Assistant Professor in Finance

Heriot-Watt University – Edinburgh Business School

Heriot-Watt University has established a reputation for world-class teaching and leading-edge, relevant research, which has made it one of the top UK universities for innovation, business and industry.

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. Heriot-Watt is also Scotland's most international university, boasting the largest international student cohort

Shaping Tomorrow Together

The university is running a campaign to identify key academic talent join us across our Edinburgh, Galashiels, and Dubai campuses and across multiple Schools and Disciplines. You will join as an Assistant Professor. This is an exciting campaign to kick off in late 2022 and into 2023. So, we are really interested in hearing from you as we look to you to help us shape tomorrow together.

About our Team

The Finance Group is part of the Edinburgh Business School, which also includes the Accounting and Economics Groups. The Finance group is strongly oriented toward research and delivery of successful undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. The group is proud to foster a challenging and developmental environment for our undergraduates and postgraduate students who go on to excel in a diverse range of careers. 

The Finance group is composed of 17 full-time staff members who deliver UG and PG courses in Edinburgh, Malaysia, and Dubai campuses. Edinburgh Finance group is the largest of the three with two Professors, three Associate Professors, and seven Assistant Professors. We have two Assistant Professor in Malaysia and one associate professor and two Assistant Professors in Dubai campuses. All staff members at Edinburgh are highly research active publishing in top-rated journals on topics including corporate finance, circular economy, financial technology, risk management, corporate governance, and financial economy. The staff are also bidding and winning large research grants including in the areas of the circular economy, green finance, and financial technology. There is also a thriving and expanding community of research associates and research students. The group benefits from Bloomberg labs and excellent data sources. Needless to say, our students including undergraduate, postgraduate, and Ph.D. students use these valuable resources extensively in their courses and research.  

We are seeking to appoint an Assistant Professor in Finance with research interest in areas including Corporate Finance, Finance and Sustainability, Net-Zero, CSR, or Financial Technology. 

The successful candidate will contribute to the University’s multidisciplinary research programmes in sustainability, corporate social responsibility, net-zero, and financial technology. They will be working jointly with members of the Finance group in producing research output and grant applications whose research areas cover a broad range of disciplines such as corporate finance, circular economy, financial technology, risk management, corporate governance, and financial economy. The Assistant Professor will also be teaching at the undergraduate/postgraduate levels given the expertise of the candidate and the teaching needs of the group. 

 Key Responsibilities

• Undertake teaching and assessment duties on academic programmes.  Support colleagues in the Edinburgh Business School and other Schools at Heriot-Watt University in the delivery of courses and other activities to support the delivery of HWU's aims.
• Develop relevant materials in appropriate formats for the above programmes.  Contribute to the content, design and delivery of the curriculum, and the quality of teaching and learning, in consultation with colleagues and within the international structures and mechanisms established by the University.  Review teaching design and delivery by obtaining and analysing feedback from students and peers.  Support the accreditation processes of professional bodies.
• Mentor and supervise students, including PhD students, providing effective, well documented and timely feedback, both formative and summative.  Provide pastoral support, recognising when to refer a student for further support.  Play a key role in the delivery and support of an excellent student learning and living experience at HWU.
• Develop the level of subject expertise in line with latest development in research, and ensure these developments are reflected in teaching materials and methods. 
• Build and conduct research in one or more of the School's research areas at internationally competitive levels. 
• Develop and maintain strong links with business and industry, external organisations and the education sector.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues in the UK, at other campuses, and with external networks both for the exchange of information, to share learning, and to form relationships for future collaboration. 
• Undertake a proactive role in promoting and marketing the University, ensuring the effective recruitment of students and the achievement of recruitment targets.  Play a full role in Open Days and other student recruitment events.
• Undertake leadership and administrative tasks associated with programme planning, preparation for examination boards and progression boards, etc, as instructed.  Participate in relevant committees.  Associate Professors will be expected to undertake additional leadership and management responsibilities.
• Undertake continuous professional development (CPD) and participate in staff development activities.
• 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 and its general responsibilities. 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 or equivalent in a relevant subject area
• Demonstrate a promising potential in research and publications
• Demonstrate strong potential to delivering high quality teaching in finance with ability to link teaching to research and industry needs.
• Fluent communication skills
• Flexibility and initiative

How to Apply

Applications can be submitted up until midnight on 19th February 2023. 

Interested applicants must submit via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment system: (1) a cover letter describing their interest and suitability for the post; (2) a full CV; (3) A summary of their scholarship and teaching plans and ambitions; and (4) a list of publications. 

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.