Professor of Digital Arts

To raise the bar, drive performance at School, Faculty and University level, and build on our national and international reputation in research, we are looking to make a key professorial appointment. If you have made a sustained, significant and original impact on knowledge in your field, this is your opportunity to join us as Professor of Digital Arts in the School of Digital Arts (SODA) within the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.

About us
With over 5,100 staff members across the university, and around 41,000 students – including some 6,000 choosing to study for a postgraduate qualification – we are a big institution with even bigger ambitions. We are proud to be an integral part of the great city of Manchester, and our impact reaches around the globe.

About the School of Digital Arts (SODA)
SODA represents a £35m investment into the workspaces, networks, teaching and research that will empower the next generation of creative practitioners at the intersection of storytelling, technology and innovation. This interdisciplinary school offers industry informed courses that span film, animation, UX, photography, music and sound design, games art and design, immersive production and more – together with purpose built spaces to collaborate and specialist facilities that include a UX suite, film studios, virtual production, edit suites, sound, music and production studios, a cinema and a gallery. It is ideally placed within a global city that has become a powerhouse of the UK’s digital economy and is widely recognised as a national and international media hub: home to MediaCityUK, the BBC, ITV, Factory International at Aviva Studios and a thriving creative and cultural scene.

About the role
The role of Professor is one of the highest academic distinctions conferred by the University and post holders are expected to make a powerful contribution to academic citizenship and leadership, as well as to knowledge exchange. You will also build on your existing achievements to pursue one of two equally valued pathways for academic progression, leaning either towards national recognition for excellence in teaching, learning and assessment, or towards an ‘internationally leading’ research profile.

About you
You’ll have an in-depth understanding and experience within digital storytelling, and specifically within immersive and interactive storytelling through virtual production, AI, XR, AR, VR, game engines and/or other emergent technologies. You will also have a breadth of knowledge of practice-based and/or theoretical leadership within the landscape of digital arts, and an understanding of the latest industry and academic developments and trends in your specialism 

Capable of conducting research and supporting the delivery of academic programmes that are rooted in contemporary practices, you’re equally enthusiastic about encouraging both staff and students to explore future possibilities at the intersection of storytelling, technology, and innovation.

As a thought leader in your field, you’ll have evidence of contribution to the development of the discipline, showing impact and influence through conferences, national and international networks and papers.

In addition to substantial experience of innovative teaching, learning and assessment practices, you have demonstrated the leadership and organisational skills to lead, manage, train and mentor research teams, staff and students, and the ability to communicate and negotiate effectively with a wide range of audiences and stakeholders, including professional, statutory and regulatory and funding bodies.

Interviews – 8 July 2024

To make an initial informal enquiry, please contact Jill Griffiths, Head of SODA at j.r.griffiths@mmu.ac.uk

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