Lecturer in Education

Overview

Permanent Whole Time Post

Lecturer (Below the Bar) in Education, (Literacy, Numeracy & Inclusion)

University College Cork wishes to appoint an experienced academic to the role of Lecturer (below bar) in Education. The post requires expertise in the History/ Sociology/ Psychology/ Philosophy of Education. It has an emphasis on providing pastoral support to education students, with a particular focus on supporting the diversification of the teaching workforce.
 
Reporting to the Head of School the appointee will be expected to contribute to teaching, assessment, school placement, and programme development and administration at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.  They will be expected to engage in research and scholarly activity relevant to the discipline of Education and engage in research supervision.
 
The role will involve lecturing in the foundation areas of Initial Teacher Education, supporting school placement needs of a diverse cohort, supporting postgraduate studies, undertaking research, and building and sustaining community links in the education field, while contributing to UCC academic life. The successful candidate will hold a Doctorate in the History/Sociology/Psychology/Philosophy of Education. They will demonstrate a broad understanding of the Irish education sector and provide evidence of providing pastoral support to students.
 
Evidence of research expertise, appropriate to the grade of the posts, in the discipline of education with a social justice orientation, and contribution to the broader field of education would also be requisite for appointment to both posts.  This is a unique opportunity to join a dynamic and innovative School of Education immersed in the education of teachers at undergraduate and postgraduate levels and supported by a vibrant research culture. 

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 Prof Nicola Ingram, Head of School, by Email: NIngram@ucc.ie 

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 and Responsibilities

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

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, that statutory provisions  take precedent. 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.

Teaching and Examining | Research | Contributions

Teaching and Examining

• 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 and model effective pedagogical practice;
• Supervise research projects for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in education;
• Undertake the development and regular evaluation of education modules with reference to content, delivery and assessment;
• Participate in the development of new curricular initiatives and programmes in education at initial teacher education and postgraduate levels;
• Demonstrate excellence in teaching and learning and apply innovative teaching and learning pedagogies, and digital literacy, within the School of Education and within other academic units in the University, as appropriate;
• Contribute towards the maintenance of academic standards within the discipline of education;
• Tutor and support students on school placement

• 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.

Research

• Engage in productive research and scholarship and contribute to the advancement of knowledge, participate in research activities and publish the research in appropriate peer-reviewed publications, creative works or other forms of scholarship appropriate to education;
• Supervise postgraduate research students (particularly PhD students);
• Undertake initiatives in generating research income as appropriate to education;
• Engage in other scholarly activities relevant to the discipline of education.

Contributions

• Participate in the administrative activities of the School of Education and the academic life of the College and University;
• Act as a member of such committees as may be required by the University;
• Develop links with professional bodies and external agencies, where appropriate;
• Promote the discipline of education both inside and outside the University and contribute to the overall intellectual life of the University and society;
• Carry out other duties appropriate to the post as may be assigned by the Head of School

• 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 s/he 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.

The above listing is not exclusive or exhaustive and the post holder may be required to undertake duties as can reasonably be expected. All staff are required to be flexible, co-operative and professional within the needs of the post and the School, College and University. The University is undertaking a major reform of its internal structures which may necessitate possible future changes in the organisation of its activities.

Selection Criteria

The successful candidate will be expected to have:

Qualifications | Teaching and Examining | Research | Contributions | Other

Qualifications

Essential Criteria

1. A PhD Education or appropriate professional qualification (e.g. EdD) in the history/sociology/psychology/philosophy of education.

Teaching and Examining

Essential Criteria

2. Relevant teaching experience or evidence of teaching potential;
3. Experience in lecturing, examining and supporting students across a range of undergraduate and/or postgraduate teaching programmes both in and outside the area of research specialisation;
4. Evidence of a commitment to excellence in research-led teaching;
5. Evidence of contribution to innovation in the area of teaching and examining, curriculum design, review and development, including through the use of modern technologies;
6. Evidence of an ability to teach, inspire and supervise students, communicate ideas and concepts in a teaching and learning environment;
7. Evidence of providing pastoral support to students with attention to equality, diversity and inclusion;
8. Potential to support school placement needs for a diverse cohort of students;
9. Evidence of postgraduate supervision.

Research

Essential Criteria

10. Evidence of appropriate research achievement as indicated by published work;
11. Potential to attract funding through competitive research grants or other sources as relevant;
12. Experience of, or potential for, research supervision at all levels, but particularly at PhD level;
13. Evidence of other relevant scholarly activity;
14. Ability and willingness to collaborate with colleagues on research projects and initiatives, as appropriate to the discipline of Education.

Contributions

Essential Criteria

15. Administrative experience or evidence of ability to contribute to academic administration;
16. Experience in or potential to participate in relevant academic and professional associations/bodies as appropriate;
17. The potential to participate in and contribute to the overall intellectual life of the University, the academic discipline of Education and society at large.

Other

Essential Criteria

18. Strong interpersonal, networking and team building skills and excellent communication and negotiation skills;
19. Evidence of ability to work on own initiative as well as part of a team;
20. Ability and willingness to work in a collaborative environment and to be flexible and adaptable to change and development;
21. An understanding of, and empathy with, the concerns of students and a proven ability to communicate professionally and effectively with all students;
22. A commitment to the long-term development of the discipline of education and to support the overall mission of the School of Education.

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

Appointment may be made on the Lecturer (Below the Bar) Salary Scale: €42,102 - €72,452 (Scale B) / €44,169 - €68,942 (Scale A).

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

Informal enquiries can be made in confidence to Prof Nicola Ingram, Head of School, by Email: NIngram@ucc.ie 

Deadline for applications

Candidates should apply, in confidence, before 12pm (Irish Standard Time) on Tuesday, 10 March 2026.

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.