[Infovis] University Teacher Position in Design Informatics at the University of Edinburgh

[Uta Hinrichs]

The School of Informatics at the University of Edinburgh is seeking to 
appoint a suitably qualified and experienced candidate to the post of 
University Teacher in Design Informatics. This post is part of a 
continuing expansion of the Institute for Design Informatics, and 
associated expertise at the intersection of design, computer science, 
human-computer interaction, data science and visualization, and 
artificial intelligence at the University.

More information about this position can be found below and here 
<https://elxw.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1001/job/8990>. 
*APPLY HERE* 
<https://elxw.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1001/job/8990/apply/email> 
by *January 5, 2024; 23:59 GMT*.

Informal enquiries may be addressed to Professor John Vines 
(john.vines at ed.ac.uk) and Dr. Uta Hinrichs (uhinrich at ed.ac.uk).

*The Opportunity*
This post is associated with the Institute for Design Informatics (IDI) 
(designinformatics.org <https://www.designinformatics.org/>), a joint 
research initiative between the Edinburgh School of Informatics 
<https://www.ed.ac.uk/informatics> and the School of Design 
<https://www.eca.ed.ac.uk/school-design>. About to enter its tenth year, 
IDI draws upon Edinburgh’s unique combination of strengths in 
Informatics and Design, to inspire, equip and nurture a new generation 
of researchers, practitioners and entrepreneurs at the intersection of 
data, design and technology. IDI researchers engage in a wide-range of 
projects, with strengths around digital health and care, creative 
industries, fintech, data visualisation and analysis, digital 
humanities, co-creative and speculative methods, human-computer 
interaction, human-centered security and privacy, and the societal and 
ethical dimensions of data and AI. The successful candidate will join 
IDI’s dynamic team of 90+ academics, researchers, PhD students, software 
research engineers and professional services staff and their dedicated 
fully equipped lab spaces for data visualization, digital fabrication, 
and public and student engagement.

The University of Edinburgh <https://www.ed.ac.uk/> is one of the top 5 
UK universities. In the recent REF2021 assessment exercise, the School 
of Informatics was the computer science department with the largest 
research power (i.e., the combination of size and research excellence) 
in the UK. The School of Informatics and the School of Design both have 
well established connections with UK and international funding schemes. 
For example, as one of the founding partners of the UK's Alan Turing 
Institute for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, staff and 
research students within IDI have opportunities to interact with PhD 
students, research fellows and senior researchers within the Turing 
Institute's network of partners, fostering further collaborations.

The post will involve facilitating student learning, through the 
planning and delivery of effective teaching to undergraduate and taught 
postgraduate courses, in particular in the area of Design Informatics. 
This will include development and adaption of course teaching materials, 
production of assessment materials, marking, moderation, providing 
feedback and participation in Boards of Examiners. Additional duties 
will include a combination of course tutoring, Honours and Masters’ 
project supervision, and acting as a personal tutor to a group of students.

The post is available on a full-time or part-time basis, including with 
flexibility of hours during different periods of the academic year. 
Candidates who are interested in a part-time appointment should provide 
details of their preferred fractional contract (i.e. percentage of 
full-time) and any proposal for variation in working pattern over the 
academic year. Final details of any fractional contract will be by 
negotiation with successful candidates.

*Candidates*
We are open to applications from candidates across the whole spectrum of 
subject areas and fields where design intersects with computer science, 
human-computer interaction, data science and visualization, or 
artificial intelligence. We are seeking applicants who can complement 
the existing strengths of the team, especially in terms of teaching, and 
who are able to deliver and further develop teaching within IDI.

Candidates should have experience in teaching and be interested and able 
to teach undergraduate and master’s level courses in Design Informatics 
as well as other areas of human-centred computing and human-computer 
interaction. In particular, we are very interested in applicants who 
have experience and a strong interest in teaching interdisciplinary 
courses and supervising student projects that, for example, explore the 
fusion of design with data science and visualization, interactive and 
explainable machine learning, human-computer interaction, tangible 
computing, multi-modal, intelligent interfaces, human-robot interaction, 
and/or immersive environments in virtual, mixed reality and cross-device 
interaction. We are particularly interested in applicants who can 
demonstrate experience in bringing across technical topics (e.g., 
programming) to students with a non-technical background in an engaging way.

This new appointment will contribute to the Institute’s diverse 
teaching, research and entrepreneurship activities, help shape the 
future of its unique interdisciplinary Master’s programme, and build 
their own portfolio of externally funded research. An ideal candidate 
should also a publication track record, in prominent conference and 
journals (e.g., SIGCHI, SIGGRAPH, and other relevant IEEE and ACM venues).

The successful candidate will have (or be near to completing) a PhD, in 
a subject of relevance to Design Informatics (including but not limited 
to:  human-computer interaction, interaction design, data visualization, 
human-AI interaction etc.), an excellent teaching statement and 
portfolio demonstrating an enthusiasm and ability in teaching at the 
intersection of design and computer science, in engaging with diverse 
student cohorts (in terms of disciplinary and cultural background), and 
in developing student-oriented and innovative approaches to course 
materials and delivery.  A successful candidate will also demonstrate an 
enthusiasm and ability to develop and supervise honours and MSc projects 
in the area of Design Informatics.

*Application*
Applicants must provide a recent CV, a 2-3 page teaching statement, 
which should specify the candidate's experience and approach to 
teaching, and what specialty and introductory (particularly MSc Design 
Informatics) courses they would be prepared and qualified to teach.

All applications must contain the following supporting documents:
●    Teaching statement, 2-3 pages
●    Research statement, 2-3 pages
●    Full CV (resume) and publication list
●    2 references

*Equal Opportunities *
The University values equality, diversity and inclusion. Applications 
from individuals from under-represented groups are encouraged. The 
University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition 
of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are 
members of the Race Equality Charter and we are also Stonewall Scotland 
Diversity Champions, actively promoting LGBT equality.

We also recognise that life and especially the pandemic may have 
affected some applicants disproportionately and aim to take this into 
account in the selection process. Applicants can optionally include a 
short statement regarding how their work has been disrupted (e.g., 
career breaks due to family commitments, Covid etc.), and how this 
affects their recent track record. This statement should be part of the 
cover letter and shouldn't be more than a paragraph in length.

*Requirements and Expectations*

*/UE07 University Teacher/* (full job description 
<https://uoe.sharepoint.com/:w:/s/jobdescriptionlibrary/ESIb-qafW-RJgn6bGUGR_u4BISKflrAf4_YC7-j_6JbVnQhttps://uoe.sharepoint.com/:w:/s/jobdescriptionlibrary/ESIb-qafW-RJgn6bGUGR_u4BISKflrAf4_YC7-j_6JbVnQ>) 


  * PhD in a subject of relevance to Design Informatics (including but
    not limited to: human-computer interaction, interaction design, data
    visualization, human-AI interaction etc.), OR a Masters’ degree (or
    other professional qualification), and equivalent experience in
    anarea of Design Informatics and substantial previous experience and
    achievement in delivering and facilitating student learning.
  * Candidates who are close to completing their PhD, and who otherwise
    meet the selection criteria, will be considered.
  * Experience and demonstrated commitment to effective teaching,
    developing teaching materials, methods and approaches and assessment
    of student performance on a range of non-honours courses as well as
    more specialist areas of relevance to Design Informatics.
  * Proven experience of attracting research funding as an independent
    researcher.
  * A track record of first author and/or collaborative publications in
    high quality journals and international conferences.
  * Strong relevant teaching skills.
  * Effective written and oral communication skills in a range of
    contexts (e.g. teaching, research presentations and publications).
  * Experience of contributing to teaching on a range of non-Honours
    courses as well as in more specialist areas of relevance to Design
    Informatics.
  * Experience of engaging with a range of teaching mediums including
    online and distance learning.

*/UE08 University Teacher/* (full job description 
<https://uoe.sharepoint.com/:w:/s/jobdescriptionlibrary/EdoT-pOLYn5Jg5GVx6ao26MB_JW7B1_N-5YX1Kz-elWVZghttps://uoe.sharepoint.com/:w:/s/jobdescriptionlibrary/EdoT-pOLYn5Jg5GVx6ao26MB_JW7B1_N-5YX1Kz-elWVZg>) 

As above and including

  * Extensive experience in teaching and postgraduate supervision is
    essential.
  * Proven ability to foster and embed a strong student-focused culture.
  * Experience of managing, motivating and developing teaching staff and
    tutors, students and projects.

*
*Feedback is only provided to interviewed candidates. References will be 
sought for all shortlisted candidates, where approval has been given on 
application.

*As a valued member of our team you can expect...*

An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to 
work. We give you support, nurture your talent and reward success. You 
will benefit from a competitive reward package and a wide range of staff 
benefits, which includes a generous holiday entitlement, a defined 
benefits pension scheme <https://www.ed.ac.uk/finance/pensions>, staff 
discounts, family friendly initiatives 
<http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/equality-diversity/help-advice/family-friendly>, 
flexible working and much more. Access our staff benefits page 
<http://www.ed.ac.uk/human-resources/staff-benefits> for further 
information and use our reward calculator 
<http://www.ed.ac.uk/human-resources/pay-reward/reward-calculator> to 
find out the total value of pay and benefits provided.

The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in 
recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher 
education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter and we are also 
Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champions, actively promoting LGBT equality.

If invited for an interview, you will be required to evidence your right 
to work in the UK.  Further information is available on our right to 
work <https://www.ed.ac.uk/human-resources/demonstrating-rtw> webpages. 
The University may be able to sponsor the employment of international 
workers in this role. This will depend on a number of factors specific 
to the successful applicant.

*Key Dates*

  * Application deadline: *January, 5, 2024; 23:59 GMT*
  * Interviews are likely to be held in *February, 2024*

----------------

Uta Hinrichs, PhD
Reader in Data Visualisation
School of Informatics
University of Edinburgh
uhinrich at ed.ac.uk