Lecturer in Energy Transition Decision Support - School of Engineering & Architecture/MaREI Centre/UCC Futures Sustainability Institute

Overview

Permanent Whole-time Post

UCC wishes to appoint to the role of Lecturer in Energy Transition Decision Support. UCC’s School of Engineering and Architecture is a research leader internationally in the area of sustainable energy research and education. The School leads the sustainable energy research within UCC Futures Sustainability Institute, which aligns and supports the research of more than 500 scholars and provides research leadership and direction to 230 researchers nationally within MaREI, the Research Ireland research centre for energy climate and marine.

The School is therefore particularly pleased to announce as a further commitment to the energy transition and climate action, the establishment of the Lecturer in Energy Transition Decision Support, with a view to provide a substantial contribution to Energy Transition Decision Support.

This new academic post is made possible by the generous support of EirGrid, Ireland’s electricity transmission system operator that is responsible for ensuring that Ireland has a reliable, secure, affordable, and sustainable supply of electricity - essential to power communities and drive the economy, while implementing the Government’s targets for decarbonisation.

The Lecturer in Energy Transition Decision Support will be a global thought leader of international repute who will bring prestige not only to the School and University, but also to EirGrid, already a recognised leader in sustainability in the energy sector in Ireland.

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 Jorge Oliveira, Head of School of Engineering and Architecture, or Professor Brian Ó Gallachóir, Director of UCC Futures Sustainability Institute.

This position is being filled as part of UCC Futures – Sustainability.

What is UCC Futures – Sustainability

The greatest global challenge of our time is finding sustainable solutions for the world’s growing population, balancing the need for economic development with our limited natural resources. Achieving a balance between people, profit and planet requires us to find equitable and just solutions to the problems of climate change, hunger, poverty and social and health disparities among the world’s populations. The complexity of the global sustainability challenge requires experts from multiple disciplines and sectors to collaborate in new and reimagined ways.

UCC believes that to solve these sustainability challenges, we need creative, inter-disciplinary solutions, driven by an innovative and holistic approach. Through our existing programme of transdisciplinary research, we are generating new knowledge, developing technologies and tools and contributing to services and policies that facilitate a just transition that is economically prosperous and socially inclusive, while protecting our natural environment.

We invite you to join us on the next phase of this important and impactful journey of discovery with UCC Futures - Sustainability.

Duties and Responsibilities

University College Cork is proud of the leadership it provides nationally and internationally in environmental sustainability. UCC is the only Irish university in the top ten universities in the world in international UI Green Metric rankings, and the first Irish university with official observer membership of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

UCC’s School of Engineering and Architecture is a research leader internationally in the area of sustainable energy research and education. The School leads the sustainable energy research within UCC Futures Sustainability Institute, which aligns and supports the research of more than 500 scholars and provides research leadership and direction to 230 researchers nationally within MaREI, the Research Ireland research centre for energy climate and marine.

The School is therefore particularly pleased to announce as a further commitment to the energy transition and climate action, the establishment of the Lectureship in Energy Transition Decision Support, with a view to provide a substantial contribution to Energy Transition Decision Support. This new academic post is made possible by the generous support of EirGrid, Ireland’s electricity transmission system operator that is responsible for ensuring that Ireland has a reliable, secure, affordable, and sustainable supply of electricity - essential to power communities and drive the economy, while implementing the Government’s targets for decarbonisation.

Candidates with a proven track record of research on the role of decision support in enabling the transition to a zero emissions energy system, as evidenced by a body of high quality publications coupled with a record of demonstrated achievement in impactful communication, successful collaboration with industry and thought leadership are invited to apply. Of particular interest are candidates developing multi-criteria assessment methods, and using these methods to compare and rank different competing options for decarbonisation energy systems using a range of technical, economic, environmental and societal criteria.

The Lecturer in Energy Transition Decision Support will lead an energy transitions research team within UCC and develop new multi-disciplinary teaching programmes in advanced decision support for the energy transition. The successful candidate will provide thought leadership in Ireland, will coach senior executives in EirGrid and more broadly within the energy industry in Ireland. The lecturer will mobilise and maximise new collaborations within UCC, particularly with academics in the UCC Futures Sustainability Institute, nationally through the Research Ireland MaREI Centre, and internationally through EU research projects and collaborations with the International Energy Agency, building on the University’s leadership position in education and training for sustainability.

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 Dean of Cork University Business School or nominee.

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;
Supervise research projects for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes;
Undertake the development and regular evaluation of modules with reference to content, delivery and assessment;
Participate in the development of new curricular initiatives;
Demonstrate excellence in teaching and learning and apply innovative teaching and learning methodologies within the School / Institute and within other academic units in the University, as appropriate;
Contribute towards the maintenance of academic standards within their discipline

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 the discipline;
Supervise postgraduate research students (particularly PhD students);
Undertake initiatives in generating research income as appropriate to the discipline;
Engage in other scholarly activities relevant to the research discipline.

Contributions

Participate in the administrative activities of the department/school 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 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 discipline/department/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

Qualifications

Essential Criteria

A doctorate in Energy Engineering or related discipline.

Teaching and Examining

Essential Criteria

Relevant teaching experience in Energy Engineering and Sustainability;
An ability to contribute across a range of undergraduate and postgraduate teaching programmes both in and outside the area of research specialisation;
Evidence of a commitment to excellence in research-led teaching;
Evidence of an understanding of and willingness to use modern teaching technologies and potential for innovative teaching and curriculum development;
Evidence of an ability to supervise students, communicate ideas and concepts in a teaching and learning environment.

Desirable Criteria

Evidence of an ability to organise and supervise field courses;
Experience of teaching students from different cultural backgrounds, including those whose first language is not English.

Research

Essential Criteria

A record of successful achievement and international recognition through research and scholarly activity in developing multi-criteria assessment methods for the energy transition in Ireland and internationally and using these models to investigate the energy transition to a zero carbon energy systems;
Evidence of consistent and continuing output of decision support for energy transitions research in peer reviewed publications;
Potential to attract funding through competitive research grants or other sources as relevant;
Experience of or potential for research supervision (particularly PhD students);
Evidence of other relevant scholarly activity, including the presentation of papers at national and international conferences and/or publication of conference papers in peer- reviewed conference proceedings;
Ability and willingness to collaborate with colleagues on research projects, as appropriate to the discipline;
Research interests compatible with research agenda of the School and UCC Futures Sustainability Institute.

Desirable Criteria

Evidence of impact of past research in industry or society.

Contributions

Essential Criteria

Administrative experience or evidence of ability to contribute to academic administration;
Experience in or potential to participate in relevant academic and professional associations/bodies as appropriate;
The potential to participate in and contribute to the overall intellectual life of the University, the academic discipline and society at large;
Good communication and interpersonal skills;
Evidence of ability to work on own initiative as well as part of a team;
Ability and willingness to work in a collaborative environment;
An understanding of, and empathy with, the concerns of students;
A commitment to the long-term development of the discipline.

Desirable Criteria

Experience of engagement in outreach activities to promote the discipline and research in society.

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 Above the Bar Salary Scale: €76,863 - €99,543 (Scale B) / €73,130 - €94,564 (Scale A).

Salary placement on appointment will be in accordance with public sector pay policy.

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 - Sustainability 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 - Sustainability 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

Deadline for applications

Candidates should apply, in confidence, before 12pm (Irish Standard Time) on Tuesday, 25 March 2025.