Assistant Professor in Spanish and Latin American Studies

We are seeking an excellent academic to join our staff as an Assistant Professor in Spanish and Latin American Studies with a strong research record in Spanish-language Education, understood as encompassing subfields such as: second-language pedagogy, as it relates to Spanish; language teaching and learning; second-language assessment and testing, as they relate to Spanish; and/or the use of digital technology to support the teaching and learning of Spanish.

The person appointed will have a proven record of teaching, research and publication, appropriate to career stage. They will be expected to make a strong contribution to the teaching programme of the School and undertake teaching duties on the School’s undergraduate and postgraduate programmes as well as the supervision of Masters and PhD students.

The appointee will be expected to build a strong research profile that supports the University’s research strategy, including affiliating to the Research Institutes, where appropriate, and working with colleagues on national and international research. The appointee will be expected to sustain and conduct research, engage in scholarship of quality and substance and generate publications of international standard.

Principal Duties

Teaching:

Undergraduate and postgraduate teaching duties are assigned by the Head of the School. These duties will include:

• Teaching and assessing students at undergraduate level in Spanish language and content modules. A capacity to design and deliver undergraduate modules in the theory and practices of teaching Spanish as a foreign language is essential. This may include lecturing, delivering tutorials, leading practical learning activities, project supervision, and setting, supervising and grading assessments;
• Teaching, supervising and assessing postgraduate students. A capacity to design and deliver research-related postgraduate modules and supervise postgraduate research in areas related to Spanish-language Education is essential. This may include lecturing, leading seminars and other learning activities, supervision of student research activities, and setting, supervising and grading assessments;
• Supporting and innovating teaching and assessment practice;
• Contributing, as required, to the assurance and enhancement of the quality of teaching;
• Outreach and promotional activities to support the recruitment and retention of undergraduate and postgraduate students;
• Developing and enhancing the curriculum;
• Designing and delivering new modules and programmes.

Research & Scholarship:

Building a research and scholarly profile is an essential part of an academic career. This will include:

• Conducting research and engaging in scholarship of quality and substance in the discipline;
• Generating external income or securing resources to support scholarly activity as necessary;
• Disseminating research and scholarly outcomes through: peer reviewed publication; presentation at national and international conferences; preparation of professional reports; commercialisation; or other appropriate means;
• Affiliating with a University Research Institute, where appropriate;
• Building research capacity;
• Fostering links with other institutions which will benefit both research and teaching at Maynooth University;
• Integrating research into the teaching curriculum;
• Supervising research students and post-doctoral fellows.

Service:

The academic staff members of the University are critical to achieving the strategic objectives of the University, and as such are required to engage in work that serves the collective strategic needs of the University. This may include:

• Administrative and service duties;
• Leading or contributing to strategic projects and initiatives;
• Contributing to the internationalisation of the University;
• Outreach and engagement activities;
• Collaborative work with external partners;
• Activities to promote the University locally, nationally and internationally;
• Carrying out any other duties within the scope, spirit and purpose of a Maynooth University academic post.

Administrative and other duties:

This will include:

• Undertaking administrative tasks within the language unit, School, Faculty and University as required and as assigned by the Head of School, the Dean or the President;
• Attending and serving on School, Faculty, Institute and University committees as appropriate;
• Attending courses and engaging in other activities associated with professional development as appropriate;
• Complying with all University policies.

The ideal candidate will have:

Essential

• A PhD in a relevant discipline;
• Native or near-native language competence in Spanish and English;
• A strong academic record in teaching and research;
• A record of scholarly work and publication of international quality, demonstrating potential to become a significant contributor in their field;
• Experience of and a demonstrated commitment to undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, programme development and academic innovation;
• Experience of supervising or excellent potential to supervise graduate research students;
• Experience of and commitment to working in an interdisciplinary setting;
• Good administrative, organisational, teamwork and communication skills.

Desirable

• Given the strategic interests of the School of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures, candidates whose background and research would position them well to contribute to teaching in Portuguese and/or Lusophone Studies are especially encouraged to apply.

Tenure

This a full-time, permanent post.

The appointment will be made at Assistant Professor/Lecturer level, of which there are two grades: Assistant Professor/Lecturer and Assistant Lecturer. To be appointed at the Assistant Professor/Lecturer level, the successful candidate will hold a PhD qualification and have a strong record of research, publications, teaching and academic leadership.

The University will make a permanent appointment where the preferred candidate has an established track record in research and teaching; where it is in the best interests of the university, the post may be filled on a fixed-term contract basis.

Salary

Assistant Professor / Lecturer (2023):     €59,370 – €94,015 p.a. (7 points)

Assistant Lecturer (2023):                      €37,909 – €66,012 p.a. (14 points)

Appointments will be made in accordance with public sector pay provisions.

Location

The place of work is the campus of Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland.

For further details and/or to submit an application, please see https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/human-resources/vacancies.