Lecturer in Environmental Monitoring & Detection Technologies

Job Location: Milton Keynes, Remote/Hybrid

Weekly Working Hours: 37

Fixed Term Contract: End Date: 3 years from start date

About the Role

The School of Engineering & Innovation within the STEM Faculty at The Open University is seeking to appoint a Lecturer in Environmental Monitoring & Detection Technologies. This is an exciting opportunity to join a world leader in distance teaching and learning and the largest provider of higher education in the UK. 

The successful candidate will join an energetic and committed team of academics contributing to the development and delivery of undergraduate and postgraduate distance-learning curriculum in renewable energy, environmental management, environmental engineering, the latest technologies for measuring environmental impact, systems monitoring, and related areas.

Teaching at The Open University is a team-based collaborative process, which fully supports the training and induction of new staff into the teaching process. The teaching component of the Lecturer role primarily involves maintaining and updating existing curriculum and authoring new curriculum for students studying remotely. Whilst there are some online and face-to-face opportunities for student engagement, direct student tuition is usually provided by our team of Associate Lecturers.

The successful candidate will be encouraged to contribute ideas for experiments to use in our OpenEngineering remote-access teaching laboratory, thereby helping with the development of the state-of-the-art facility and maintaining its world-leading status. The OpenEngineering Lab is part of our award winning OpenSTEM Labs (Home | The OpenSTEM Labs).

Candidates will be research active and have relevant publications in one or more of the following fields: (i) remote sensing of environmental pollution (including gases, particulates, chemicals, noise or any other pollutant with the potential for environmental impact); (ii) using technology (e.g. drones, satellites, specialised sensors) to track environmental events; (iii) using online systems to monitor the environment, which may include the latest in machine learning, to evaluate impact in air, water or on land. If successful, you will be supported to secure external research, enterprise and scholarship funding, and will be expected to undertake research that leads to high-ranking peer reviewed journal publications and to contribute to future REF submissions. 

You will need to be resident in the UK at the time of the appointment and will be based at the Open University campus in Milton Keynes. A hybrid working pattern can be adopted for this role if required, where the successful candidate works from home and the office. However, as this role is contractually aligned to our Milton Keynes campus, some attendance on campus will be required. We would expect this to be a minimum of 2 days per week and in response to business needs.

Key Responsibilities 

For a full list of all the key responsibilities associated to this Lecturer role, please review the Job Description found HERE. 

Skills and Experience

We are expecting candidates to demonstrate all the essential criteria and some of the desirable criteria.

Essential:

• A PhD in Remote Sensing, Environmental Monitoring using technology, new technological approaches to Tracking Environmental Pollution, Environmental Management, using Machine Learning to Monitor the Environment/or Systems, or a closely related discipline.
• A Masters degree or a good Honours degree (or equivalent) in same areas as listed for PhD or a closely related area.
• A strong commitment to excellence in inclusive learning and teaching for a diverse student population.
• Demonstrable passion for teaching, whether in distance learning or face-to-face teaching environments.
• Ability to develop new distance-learning material at all levels in the fields of remote sensing, using technological approaches for monitoring the environment, sustainable technologies and related areas.
• Demonstrable knowledge of developments within the discipline areas relevant to teaching, research, and knowledge exchange activities.
• Proven ability to carry out research in the field of remote sensing, and the latest technological approaches to monitoring the environment or similar.
• A strong record of research and/or knowledge exchange that is commensurate to the position.
• Expertise and knowledge of remote sensing or measuring environmental impacts at distance using technological approaches.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively with others in an interdisciplinary context for teaching or research, both in person and online.
• Ability to develop a leadership role in teaching and/or research, commensurate with stage of career.
• Ability to participate in a research and knowledge exchange programme compatible with the STEM Faculty research strategy and the interests of other research groups in the School and Faculty.
• Evidence of excellent communication skills, both oral and written in a variety of contexts, including the ability to offer and receive constructive criticism.
• Evidence of ability to plan and organise work to agreed deadlines.
• A commitment to the aims, ethos and values of the Open University.

Desirable:

• Experience of teaching, training or supervision in a relevant subject area.
• Experience of supporting adult learners within online and/or distance learning in asynchronous environments.
• Experience of producing online and/or distance learning materials.
• Application of new technologies to support distance teaching and learning.
• Expertise and knowledge of monitoring environmental impacts remotely.
• The ability to write on issues outside of immediate area of expertise but in a related topic, in an informed and coherent manner.
• Evidence of applying for external funding, taking into account stage of career.
• A strong publication record in mid to top-ranking peer reviewed journals, commensurate with stage of career.
• Experience of supervising research students and managing research budgets, appropriate to career stage.
• Higher Education Academy professional accreditation or equivalent qualification
• Experience of working with and influencing sectors beyond Higher Education.
• Experience of creating social media communications and engaging external audiences.

Essential Requirements

How to apply

To apply for this role please submit the following;

• CV
• Supporting Statement. You should set out in your supporting statement why you’re interested in this role and provide examples of where your skills and experience meet the essential and desirable criteria for this role as detailed above and in the Full Job Description.

Work location

A hybrid working pattern could be adopted for this role if required, where the successful candidate can work from home and the office. However, as this role is contractually aligned to our Milton Keynes campus, some attendance on campus will be required. We would expect this to be a minimum of 2 days per week and in response to business needs.

Flexible working 

We are open to discussions about flexible working. Whether it’s a job share, part time, compressed hours or another working arrangement. Please reach out to us to discuss what works best for you and the role.   

Next step in the Recruitment Process

If shortlisted, we anticipate interviews taking place onsite in Milton Keynes on 6th March. Prior to this, you will need to complete and present a presentation to the School and the date for this is TBC. 

Early closing date notification

We may close this job advert earlier than the published closing date where a satisfactory number of applications are received. We would therefore encourage early applications.