King's College London

About us

The Department of Global Health & Social Medicine is a unique interdisciplinary community of students, teachers and researchers. Together, we explore the complex social determinants of health, illness and ageing.

Founded in 2012, we are now ranked within the top 10 sociology departments in the UK. Our internationally-recognised expertise, consultancy work and contributions to policy development are utilised by a myriad of organisations and networks.

By connecting social scientists, biomedical researchers and clinicians, we deliver research-led teaching that investigates the ways in which advances in biomedicine and biotechnology are changing expectations on life and health, as well as the nature of medical practice.

About the role

The Department invites applications for a Lecturer in the area of Critical Global Health.  We are interested in applicants who ask fundamental questions about the social, political, epistemic, economic, or historical stakes of global health research, in ways that are oriented toward realising greater social justice whether in health policy in particular or in broader social or political domains.

You should hold a PhD in any relevant social science (e.g., sociology, anthropology) or interdisciplinary field (e.g., science and technology studies; women’s, gender, and sexuality studies). Potential focal areas of interest might include but are not limited to domains such as environmental justice, reproductive justice, disability rights, LGBTQ rights, Indigenous health, antiracism, decolonisation, migration. The range of health topics that might be explored is also open, and could include such topics as social and political determinants of health, post/pandemic health policy-making, health care infrastructures and supply chains, access to medicines and medical technologies, digital technologies, climate change, or other topics, in domains including but not limited to infectious disease, chronic disease, reproductive health, mental health, ageing and the life course. As an interdisciplinary department we are also open to candidates who employ any social science methods, including quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods. You should have an outstanding track-record of research, publications, and external funding relative to career stage, and have the ability to demonstrate a clear forward-looking trajectory in research with a clear potential to attract research grant income.

You will be expected to make a major contribution to teaching on the Department’s undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes, including convening core undergraduate modules in global health and social medicine, and to provide student supervision at all levels. You will have relevant teaching experience and excellent communication skills. Experience with the academic environment in the UK is an advantage. You will be expected to carry out administrative duties within the Department. A commitment to collegiality is essential, as is the ability and willingness to engage in constructive dialogue with researchers and practitioners in a variety of contexts, and with policy makers. You will be responsible to the Head of Department of Global Health & Social Medicine.

At King’s, we are deeply committed to embedding good equality and diversity practice into all of our activities so that the university is an inclusive, welcoming and inspiring place to work and study, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion, sex or sexual orientation. We welcome applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds and experiences.

The preferred start date for the successful candidate is in January 2025.

This is a full time post, and you will be offered an indefinite  contract

About you

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria

1. PhD in a relevant social science or interdisciplinary field and particular expertise in critical global health.
2. Strong research profile for career stage, as demonstrated through lead authorship of well-placed publications, and a promising pipeline of research publications in development.
3. Demonstrable ability to design and deliver the teaching needed by GHSM’s programmes, especially core undergraduate modules in global health and social medicine.
4. Capability to contribute to the department’s administration.
5. Openness to multidisciplinary department and collegiality.

Desirable criteria

1. Research agenda that complements and extends existing areas of expertise within the department.
2. Track record of external grant capture.
3. Experience convening modules in the UK.
4. Potential for impact beyond the academy, through reaching broader audiences and/or influencing public policy.
5. Potential to contribute to the leadership of the department’s endeavours to enhance equity, diversity, and inclusion for staff and students.

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the next page after you click “Apply Now”. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

Further information

We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community.

We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's.

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ‘ How we Recruit’ pages.

Interviews are due to be held in November 2024

We are able to offer sponsorship for candidates who do not currently possess the right to work in the UK.