  

Contact information for technical difficulties when submitting your application

If you encounter technical difficulties when using the online application form, we prefer you send enquiries by email.  Please send your name along with a brief description of the problem you’re experiencing to e.recruitment@durham.ac.uk

Alternatively, you may call 0191 334 6801 from the UK, or +44 191 334 6801 from outside the UK. This number operates during the hours of 09.00 and 17.00 Monday to Friday, UK time.  We will normally respond within one working day (Monday to Friday, excluding UK public holidays).

University contact for general queries about the recruitment process

Sophie Smart, HR Administrator (Recruitment)
Faculty of Science
sophie.smart2@durham.ac.uk

How to Apply
We prefer to receive applications online.   https://durham.taleo.net/careersection/du_ext/jobdetail.ftl?job=20000841&tz=GMT%2B00%3A00&tzname=Europe%2FLondon

As a University we foster a collegiate community of extraordinary people aligned to the University’s values.  Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University’s Strategy and a central part of everything we do.  At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive, and in doing so, recruit the world’s best candidates from all backgrounds and identities. It’s important to us that all of our colleagues are aligned to both our values and commitment to EDI. We therefore ask that as part of your application you provide a statement (of no more than 1 side of A4) which outlines work which you have been involved in which demonstrates your commitment to EDI and our values.


Please note that in submitting your application, we will be processing your data.  We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement https://www.dur.ac.uk/ig/dp/privacy/pnjobapplicants/ which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.


Information if you have a disability

The University welcomes applications from disabled people. We are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, adjustments will be made to support people within their role.


If you are unable to complete your application via our recruitment system, please get in touch with us on e.recruitment@durham.ac.uk.


What to Submit

All applicants are asked to submit:

A CV;
A covering letter which details your experience, strengths and potential in the requirements set out above. Please state the Grade of the post you wish to be considered for;
A personal research plan;
An EDI & values statement;
Two of your most significant pieces of written work, all of which accepted for publication since 2015. Where possible we request that you provide web links to these which the hiring Department will access to read your work. The application form contains fields in which to enter each of the web links. In the event you are unable to provide accessible links to online hosting of your work, your work should be uploaded as PDFs as part of your application in our recruitment system. Please ensure that your PDFs are not larger than 1MB. Please note that your work may be read by colleagues from across the Department and evaluated against the current REF criteria.
Please save all application documents with your name and document type as PDF files.


We will notify you on the status of your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system.  Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to ensure you receive all emails.


Referees

You should provide details of 3 academic referees and the details of your current line manager so that we may seek an employment reference (if they are not listed as an academic referee).  Please note:

We shall seek the academic references during the application process.  Academic referees should not (if possible) include your PhD supervisor(s) and a majority should be from a University other than your own (save for early career applicants applying for their first post).  We would ask that you alert your academic referees to this application as soon as possible, and provide them with a copy of the CV you submit with your application, so that we can quickly obtain references should you be progressed to the interview stage. As part of your application you will be asked whether you give your consent to your academic references being sought should you be invited to attend interview.
Academic references sought for short-listed candidates may be made available to the panel during the interview process.
We will seek a reference from your current line-manager if we make you an offer of employment (albeit you may have also nominated your line manager as an academic referee).  Please clearly indicate which referee is your current line-manager and please let us know if we should only approach them once an offer has been made.
Next Steps

All applications will be considered; our usual practice is for colleagues across the Department to read the submitted work of long-listed candidates.


Short-listed candidates will be invited to the University and will have the opportunity to meet key members of the Department.  The assessment for the post will normally include a presentation to staff and students in the Department followed by an interview.  We anticipate that the assessments and interviews will take place over two days in or around March 2021.


In the event that you are unable to attend in person on the date offered, it may not be possible to offer you an interview on an alternative date.


About the Department

The Statistics Group


The Statistics Group currently has 16 academic staff, 5 postdoctoral researchers, and 23 PhD students and there are also 12 academic staff in Probability. Areas of particular research interest include:  

Bayesian statistics, with specific expertise in model/variable selection, Bayes linear methods, and uncertainty quantification for computer models;
Nonparametric statistics, including smoothing and predictive inference;
Statistical modelling, including the modelling of structure, geometry, and shape;
Foundations of statistics and decision theory, with specific attention to generalized uncertainty quantification, including imprecise probability;
Applied statistics, with specific attention to large-scale applications, in a wide range of contexts, including banking, cosmology, digital commerce, energy, ecotoxicology, food safety, image and biomolecular data, petroleum and other engineering, reliability, risk assessment and systems biology.  
There are many active collaborations with other Durham University departments and research institutes, including the newly founded Institute for Data Science. The Department operates a Statistics and Mathematics Consultancy Unit, which provides a focus for external liaison with outside and commercial organisations and which has clients ranging from local companies to multi-nationals, as well as governmental organisations. The Group provided 6 impact case studies for REF 2014. Both the Department and the University run High Performance Computing services.


As part of the expansion of the Department, a new degree in Mathematics and Statistics, as well as a new Master of Data Science, have just been launched, with further specialized MSc programmes to commence in 2021 and subsequent years. These degrees will allow research-led teaching in areas at the forefront of modern statistical practice.  


About Durham University


As one of the UK’s leading universities, Durham is an incredible place to define your career while enjoying a high quality work/life balance. We are home to some of the most talented scholars and researchers from around the world who are tackling global issues and making a difference to people's lives.


The University sits in a beautiful historic city where it shares ownership of a UNESCO World Heritage Site with Durham Cathedral.  A collegiate University, Durham recruits outstanding students from across the world and offers an unmatched wider student experience.


Less than 3 hours north of London, and an hour and a half south of Edinburgh, County Durham is a region steeped in history and natural beauty. The Durham Dales, including the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, are home to breathtaking scenery and attractions. Durham offers an excellent choice of city, suburban and rural residential locations. The University provides a range of benefits including pension and childcare provision and the University’s Relocation Manager can assist with potential schooling requirements.


If you’d like to find out more about the University or relocating you and your family to Durham, please visit https://www.dur.ac.uk/jobs/recruitment/