King's College London

About us:

The Department of Mathematics at King’s College London is one of five departments within the Faculty of Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences. King’s College London is one of the world’s leading universities, currently ranked 31st globally in the QS World University Rankings. Founded in 1829, it is now home to more than 35,000 students from over 150 countries.

The Department of Mathematics is based at the University’s Strand Campus in central London. Its research spans a wide range of areas, from pure to applied mathematics and theoretical physics.

The Theoretical Physics Group in the Department of Mathematics is at the international forefront of research in string and M-theory, black holes, conformal field theory, supersymmetry, integrability, and other fundamental branches of modern theoretical physics. The group has a highly interactive research culture with multiple weekly activities including seminars, journal clubs and lecture series. It regularly organises and hosts conferences and workshops with leading researchers from around the world. 

The group is in close contact with the other theoretical physicists at King's, including the Disordered Systems Group and the Theoretical Particle Physics & Cosmology Group in the Department of Physics. Together they make King's a powerhouse in all branches of theoretical physics. The permanent staff members within the group are: D. Anninos, N. Drukker, D. Galante, N. Gromov, C. Herzog, P.-S. Hsin, E. Kontou, P. Kravchuk, N. Lambert, S. Murthy, G. Papadopoulos, A.-M. Raclariu, A. Stergiou, A. Taormina and G. Watts. Further information about the department and the Theoretical Physics research group can be found at: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/mathematics

About the role:

Applications are invited for a position of Lecturer in Theoretical Physics in the Department of Mathematics at King’s College London.

Candidates are expected to have research expertise in some area of theoretical physics and should have the demonstrated ability to lead a research programme of high levels of originality, innovation and depth that may well lead to significant impact on their field over the long term.  A proven ability or clear potential to attract research funding is also desirable.

The successful candidate will be expected to lead and direct a research programme within the Department and to take part in teaching and assessment across its undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. They will be expected to promote the reputation of the research group through participation in scientific meetings, scholarly engagement, and other externally facing activities.

They will also play an active role in the institutional and intellectual development of the Department and undertake administrative responsibilities at the Departmental, Faculty, and University levels, as required.

This is a full-time position (35 hours per week), and an indefinite contract will be offered.

Further information about the department and the research group can be found at:

http://www.kcl.ac.uk/nms/depts/mathematics    

The position is based at the Strand Campus of King’s College London, with an expected start date of 1 January 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter.

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 Theoretical Physics or related area

2.      An internationally recognised research profile in any area of Theoretical Physics, marked by high levels of originality and innovation, as evidenced by publications in top-tier journals and conferences, and reflected in the personal statement

3.      A well-defined research vision that underpins and motivates research activity

4.      A proven ability to lead a clear and coherent long-term research programme

5.      Potential to attract external research funds

6.      Ability to teach undergraduate and postgraduate modules in Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, and to supervise postgraduate research students

7.      Ability to make contributions to administrative work

8.      Excellent presentation and communication skills

​ Desirable criteria

1.      Experience in attracting external research funds

2.      Experience of teaching and examining

3.      Experience of administration

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 page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

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.

As part of this commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and through this appointment process, it is our aim to develop candidate pools that include applicants from all backgrounds and communities.

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 2025