Job Description

Position Details

Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences


Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK


Competitive salary for an outstanding candidate


Full Time, Permanent


Closing date: 13 August 2025


Interview date: 01 September 2025

Summary

The School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Birmingham, UK, is a world-leading department that combines fundamental and translational research with evidence-based professional practice to promote lifelong engagement in physical activity, optimising health, wellbeing and performance. Consistently in the top 10 of the QS World University Rankings by Subject and in the top 5 in the latest UK's Research Excellence Framework our research allows us to address societal challenges from multidisciplinary perspectives and enriches our degree programmes.


We are seeking to appoint a Professor in Molecular Exercise Physiology. The post holder will be expected to have an excellent international reputation, based on an extensive track record of innovative research that has had a major quantifiable influence in the integrative physiology of exercise. The post holder will provide significant strategic leadership which will positively enhance the profile of the School and the University. The post holder will also contribute to teaching and learning, contribute at a high level to leadership and management activity and act as a role model in respect of citizenship.


You will join a thriving multi-disciplinary academic community, with access to excellent research and teaching facilities including, but not limited to, the Cellular Health and Metabolism Facility , the Birmingham Advanced Light Microscopy Facility , the Human Biomaterials Resource Centre , the Metabolic Tracer Analysis Core , and the Advanced Mass Spectrometry Facility . We work closely with clinical and research centres of excellence based at the University of Birmingham such as the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre Birmingham , the Centre for Human Brain Health and the recently launched Centre for Movement and Wellbeing

About you

You are an accomplished, world-leading researcher in the integrative physiology of exercise, with a clear vision for leading innovative, high-impact research. This includes but is not limited to the metabolic or molecular mechanisms underpinning muscle and whole-body responses to exercise, physical inactivity, ageing, and nutrition interventions in the context of sport, health and/or rehabilitation. You consistently publish world-leading outputs, secure significant research funding, and foster collaborations across disciplines and sectors. You also demonstrate commitment to maintaining and advancing the cutting edge of the field whilst contributing to shaping research strategy and mentoring research students and staff.


As an inspiring and inclusive educator, you design and deliver high-quality, research-led teaching that is engaging, accessible, and aligned with global standards. You contribute to curriculum development, lead digital innovation in teaching, and provide excellent supervision for student projects and dissertations.


You take on key leadership roles within the School and University, supporting strategic initiatives and promoting a culture of collaboration, inclusion, and impact. You contribute to activities such as enterprise, public engagement, and widening participation, while advancing equality, diversity, and inclusion.


We value diversity and inclusion and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. The School holds an Athena SWAN Silver Award, and the University is a proud holder of the Race Equality Charter Bronze Award and a Stonewall Global Diversity Champion. Learn more about working with us: University of Birmingham Staff Information.

Main Duties

Research

Develop, plan and lead research activities/programmes of outstanding quality in the integrative physiology of exercise; Publish high quality innovative, distinctive and significant outputs which are world-leading in terms of originality, significance and rigour; Remain at the forefront of developments in molecular exercise physiology, ensuring our research environment remains innovative and internationally competitive Regularly contribute to other research-related activities such as conference papers and keynote speaker invitations at conferences; Provide leadership on the generation of research income, supporting colleagues to maximise funding opportunities, promoting collaboration with external researchers and organisations; Lead the development of strategies, policies and procedures that have a positive and quantifiable impact on equality, diversity and inclusion; Maintain a sustained track record of income generation appropriate to the discipline to support own work; As appropriate for the discipline, lead a major research group, managing people and resources to deliver an ambitious research vision; May lead consultancy projects and/or advise external organisations, based on research and reputation; Participate actively in the development of the research strategy in the School or College as appropriate; Provide outstanding supervision to research students.

Education

Develop, plan and lead high quality education activities; Develop high quality, inclusive and academically challenging practice in research-intensive teaching, learning and assessment; Deliver high quality portfolio of innovative, engaging and inspirational teaching which is accessible to all; Contribute to curriculum design to ensure the offer is contemporary, inclusive, engaging, international and academically challenging; Lead innovative approaches to digital resources/environments and support colleagues to use them in the delivery of teaching, learning and assessment; Provide outstanding project/dissertation supervision; Develop and lead collaborative working arrangements with colleagues across the School and wider University to deliver outstanding teaching.

Leadership, Management and Citizenship

Lead and manage major activities in the School/College/University. This may be in relation to one or more of the following:


external partnership activities/collaborations; leading a Department or undertaking School/College roles; developing institutional policies and practice; leading activities contributing to a positive and inclusive community spirit across the School/College/University; using position and influence in order to ensure that others engage positively with the University's Strategy; leading, developing and motivating colleagues using mentoring and coaching skills; proactively supporting Equality, Diversity and Inclusion activities.

Person Specification or Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

The post holder will have an outstanding and sustained profile of achievement evidenced by the following:


PhD or equivalent qualification or an equivalent body of work; A substantial record of international quality outputs; An excellent and widely recognised reputation amongst peers internationally; Proven ability to plan and lead the delivery of research, particularly demonstrating how their research remains at the forefront in developments in the integrative physiology of exercise; A sustained record of attracting significant funding, as appropriate to the discipline; A track record in translating research into impact on other scholars and on the wider community through publication, engagement with policy and practice, consultancy and advisory work; A track record of attracting and successfully supervising high quality doctoral students; A proven ability to develop and lead the delivery of innovative research-led teaching, learning and assessment; A proven ability to lead curriculum design and implementation; Willingness to engage in teaching-related CPD; Evidence of high-level leadership and management contributions; Evidence of high-level successful collaborations (whether research, teaching or other); Evidence of proactively engaging in citizenship activities; Evidence of working with others for the greater good of the academic discipline and institution.
Informal enquiries to Gareth Wallis g.a.wallis@bham.ac.uk; and Sarah Aldred s.aldred.1@bham.ac.uk;

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone

on our website

.