JOB DESCRIPTION

The successful candidate will possess a broad practical and theoretical knowledge of a range of topics within the spheres of 21 st Century Design, but we are particularly interested in receiving applications from those candidates with practical expertise in the full Adobe software suite, Artificial Intelligence, Design Ethics - its place in today’s business world, and current uses of design with AI within, for example, the areas of Branding, Marketing and Promotion, Design Management and Innovation, and Interior Architecture. Postholders will play a key role in connecting with our internal and external stakeholders to embed Design with AI practices and principles into the curriculum. They will lead or oversee (as necessary) the development of programmes and the creation of new courses to support industry facing practices and student employability. Preference will be given to candidates who also have research interests in these areas and the potential to publish in high quality scholarly journals.
Teaching and research should be grounded in 21 st -century design studies with appropriate input from historical, theoretical, and practical perspectives. Given the broad, fast-moving, and collaborative nature of today’s industries and associated technologies, we expect the successful individual to work proactively, within and across the traditional discipline boundaries. We also expect the successful applicant to cooperatively contribute to teaching existing courses as well as collaboratively create new ones across the campuses where and as it benefits the student experience.
The role will be based at the University’s campus in Dubai. Courses and programmes will be delivered in English and so fluency in English is essential. An induction programme will be delivered to all new academic staff on Heriot-Watt’s standards and values, and to give practical experience on preparation, delivery, and assessment of teaching.

ABOUT HERIOT-WATT

With a history dating back to 1821, Heriot-Watt University has established a reputation for world-class teaching and professionally relevant, leading-edge research and enterprise, which has made it one of the top UK universities for business and industry.
We are a vibrant, forward-looking university, well known for the quality of our degrees, with employers actively seeking out our graduates. Heriot-Watt is also Scotland’s international university with an unsurpassed international in-country presence. We deliver degree programmes to circa 30,000 students in 143 countries worldwide, have a further overseas campus in Dubai and boast the most significant international student cohort in Scotland.
At Heriot-Watt we’ve created an environment that nurtures innovation and leadership - where our researchers, teachers, staff and students can realise their potential and develop their ambitions.
We are proud of our collegiate atmosphere and integrated teaching and research approach which has helped to build a community of committed academics and highly motivated students. Our focus on careers delivers results and we’ve an excellent reputation for graduate employability.

In addition to the Edinburgh campus, we currently have campuses in the Scottish Borders, Orkney, Dubai, and Malaysia. For all our campuses we aim to provide stimulating, supportive environments conducive to effective learning and research, where staff and students can excel. At Heriot-Watt, we have an established set of values that help us to nurture innovation and leadership and show our commitment to continuous improvement and development in all our activities. Our values describe our deeply held beliefs and our community spirit. They characterise not only how we are as a higher education institution but also frame how we want to be. Our values are:

• Belong
• Collaborate

• InspireCelebrate

• As a learning, living, and working institution, we use our values as the building blocks of how we go about doing our work and how we each conduct ourselves as members of Heriot-Watt University. They represent what binds us together as a university community and help us to become the best at what we do. For full details on our university, please view our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/about.htm

ABOUT THE ROLE

The School of Textiles and Design on the Dubai campus is seeking to recruit enthusiastic academics with experience in teaching and scholarship, or research. Successful candidates will be expected to build research over time and showcase innovative teaching pedagogies. Successful candidates will also be expected to develop strong links to colleagues at the Scottish campuses to deliver high-quality learning and teaching, to contribute to the continued development of the programmes offered to students, and to develop external engagement endeavours in association (and as appropriate) with the Academic Schools in Edinburgh, Dubai, Galashiels, and Malaysia.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Undertake teaching and assessment duties on academic programmes. Support colleagues in The School of Textiles and Design and other Schools at Heriot-Watt University in the delivery of courses and other activities to support the delivery of HWU’s aims.
• Develop relevant materials in appropriate formats for the future of design as a discipline. Contribute to the content, design and delivery of the curriculum, and the quality of teaching and learning, in consultation with colleagues and within the international structures and mechanisms established by the University. Review teaching design and delivery by obtaining and analysing feedback from students and peers. Support the accreditation processes of professional bodies.
• Mentor and supervise students, including PhD students (as appropriate), providing effective, well documented, and timely feedback, both formative and summative. Provide pastoral support, recognising when to refer a student for further support. Play a key role in the delivery and support of an excellent student learning and living experience at HWU.
• Develop the level of subject expertise in line with latest development in business enterprise, scholarship, research and or innovation, and ensure these developments are reflected in teaching materials and methods.
• Build and conduct scholarship or research in one or more of the Design and or Dubai Campus areas at internationally competitive levels.
• Develop and maintain strong links with creative design industries, external organisations, and the education sector.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues in the UK, at other campuses, and with external networks both for the exchange of information, to share learning, and to form relationships for future collaboration. Conduct and engage in peer review of teaching and research - locally, nationally, and internationally.
• Undertake a proactive role in promoting and marketing design at the University, ensuring the effective recruitment of students and the achievement of recruitment targets. Play a full role in Open Days and other student recruitment events. Play a full role in research impact, community events, and public engagement.
• Undertake leadership and administrative tasks associated with programme and course planning, preparation for examination boards and progression boards, etc, as instructed. Participate in relevant committees. Associate Professors will be expected to undertake additional leadership and management responsibilities. Associate Professors are also expected to publish and engage in high quality research, submit to the REF and engage in funded research projects.Undertake continuous professional development (CPD) and participate in staff development activities.