Assistant Professor in Computational Geosciences Department of Geology

Role Summary

The Department of Geology seeks to make an appointment to an Assistant Professorship in Computational Geosciences alternatively Terrestrial Planetology

The role holder will be a member of The College of Science. They will be a recognized authority in their field, developing and maintaining a high-profile external profile and will become a leading member of a dynamic, cutting edge research culture, having access to the excellent research facilities which UAEU offers. They will have a vital role to play in the development and achievement of the College of Science within the context of the strategic goals of UAEU, leading research and scholarship in your field.

They will be expected to lead on advanced, internationally excellent research in Geosciences, securing high impact research funding, to teach and to supervise at the undergraduate and graduate levels, to contribute to admissions, examining and assessment, and to contribute fully to academic administration in both the Department and the College. The College of Science has undergraduate degrees in geosciences, chemistry, biology, physics, and mathematical science as well as home to many MSc and PhD programs.

This position is full-time and, following the probationary period, permanent subject to the availability of funding.

The post start date is August 2021 or as soon as possible thereafter.

Key Responsibilities

Assistant Professors make a full contribution to the academic life of the University through research, teaching and academic service. There is considerable flexibility in the organization of duties and faculty workload planning is undertaken as part of ongoing staff review with the Department Chair in order to ensure appropriate time and opportunity to undertake all duties as well as for professional development. The broad balance of duties for Assistant Professors is:

Teaching, Supervision and Examining (40%)

• To contribute to the curricula for both graduate and undergraduate programs within the Department or interdisciplinary programs involving the Department;
• To provide excellence in the teaching and supervision of undergraduate and graduate students (in the areas that the Department and the Centre are involved with) under the direction of the Head of Department, the Assistant Deans of Research & Graduate Studies and the relevant Course Directors;
• To contribute to the organization, development and delivery of undergraduate and graduate study of Computational Geosciences and related teaching programs and contribute to syllabus development, including the production of lecture notes, course materials and reading lists;
• To contribute to appropriate executive and professional education developed by the UAEU and other short courses or teaching collaborations offered by the College and in collaboration with our external partners;
• To develop inspiring new teaching options in your research area of expertise;
• To supervise Geoscience students in the Department;
• Engage in the assessment and university examining, including examining for the Computational Geosciences/Terrestrial Planetology degrees; as well as acting as an assessor for the Geoscience program milestones.

Research (40%)

• To engage in advanced study and internationally excellent research and to collaborate in research programs of the UAEU and Department and contribute to their international reputation for research excellence;
• To disseminate research through publication in high impact journals, participation in international conferences and seminars, and through other media;
• To secure external research funding to support the UAEU and the Department’s research activities;
• To identify new areas of research, preparing proposals and raising funds for major new research projects;
• To engage in knowledge exchange with a wide range of policy makers, practitioners and other non-academic stakeholders.

General (20%)

• To contribute to the overall development of the College and Departmental profile as a world-leading provider of Geoscience education, training and research of the highest academic standard;
• To co-operate in the administrative work of the College and Department in both term and vacation under the direction of the Director of the College and Head of the Department at the level expected;
• To participate in administrative tasks and management of the College and to support research, teaching and supervision, including graduate student admissions processes in the Department and College and share in the work of the Department and College committees;
• To take administrative roles, in line with the seniority of the post;
• To carry out any other duties, which are requested and are commensurate with the grade of this post, as deemed appropriate by the Head of Department.

About UAE University

United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) is the oldest university in the United Arab Emirates – founded in 1976 – and has a clear mission to maintain and enhance its high reputation in the country, the region and beyond as “The University of the Future”.

With a faculty of more than 930 and nearly 14,000 students from 64 countries, UAEU is internationally-oriented with a strong emphasis on social impact and external collaboration in both its education and research. The University offers 52 Bachelors’ degree programs and 37 Masters’ programs as well as a Doctorate of Medicine (MD), Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) and a number of other PhD programs. It was recently recognized in the QS World Rankings as among the top 300 universities in the world and the 27th best ‘Young University’ globally.

Our scientists and students work in close collaboration with internal and external parties to solve national and global social challenges. Out academic community is inspired by the dynamism and cosmopolitanism of the UAE, its values of tolerance and its rapid development as an internationally-recognized center of innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship. English is the language of instruction and communication in the COS.

What We Offer

Faculty arriving at UAEU will join a lively, intellectually stimulating and multi-disciplinary academic community with internationally-competitive standards in research and teaching, and enjoy an excellent standard of living in beautiful surroundings on campus and outside.

Set in the historic oasis region of Al Ain, UAEU is at the heart of a beautiful, cosmopolitan university town. As well as the attractions of the world-famous cities of Abu Dhabi (and Abu Dhabi International Airport) and Dubai (and Dubai International Airports) just 1 ¼ hours’ drive away, the beauty of the region’s natural environment in the desert and on the coast is in easy reach as well as in neighboring Oman.

The University offers a competitive compensation package for faculty with a starting annual salary commensurate with experience. In exceptional cases, appointments advertised for posts at Assistant Professor level may be made to Associate Professor. There is the opportunity for promotion in post through the annual review and promotion system.

In addition to the salary, UAEU provides faculty and their spouse/partner and children with additional benefits including: 30 days annual leave plus national holidays (c. 12 per annum); provision of housing or housing allowance; medical insurance; school fees’ contribution for up to three children; annual return flights to their home country; and an end-of-service gratuity. All employees benefit from the use of University facilities including an excellent sports centers with Olympic-size swimming pools.

UAEU is an equal opportunities employer and encourages applications from candidates of all backgrounds regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion, nationality or disability.

Candidate Profile

Education & qualifications

A PhD in computational geosciences or terrestrial planetology, or a closely related field.

Additional qualifications in teaching and learning or other professional skills relevant to a faculty role (desirable)

Specialist knowledge & skills

Demonstrable ability to develop and teach University courses in Computational Geosciences

Evidence of engagement in international-quality research, with publications and other participation in research activities commensurate with stage of career

Evidence of teaching experience and ability

Experience of organizing and participating in collaborative teaching and research with internal and external partners.

Interpersonal & communication skills

Excellent interpersonal and communication skills

Ability to engage and enthuse students, colleagues and other stakeholders in their area of research specialism

Native or near-native fluency in English as the language of instruction at UAEU

Relevant experience

Experience of teaching at University level

Experience of administrative roles and responsibilities in an academic environment with evidence of administrative efficiency (desirable)

Conditions of Employment

Employment is intended to start August 2021. The contract runs for a term of 48 months, subject to satisfactory performance. Appointments are confirmed at the end of this period dependent on financing and satisfactory completion of final probation. The conditions of employment correspond with those required by the UAE Ministry of Human Resources & Emiratization (MOHRE) and the right to work in the UAE is subject to government regulation. Salary is subject to training and experience and corresponds to a 40 hour per week contract.

Application procedure

Applicants should upload a CV and a cover letter which should include a concise statement of motivation of no more than 750 words that specifies research interests and plans and teaching philosophy. Please also include the names of TWO academic references and indicate whether they may be contacted during the application process or only after an offer has been accepted. Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed remotely. Final round interviews may be held on campus and candidates may be asked to submit a more detailed research proposal and/or give a short presentation as part of the interview process.

All materials should be uploaded via the UAEU Job Portal. Materials submitted by other means will not be considered.

The closing date for applications is Friday 26th February, 2021. Initial interviews are planned to be held first week in March.

Informal enquiries about the Department or the post may be directed to Prof. Hasan Arman (harman@uaeu.ac.ae)

Questions about the application procedure or general enquiries may be directed to recruitment@uaeu.ac.ae

All applications must be submitted online at https://jobs.uaeu.ac.ae/search.jsp