Job Description

Assistant Professor in Business Management

Grade and Salary: Grade 7 - 37,694 - 47,389


FTE and working pattern

:

Full time, Fixed term contract for 12 months


Annual Leave: 33 days, plus 9 buildings closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday). Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided.

Interviews are expected to be in August with an immediate start date of early September 2025

About Our School

The School of Social Sciences at Heriot-Watt University comprises of Edinburgh Business School, the Department of Languages and Intercultural Studies and the Department of Psychology.


We specialise in industry-focused degree programmes which embrace a truly international outlook. Our degrees are taught by experienced professionals and highly regarded academics, and we are proud to produce high-calibre, career-ready graduates and offer a full range of degree choices at undergraduate and postgraduate level.


Social Sciences is the largest of five academic schools at Heriot-Watt University and we provide teaching and research across our core disciplines:


The Edinburgh Business School: Accountancy, Economics, and Finance Management Marketing and Operations Languages and Intercultural Studies Psychology
The WWW site for SoSS is https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/schools/social-sciences.htm

Role Description

We are seeking to appoint an Assistant Professor in Business Management. The successful candidate will be required to lead a range of postgraduate teaching, learning and assessment activities across our various delivery modes including our three global campuses. In addition, the successful candidate will support our plans to grow our Executive Education, consultancy and knowledge exchange activities in the areas of Business Management, Digital Transformation, Entrepreneurship, Sustainable Change Management, Sustainable Business, and other related courses. This is a Grade 7 position, fixed for 12 months.


This role is ideal for an academic who aspires to work in an environment that allows them to combine practical experience with contemporary approaches to management theory to bring the best ideas to their students. The ideal candidate will have a PhD or equivalent, experience of undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, as well as relevant managerial industry experience. Experience with MBA students and online learning programmes would be an added advantage.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Teaching and Learning Support

Teach as a member of a teaching team within an established programme of study, with the assistance of a mentor if required. Teach in a variety of settings from small group tutorials to large lectures. Transfer knowledge in the form of practical skills, methods and techniques. Identify learning needs of students and define appropriate learning objectives. Ensure that content, methods of delivery and learning materials will meet the defined learning objectives. Planning, and authoring (or revising) new course material as part of the School/Institute's teaching programmes. Develop the skills of applying appropriate approaches to teaching, foster debate and develop the ability of students to engage in critical discourse and rational thinking. Supervise the work of students, provide advice on study skills and help them with learning problems. Select appropriate assessment methods, assess the work and progress of students on this basis and provide constructive feedback to students.

Research and Scholarship

Reflect on practice and the development of own teaching and learning skills.

Communication

Deal with routine communication using a range of media. Communicate complex information, orally, in writing and electronically. Communicate material of a specialist or highly technical nature

Liaison and Network

Liaise with colleagues and students. Participate on School/Institute committees, for example, teaching groups, examination boards, etc. Build internal contacts and participate in internal networks for the exchange of information and to form relationships for future collaboration. Join external networks to share information and ideas.

Managing People

Agree responsibilities. Manage own teaching, scholarly and administrative activities, with guidance if required. Supervise students on taught courses when carrying out projects, fieldwork and placements. Assist students in capacity of personal mentor.

Teamwork

Collaborate with academic colleagues on course development and curriculum changes. Attend and contribute to subject group meetings. Collaborate with colleagues to identify and respond to students' needs.

Pastoral Care

Use listening, interpersonal and pastoral care skills to deal with sensitive issues concerning students and provide support. Appreciate the needs of individual students and their circumstances. Act as student mentor, giving first line support. Refer students as appropriate to services providing further help.

Initiative, Problem-solving and Decision-making

Develop initiative, creativity and judgement in applying appropriate approaches to teaching and learning support and scholarly activities. Respond to pedagogical and practical challenges. Share responsibility in deciding how to deliver modules and assess students. Contribute to collaborative decision making with colleagues on academic content, and on the assessment of students' work.

Planning and Managing Resources

Use teaching resources and related facilities as appropriate. Plan and manage own teaching and tutorials as agreed with mentor.

Sensory, Physical and Emotional Demands

Sensory and physical demands will vary from relatively light to a high level depending on the discipline and the type of work and will involve carrying out tasks that require the learning of certain skills. Balance with help the competing pressures of teaching scholarship and administrative demands and deadlines.

Work Environment

Is required to be aware of the risks in the work environment and their potential impact on their own work and that of others.

Expertise

Possess sufficient breadth or depth of specialist knowledge in the discipline to work within established teaching programmes. Engage in continuous professional development. Able to engage the interest and enthusiasm of students and inspire them to learn. Develop familiarity with a variety of strategies to promote and assess learning. Understand equal opportunity issues as they may impact on academic content and issues relating to student need.

Please note that this job description is not exhaustive, and the role holder may be required to undertake other relevant duties commensurate with the grading of the post and its general responsibilities. Activities may be subject to amendment over time as the role develops and/or priorities and requirements evolve.

Education, Qualifications and Experience

This section details the attributes e.g. skills, knowledge/qualifications and competencies which are required in order to undertake the full remit of the role.

Essential Criteria

Qualifications


PhD in appropriate discipline Fellow of HEA (Advance HE) Professional qualification e.g. CIPD, CMBE or CMI
Experience


Teaching experience at undergraduate and postgraduate level Experience of reviewing and updating teaching materials Experience of leading a course/module Clear communicator with good presentation skills, explaining concepts well. Proven track record of research or scholarship Experience of delivering in UK Higher Education
Competencies, Skills, Knowledge


Fluent (verbal and written) in English An ability to apply the knowledge acquired from research to teaching materials and methods Willingness and potential to identify and develop independent /collaborative portfolio of research Ability to work effectively with colleagues as part of a team

Desirable Criteria

Qualifications


Senior Fellow of HEA (Advance HE)
Experience


Experience of maintaining and developing new links with the industry Experience of academic leadership (e.g. programme leadership, curriculum development) Research supervision experience Experience in delivering Executive Education
Competencies, Skills, Knowledge


Experience with MBA students and online learning programmes Relevant industry experience

How to Apply

Applications can be submitted up to midnight (UK time) on 22nd August 2025.

Include the specific agreed submission format for the role, an example: Please must submit via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment system (1) Cover letter describing their interest and suitability for the post; (2) Full CV that includes the list of publications (3) Research and teaching statements, showing their strengths in one or more of the research areas above.


For informal discussions about the position or the department of Management, please contact Kerstin Maier Barcroft , Edinburgh HoD at km153@hw.ac.uk and/or Marlene Muller , Global HoD at mm665@hw.ac.uk .

About Our Team

Our Management Department is home to a dedicated team of academic, research, and professional services staff who are passionate about high-quality teaching, meaningful student engagement, and fostering a strong sense of belonging. We believe our diversity is our strengthaEUR"enabling us to lead authentically in shaping inclusive, innovative, and sustainable approaches to business education.


Our teaching is practice-led and underpinned by a deep commitment to responsible management and intercultural understanding. We empower future leaders to engage critically with global challenges across international business, strategy, leadership, and change. Our flagship Graduate Apprenticeship programme exemplifies this ethos, supporting students to develop creative, work-based solutions that drive real-world impact.


We value community, respect, and kindness, and work in close partnership with students, alumni, and employers to ensure learning is continuous, relevant, and accessible. Our pedagogical approach is grounded in active learning and engaging, research-informed practice.


Joining our department means contributing to the development of future business leaders through teaching, research, and potential industry collaborationaEUR"within a dynamic and supportive academic environment.

About Heriot-Watt University

At Heriot Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team.


Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.



We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g., part-time working and job share options.


Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised, and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.


Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our university community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers https://disc.hw.ac.uk/ .


Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.