Professor and Department Chair of Social Sciences

• We are driven to find innovative research solutions to real world problems
• Academic Level E, Professor role salary of $178,698 plus 17% super, Dept Chair attracts 10% loading
• Full-time, ongoing, Hawthorn campus

About Swinburne 

Swinburne University of Technology has a long, proud history of educating and training students for over 100 years. Swinburne focuses on providing high-quality, career-oriented education with strong links to industry and the community. Swinburne currently has over 54,000 students.

Swinburne’s emphasis is on high quality, engaged teaching and research in science, technology, business, design and innovation – teaching and research that makes a difference in the lives of individuals and contributes to national economic and social objectives. 

Swinburne is a progressive university that aims to increase Australia’s capacity in science, technology and innovation as the drivers of modern, internationalised economies and workplaces. Our university is focused on high-impact global research, high-quality teaching and active engagement with both industry and the community.

About the job

Swinburne University of Technology is looking for outstanding leader in the Department of Social Sciences situated in the School of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (ASSH). The candidate will provide a distinct vision of how Social Science disciplines can contribute to the university’s vision 2025 to be a world class university creating social and economic impact through science, technology and innovation. The university has ambitious plans to ensure our graduates are ready for a world of uncertainty and complexity and we aspire to have research outcomes that have impact on industries, communities and society. 

Candidates must be confident in leading and facilitating interdisciplinary teaching and research within the University by actively engaging across the university and with external organisations. Candidates are expected to lead the School to deliver substantial student and research outcomes and impact through collaboration with industry, business, government and other external organisations, and support the University to achieve key objectives and targets in its 2025 vision.

The Department Chair is responsible for the academic leadership, development and operational management of the Department of Social Sciences. Reporting to the Dean of the School of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, the Chair will work collaboratively with Associate Deans, Research Centre Directors, other Department Chairs and University teams to develop and implement strategies aligned with the University’s strategic direction to be a world class university.

The Department Chair will lead, develop and contribute to the strategic development and management of its academic courses, research profile, student experience and external engagement in line with the priorities established within the School and Faculty. The Chair will play a key role in developing and fostering opportunities for collaboration and partnerships among other university disciplines/departments, research centres and institutes, and with external entities such as Swinburne Online (SOL), external government and non-government organisations. Disciplines within the Department include: Politics, History, Indigenous Studies, International Relations, Philosophy, Sociology, Criminology, Environmental Sustainability and Languages.

The Chair will also work closely with key University areas such as Student Services, Marketing, Engagement, Alumni and other service areas to support their activities and to build the external profile of the Department and its activities.

The Professorial position will be a continuing/ongoing position and the successful candidate will be given the role of Department Chair for a period of five years, which will be annually reviewed and may be renewed after five years, if mutually agreed. The Professorial role comes with 17% Superannuation and the role of Department Chair comes with a salary loading of 10%.

Skills and experience

To be successful in this role you will need to demonstrate the following:

• An earned doctoral qualification in a field relevant to the Department
• Outstanding national and/or international reputation as a research leader and an internationally recognised track record of research in a relevant field as evidenced by an extensive range of publications in top-tier journals and by measurable high impact outcomes.
• A consistent history of initiating, obtaining and leading competitive research grants and involvement in research through collaborations with other universities, industry, business and/or government.

A full list of the selection criteria is available within the position description.

Benefits 

To find out more about the extensive benefits offered to Swinburne employees please visit: http://www.swinburne.edu.au/about/jobs/why-work-at-swinburne/

Further information, contacts and support

The diverse culture within Swinburne is a source of strength. We have an inclusive working environment with employees from a variety of backgrounds. We acknowledge that diversity in the university workforce increases the effectiveness of teams and our capacity for innovation. We welcome applications from Indigenous people, workers of all ages, people with disabilities, people who identify as LGBTIQ and those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

We are proud to be recognised by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency as an Employer of Choice for Gender Equality 2016 and of key initiatives such as our Pride@Swinburne Strategic Action Plan and our Reconciliation Action Plan which are integral components of our 2025 vision to be world class university creating social and economic impact through science, technology and innovation. Swinburne has also received the Victorian “High Commendation” Multicultural Excellence Award (Business Category).

To start an application click on 'apply' at the top of this page (which will take you to the Swinburne job page, where you can also find teh position description) and submit a resume, cover letter and response to the Key Selection Criteria, as listed in the Position Description.

Swinburne University of Technology is a Child Safe Organisation and as part of this commitment, we require all employees to have a current Working with Children’s Check. 

All appointments are subject to a valid Working with Children’s Check, therefore it will be a mandatory requirement to have and maintain a current Working with Children Check.

Please do not email or send paper applications, all applications must be submitted online.

For further information about the position, please contact Robert Robertson on +61 (0)3 9214 6102. 

If you are experiencing technical difficulties with your application, please contact the Recruitment team on +61 (0)3 9214 8600 (option 2).

Should you require further support for an interview due to special needs or consideration, please contact our Diversity Consultant, Dr. Walter Robles, on inclusion@swin.edu.au, or our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment Officer, Sherrin Trautmann on strautmann@swin.edu.au. 

Applications close at 5pm, Friday 1 June 2018