Lecturer in Law and Irish

Overview

Fixed Term Whole-time Post

The School of Law at University College Cork is recruiting a lectureship in Law (any area of specialisation will be considered) to contribute to the development of the School’s research, programmes and engagement ambitions.  The School is currently ranked 73rd in the world and in the top 20 in the EU (QS 2024 Subject Rankings) and has recently secured European Research Council funding as well as two Irish Research Council Laureate awards in furtherance of its research ambitions.   It is essential that the successful candidate can teach Law in Irish as well as English, in order to contribute to the further development of the School’s BCL Law & Irish programme. 
 
The post holder will be expected to be research active, building on existing areas of research strength in the School, with the potential for securing ERC funding.  The post holder’s research should be aligned with any relevant research Centre within the School and the UCC Collective Social Futures Cluster and/or other relevant UCC Futures Clusters and they will be expected to make a full contribution to the School’s programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate level as appropriate under the direction of the Dean of the School of Law.  

Please note that Garda vetting and/or an international police clearance check may form part of the selection process. For an information package including full details of the post, selection criteria and application process see https://ore.ucc.ie/. The University, at its discretion, may undertake to make an additional appointment(s) from this competition following the conclusion of the process.

Informal enquiries can be made in confidence to Professor Mark Poustie, Dean of the School of Law, Tel: +353 (0)21 4902531.

This position is being filled as part of UCC Futures - Collective Social Futures.

What is UCC Futures – Collective Social Futures

UCC Futures - Collective Social Futures is re-imagining and addressing the complex and intertwined societal, environmental and political challenges faced across the world. These include social and gender-based inequalities, geopolitical shifts, migration, health and climate change and the urgent need to foster a more caring and liveable world for all. The imperative to develop more collective and social visions of the future is more pressing than ever. By driving innovative, critical, theoretical, participatory and community-engaged research, UCC Futures – Collective Social Futures will foster excellence in social research to understand, re-envision and enact our collective social futures.

Duties of the post

In accordance with the University’s strategic objective as a research-led institution, the duties of all academic staff include research, teaching and contributions to the university, the discipline and the community. The professor will undertake research leadership activities commensurate with the appointment, teach and examine, undertake administrative duties and carry out other duties appropriate to the post under the general direction of the Dean of the School of Law.

The roles and responsibilities outlined below are to be interpreted in the context of the relevant statutes and where there is any difference arising from interpretation statutory provisions take precedence. For the sake of clarity, the relevant elements of the statutes not already incorporated in the numbered sections are appended in italics under each subheading.

Research | Teaching & Examining | Contributions

Research

1. Engage in productive research and scholarship and contribute to the advancement of knowledge within the field of Law and publish his/her research in appropriate internationally recognized peer-reviewed publications, or other forms of scholarship appropriate to the discipline;
2. Generate research funding and undertake funded research, as appropriate;
3. Attract and supervise research students (especially at PhD level);
4. Engage in other scholarly activities relevant to the discipline.

Teaching & Examining

5. Contribute to and assist in the delivery of research led teaching, assessment and examining on courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level and where appropriate adult and continuing education courses;
6. Supervise research projects for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes;
7. Demonstrate excellence in research-led teaching and learning and apply innovative teaching and learning methodologies;
8. Teach and examine on courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level in both the Irish and English languages;
9. Contribute to the regular evaluation of curricula with reference to content, delivery and assessment and the development of new curricular initiatives;
10. Perform an active role in the maintenance of academic standards in the development of the curriculum within his/her discipline;
11. Contribute to the development of postgraduate studies at UCC.

In addition, the following duties are provided for under statute:

• to give the students attending his/her ordinary lectures assistance in their studies, by advice, by informal instruction, by occasional and periodic examination, and otherwise, as s/he may judge to be expedient; also, to make such arrangements as s/he sees fit to make;
• to meet students who have individual queries;
• to give instruction to his/her students and assist them in the pursuit of knowledge;
• to hold, or assist at, all University examinations in the subjects with which s/he is an examiner.

Contributions

12. Contribute to the administrative duties of the School and the academic life of the University;
13. Participate as a member of such committees as may be required within the academic unit, by the College and by the University;
14. Support students through the Personal Tutor Scheme and in other informal ways as appropriate;
15. Develop links with professional bodies and external agencies where appropriate;
16. Promote the discipline both inside and outside the University and contribute to the overall intellectual life of the University and society;
17. Carry out other duties appropriate to the post as may be assigned by the head of discipline/department/school.

In addition, the following duties are provided for under statute:

• to carry out administrative and other appropriate duties lawfully allocated to them within their department or other academic unit;
• if a member of the Academic Council, to attend its meetings;
• to serve upon all the committees to which they may be appointed by the Governing Body or the Academic Council, and to assist and co-operate with the Governing Body in such other reasonable ways as the Governing Body may prescribe, for the maintenance of discipline and good conduct among the students, or for the general business of the University.

As the university continues to expand and evolve, it is likely that flexibility in regard to the allocation of specific duties will be necessary. Accordingly, the list of duties specified above is not intended to be exclusive or restrictive; duties may be added or withdrawn but any such alteration will take place after consultation with the appointee.

Selection Criteria

The successful candidate will be expected to have:

Qualifications | Teaching and Examining | Research | Contributions | Other

Qualifications

Essential Criteria

1. A doctorate or a doctorate very near completion in the relevant discipline.

Research

Essential Criteria

2. A commitment to active engagement, successful achievement and international recognition through research and scholarly activity within the discipline;
3. Evidence of research output in peer reviewed publications with an understanding of how to achieve consistent and ambitious output;
4. Ability to achieve competitive research grants, with the potential for securing ERC grants.

Desirable Criteria

5. Evidence of research supervision and examining (particularly PhD students);
6. Leadership potential and a willingness to lead the field and to collaborate with colleagues on research projects.

Teaching and Examining

Essential Criteria

7. Evidence of a commitment to excellence in research-led teaching;
8. Experience in lecturing, examining and supporting students in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching programmes both in and outside the area of research specialisation;
9. The ability to teach, inspire and supervise students, communicate ideas and concepts in a teaching and learning environment and where the opportunity has existed, to undertake postgraduate supervision to doctorate level;
10. Familiarity with modern teaching technologies and online teaching delivery;
11. The ability to teach and examine at undergraduate and/or postgraduate level;
12. The ability to teach and examine in Irish in addition to English.

Desirable Criteria

13. Evidence of a significant contribution to innovation in the area of teaching and examining, curriculum design, review and development.

Contributions

Essential Criteria

14. Proven administrative experience or evidence of ability to undertake academic administrative responsibility within the School and College;
15. 15.The ability to participate in and contribute to the overall intellectual life of the University, the academic discipline and society at large;
16. An ability and willingness to engage in pastoral care for students

Desirable Criteria

17. Evidence of participation in relevant academic and professional associations/ bodies

Other

Essential Criteria

18. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills commensurate with working alongside a team of committed academic and administrative colleagues together with the demonstrated ability and willingness to work in a collaborative environment;
19. Evidence of ability to work flexibly and on own initiative;
20. An understanding of, and empathy with, the concerns of students;
21. A commitment to the long-term development of the discipline.

Candidates are requested to make a personal assessment of these criteria against their own qualifications, skills and abilities to assess whether they should apply for the post.

Please note: Candidates who do not demonstrate that they meet the criteria as detailed above will not be short listed.

The University, at its discretion, may undertake to make an additional appointment(s) from this competition following the conclusion of the process.

Salary Information

Applications for this post

How to apply

Applications for this post are received through UCC's online application portal. You'll be required to set up a profile (if you don't already have one). 

You can find the posts associated with UCC Futures - Collective Social Futures by selecting 'Academic UCC Futures' in the search by vacancy type field.

Queries relating to the online application process should be referred to uccfuturesrecruitment@ucc.ie, quoting the job title.

What to include in your application

Applications should consist of your academic CV and a cover letter demonstrating your academic and research achievements. We would also like to hear about your research ambitions and how your academic and research profile aligns with the UCC Futures - Collective Social Futures initiative.

Details of the following should also be included, as appropriate:

• Publications
• Research Interests
• Teaching Interests and Abilities
• Teaching Objectives and Methods

Who to contact

We encourage all applicants to contact us prior to making an application for the position. 

• Contact: Informal enquiries can be made in confidence to Professor Mark Poustie, Dean of the School of Law, Tel: +353 (0)21 4902531.

Deadline for applications

Candidates should apply, in confidence, before 12pm (Irish Standard Time) on Tuesday, 08 April 2025. No late applications will be accepted.

Equality statement

University College Cork is committed to being a fully inclusive global university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) are core values under our UCC Strategic Plan 2023-2028. UCC holds a Bronze Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advancing equality in higher education. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from everybody, regardless of age, care-giving status, disability, ethnicity, gender and/or gender identity or expression status, nationality, marital status/civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion/creed, and/or sexual orientation. We are committed to supporting all staff through flexible working schemes, family-friendly policies, training and development, and staff networks. We value the enrichment that comes from a diverse community and seek to promote equality, prevent discrimination and protect the human rights of each individual in line with equality legislation. We encourage applicants to consult our Dignity and Respect Policy and learn more about our EDI related initiatives.