Associate Lecturer - Research Topics in Astrobiology and Planetary Science

Do you have a passion for astrobiology and teaching? Birkbeck, University of London, has an excellent opportunity for an Associate Lecturer to teach next Spring term 2026.

The School of Natural Sciences is looking to recruit a part-time, fixed-term Associate Lecturer to teach on the following module:

• Research Topics in Astrobiology and Planetary Science – Level 7
• 30 Hours of Teaching (including preparation, organisation, communication with students, and marking)
• Wednesday teaching 6-9pm January - April 2026.

You will contribute to the core teaching on the MSc. Astrobiology programme at Birkbeck, leading an established seminar-based module that is designed to give students an opportunity to explore cutting edge developments in the field.

The core of this 15 credit, Level 7 module, taught in the Spring term (Jan-April), consists of directed reading of seminal and/or recently published research papers on advanced topics in contemporary astrobiology and planetary science permitting students to gain a view of each theme from the perspective of several different authors.

You will lead fortnightly seminars to offer an opportunity to share and discuss the papers and the wider implications of the research, as well as mark/assess the written summaries of the papers and the final report.

Therefore, you will have a strong grasp of contemporary planetary science and astrobiology topics and research, and be qualified to the corresponding level of the award as required to teach (or demonstrate equivalent experience). 

If you have knowledge in these areas, and you are an excellent and innovative teacher with a track record of student engagement, and want to contribute to an impactful educational experience - apply with us at Birkbeck today. 

Remuneration:

Payment is based on an hourly rate depending on length of continuous service with the College (starting rate £69.68 per hour inclusive of pro-rata London Allowance and holiday pay) for contact hours worked. This hourly rate is based on the starting point of Grade 7 and is inclusive of a ‘Duties Related to Teaching Multiplier’ at 2.5, which covers preparation, teaching, administration, assessment marking and other examining duties in connection with the course.

Contract: 

Fixed-term, January - April 2026, part-time contract. Please submit a CV and statement for consideration. Closing date: Sunday 21 September 2025, interview date: Monday 6 October 2025. 

Enquiries:

If you would like to know more about the role, please contact Andrew Rushby, Programme Director – MSc Astrobiology on a.rushby@bbk.ac.uk

If you have difficulty using the recruitment portal, please contact jobs@bbk.ac.uk providing your name and the job reference number of the position. While we are happy to respond to all informal enquiries, only formal applications through the online system will be considered.

We welcome applicants from all sections of the community. The College is committed to improving the gender and cultural diversity of its workforce, holding an Athena SWAN award and operating Disability Confident & Mindful Employer schemes.

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