The Department of Plant Sciences invites applications for an unestablished fixed-term Assistant Teaching Professor post in Plant Biology, available from 1 December 2026. We will be appointing at grade 9, the salary range is £47,389 - £59,966.
This is a teaching-focussed opportunity to engage with undergraduates on inter-departmental courses across the School of Biological Sciences that form part of the Natural Sciences Tripos (NST). The role is fixed-term for 8 months, to cover the teaching of Professor Ottoline Leyser, Regius Chair in Botany, while she is acting as interim director for the Rokos School of Government. The appointee will join the Department of Plant Sciences, which delivers teaching and research that stretches across the plant sciences discipline, from ecology and conservation to physiology, genetics and genomics.
The Department contributes to undergraduate teaching including lectures in ecology, evolution, and microbial ecology, practical classes and small-group supervisions. We also teach on an annual field course (locations include England, as well as in the tropics). For Part II Plant Sciences, the Department teaches with colleagues in the Departments of Zoology on shared courses and we also contribute to multiple MPhils.
The successful candidate will deliver lectures in IA Biomolecules and Cells, lectures and associated practicals for IB Cell and Developmental Biology, lead practical sessions for IB Plant and Microbial Sciences, and act as a module organiser for a Part II module. They will also be able to support Part II Critical Reviews, or, if appropriate, supervise a Part II student project. Innovations in teaching methods are actively encouraged, as are engagement with mentoring and professional development.
The University has recently introduced an Academic Career Pathway scheme for Teaching and Scholarship staff to recognise and reward teaching contributions. This post falls within that Pathway. Further information on the scheme is available here https://www.hr.admin.cam.ac.uk/academic-career-pathways-acp-overview
Candidates must hold a PhD in a relevant field and sufficient breadth and/or depth of specialist knowledge in their chosen discipline to be able to teach to a high standard and be an excellent communicator. They should also have evidence of excellence in research and demonstrated capacity to develop research objectives, projects and proposals.
Applications should comprise a cover letter (summarise how you would contribute to teaching in the Department), your CV (including up-to-date publications list, and for three outputs a concise narrative outlining the context for each piece of work, your contribution to the output and the importance of the findings) Shortlisted applicants will be invited to give a teaching presentation and attend an interview, as well as having the opportunity to meet staff informally.
The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society. We particularly welcome applications from women and black and ethnic minority candidates, as they are currently under-represented at this level in our University.
Temporary cover: This post is fixed-term for 8 months or the return of the post holder, whichever is the earlier.
We welcome applications from individuals who wish to be considered for part-time working or other flexible working arrangements.
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If you have not received any response 1 month after the closing date you should consider your application to be unsuccessful.
Please quote reference PD51127 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.
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