Teaching Fellow (International Programmes) Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education

Job Purpose

Based at the Edgbaston campus, the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education (BCRRE) is home to the largest railway research and education group outside China and Russia. 160 academics and researchers contribute to world leading research into advanced railway systems and to the teaching of railway systems engineering and railway safety management. At any one time, the Centre supports some 500 post-graduate and undergraduate students at different stages of their studies, of which 200 are taught in Singapore by 'flying faculty' from Birmingham. The Centre has doubled in size over the past 7 years and has recently seen a very significant increase in size thanks to its leadership of UKRRIN and the Digital Systems Centre based at Birmingham.

This role has been established to respond to the increasing demand for high quality postgraduate education in railway systems and railway safety from audiences around the globe. The future post holder will have a strong interest in education in railway systems. A major role will be in supporting the delivery of PG Diploma and MSc levels of study of the Birmingham offering in South East Asia as flying faculty at least twice a tear for a set period, where demand for such study is increasing significantly. The role will also involve supporting and contributing to rail related teaching and projects at partner Universities around the UK. Experience of working in an international context and a willingness and ability to travel internationally are essential.

The post holder is expected to teach, advise and assess undergraduate, postgraduate and CPD students on existing and on new full-time and part-time programmes, within their own subject area. They will also manage and support the contributions of others to the programmes. They will be supervised by a member of academic staff with ultimate responsibility for the design, delivery and assessment of the teaching programmes. Specifically, the postholder will support the conception, design and delivery of postgraduate programmes within the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education. They will assist in creating and delivering programmes for international audiences, with a focus on developing the Singapore-based PG Cert in Urban Railway Engineering (Singapore) into the MSc in Urban Railway Engineering (Singapore) and on delivering it to a wider audience. The post holder will also contribute to the delivery, management and development of other existing and new programmes, working alongside key stakeholders to conceive, design and contribute to high-quality educational courses.

They will teach their own subject area within a developing teaching programme, supervised by an academic member of staff but working independently to conceive new taught modules and create associated content at master's level; contribute to the enhancement of the student experience and employability and contribute to generating funding derived from educational programmes and their delivery across a range of platforms. The postholder will contribute to designing CPD programmes for clients external to the University and similar; contribute to delivering CPD programmes; and initiate and manage the creation of new academic programmes of study, guided by an academic supervisor. They will also contribute to public understanding of the discipline by delivering public lectures and relevant academic papers.

Person Specification

• Must hold higher degree relevant to research or teaching area (e.g. MEng or MSc) or equivalent qualifications.
• Documented background in engineering, transport studies, railway systems or railway safety.
• Experience of working in an international context and willing ability to travel internationally are essential criteria for this flying faculty post
• Demonstrable high level analytical capability.
• Demonstrated ability to design and deliver taught module materials successfully.
• Demonstrable ability to assess and organise resources effectively.
• Proven ability to work in a team and to contribute to its operation.
• Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management / administration processes within their sphere of influence.

Closing Date 18 Apr 2019

Additional Information

Informal enquiries to Felix Schmid, f.schmid@bham.ac.uk or Holly Foss, h.foss@bham.ac.uk