Teaching and Research Fellow in Character and Leadership

What We Offer

Working at the University of Oxford offers several exclusive benefits, such as:

• 38 days of annual leave (inclusive of public holidays) to support your wellbeing and additional leave after long service.
• One of the most generous family leave schemes in UK higher education, offering up to 26 weeks of full-pay maternity and adoption leave, plus 12 weeks of full-pay paternity/partner leave.
• A commitment to hybrid and flexible working to suit your lifestyle.
• An excellent contributory pension scheme.
• Affordable and sustainable commuting options, including a cycle loan scheme, discounted bus travel, and season ticket loans.
• Access to a vibrant community through our social, cultural, and sports clubs.

About the Role

The Teaching and Research Fellow will (i) contribute to the development and delivery of educational programmes in character-based leadership, particularly for university students; (ii) engage in research on character and leadership. The postholder will work collaboratively as part of the Oxford Character Project, which sits within the Programme for Global Leadership at Oxford’s Department of Politics and International Relations.

The Oxford Character Project (OCP) explores how leadership can be a force for good in an increasingly interconnected and rapidly changing world, with a distinctive focus on the role of character. Through conceptual and empirical research, the OCP investigates the importance of character for good leadership and how virtues of character can be effectively cultivated across diverse institutional context.

About You

The successful applicant will design and refine programme content and teaching materials, drawing on the Oxford Character Project’s theoretical and empirical research. You will also manage student programmes by recruiting participants, facilitating workshops, hosting guest speakers, and overseeing events and associated administration. In addition, you will undertake collaborative theoretical and empirical research into character and leadership development, and design and conduct quantitative and qualitative studies to gather participant feedback and evaluate programme impact.

You will hold or be close to completion of a doctoral degree in the humanities or social sciences relating to character education and leadership development. You will also have a strong track record in character and leadership education, supported by excellent theoretical and empirical knowledge in these fields, and also bring expertise in both quantitative and qualitative research methods suited to studying character and leadership development.

This position is full-time and fixed-term for 2 years and available from 1 September 2026.

Application Process

Applications for this vacancy are to be made online via the University’s job pages. You will be required to upload a recent CV and supporting statement as part of your online application.

Only applications received before 12 noon (UK time) on Friday 3 July 2026 can be considered. Please quote reference 186648 in all correspondence.

The interview process is due to begin w/c 13 July 2026.