Job Description and Selection Criteria Post Wykeham Professor of Physics Department/Faculty Physics Division Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences College New College Overview of the post The Department of Physics and New College intends to appoint to the Wykeham Professorship of Physics with effect from 1st October 2019 or as soon as possible thereafter. The Wykeham Professor of Physics is expected to provide intellectual leadership and excellent teaching at the Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics. The person appointed should be a leading figure within any area of theoretical physics. He or she will be part of a lively and intellectually stimulating research community which performs to the highest international levels in research and publications and will have access to the excellent research facilities which Oxford offers. The Wykeham Professorship is the premier appointment and the only endowed chair within the Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, one of the six sub-departments which constitute the Department of Physics. The Centre consists of approximately 20 academic staff, 20 postdoctoral researchers and 50 DPhil students. Members of the Centre play a significant role in the teaching of undergraduates in the Physics Department. Two current post-holders and six emeritus members are Fellows of the Royal Society. The current Head of the Rudolf Peierls Centre is Professor John Chalker. In Physics, teaching is shared between the department and the colleges: the department is responsible for lectures, classes, laboratories, examinations and post-graduate research supervision, while most tutorial teaching (in small groups), the undergraduate selection process and pastoral care are college-based. The Wykeham Professorship is associated with New College. The professor will be a member of both the University and the college community. He or she will play a role in the running of New College as a member and trustee of its Governing Body. This post is a statutory (full) professorship. For a description of the different types of academic posts at Oxford, please see http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/personnel/staffinfo/academic/types/. If you would like to discuss this post, please contact Professor John Chalker (Head of the Rudolf Peierls Centre) [email protected]; Professor Ian Shipsey (Head of Department) [email protected]; or Professor Steven Balbus (Savilian Professor of Astronomy) [email protected] . All enquiries will be treated in strict confidence and will not form part of the selection decision. 1 Duties of the post You will be a member of both the University and the College community. You will be part of a lively and intellectually stimulating research community which performs to the highest international levels in research and publications and will have access to the excellent research facilities which Oxford offers. You will play an important role in the running of the College as a Professorial Fellow and a member of the Governing Body, and thus a trustee of the College. The main duties of the post are as follows: • Providing leadership in research and teaching, and contributing more broadly to leadership across the Department, the Division and the University. • Maintain an excellent publication record in international journals. • Playing a prominent role in the strategy and development of the Rudolf Peierls Centre. • Teaching physics to students taking undergraduate degrees in Physics, teaching and supervising DPhil students in theoretical physics, and serving from time to time as College advisor to a small number of graduate students at New College. • Lecturing; this typically involves delivery of one course of lectures each year, if requested by the Head of the Department of Physics. • Examining both undergraduate and DPhil students as required by the Head of the Department of Physics. • Obtain research and/or development funding sufficient to support a research group and to contribute to the sustainability of the Department. • Administration as required by the Head of the Department of Physics. • Serving as a member of the Governing Body of New College and on appropriate sub-committees of that body; and serving on the relevant appointment committees for the college. • Contribute positively to college life. Headship of Department Every professor who is employed by the University, unless individually exempted, has an obligation to accept headship of the department or faculty in which their post is held, if invited to do so by the divisional board. Selection criteria Your application will be judged only against the criteria which are set out below. You should ensure that your application shows clearly how your skills and experience meet these criteria. The University is committed to fairness, consistency and transparency in selection decisions. Members of electoral boards (selection committees) will be aware of the principles of equality of opportunity, fair selection and the risks of bias. There will be both female and male board members wherever possible. 2 If, for any reason, you have taken a career break or have had an atypical career and wish to disclose this in your application, the electoral board will take this into account, recognising that the quantity of your research may be reduced as a result. You will demonstrate the following: REQUIREMENTS ESSENTIAL or ASSESSED BY: DESIRABLE Substantial international reputation in scholarship Essential Application, and research in theoretical physics and an excellent interview publication record in international journals. Research leadership and the ability to train, guide Essential Application, and motivate research students and junior interview colleagues. The ability to contribute effectively to ensuring the Essential Presentation, long-term development of theoretical physics, interview building on the existing strengths of the Rudolf Peierls Centre, and to maintaining the wide recognition of Oxford’s contributions to the subject in the outside world Proven record of attracting significant research Essential Application, funding interview Commitment to providing effective teaching at Essential Presentation, undergraduate and postgraduate level interview Ability to communicate effectively (in writing and Essential Application, orally) presentation, interview Experience of university governance and Desirable Application, management, and of academic administration interview How to apply To apply, visit www.ox.ac.uk/about/jobs/academic/index/, click on the relevant post title, then click on the Apply Now button on the ‘Job Details’ page and follow the on-screen instructions to register as a new user or log-in if you have applied previously. Please provide details of three referees and indicate whether the University may contact them without seeking your permission. You will also be asked to upload a CV with publication list, a supporting statement and a statement of research intent. The supporting statement should explain how you meet the selection criteria for the post using examples of your skills and experience. This may include experience gained in education or employment, or during career breaks (such as time out to care for dependants). The research statement should set out your plans and priorities for research over the next five years. 3 The University and colleges welcome applications from candidates who have a disability or long-term health condition and is committed to providing long term support. The University’s disability advisor can provide support to applicants with a disability, please see www.admin.ox.ac.uk/eop/disab/ for details. The College’s disability advisor can provide support to applicants with a disability, please contact the Academic Registrar at [email protected] for details. Please let us know if you need any adjustments to the recruitment process, including the provision of these documents in large print, audio or other formats. If we invite you for interviews, we will ask whether you require any particular arrangements at the interview. The University Access Guide gives details of physical access to University buildings www.admin.ox.ac.uk/access/. Please upload all documents as PDF files with your name and the document type in the filename. All applications must be received by 12.00 noon on Monday 18th March 2019. To return to the online application at any stage, please go to: www.recruit.ox.ac.uk. Please email [email protected] should you experience difficulties using the online application system. Further help and support is available from www.ox.ac.uk/about_the_university/jobs/support/. All applications will be acknowledged after receipt by automatic email from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk mail to ensure that you receive it. All applications will be considered by the electoral board as soon as possible after the closing date. The electoral board is free to search for other candidates at this or any subsequent stage in its proceedings. You will be kept informed of the progress of your application at each stage, but in some cases there may be a delay while deliberations are ongoing. All shortlisted candidates will be interviewed and will be asked to give a short presentation to the electoral board as part of the interview. The composition of the electoral board will be published in the University Gazette (www.ox.ac.uk/gazette/) when it is finalised. The Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics The Centre’s research activity covers an