Lecturer in Politics and Qualitative Research Methods

Overview

Birkbeck, University of London, is looking to appoint a Lecturer in Politics and Qualitative Research Methods to start next year in 2026.

This post is offered on a fixed-term, 18 month contract, part-time (17.5 hours a week) and with a salary of £22,124 rising to £30,429 per year.

Joining the School of Social Sciences, the successful candidate will convene and teach the postgraduate module, “Power and Politics in the UK”, as well as convene and teach two qualitative research modules – “Qualitative Social Research Methods” and “Qualitative Research Design” – which are taken by postgraduate students.

The role will also involve dissertation supervision, marking and moderation of assignments (including dissertations), personal tutoring and acting as Programme Director for the School’s MSc Government, Policy and Politics. The role holder may also be asked to undertake additional teaching and administrative duties as required.

“Power and Politics in the UK” is a core module for those taking the MSc Government, Policy and Politics and is an option module for those on other politics programmes within the School.

We are looking for an inspiring lecturer who can teach weekly topics such as the constitution and parliament, participation and representation, parties and ideologies, the civil service and judiciary, as well as decentralisation and devolution.

Alongside this, the successful candidate will teach the theory and practice of qualitative research methods to postgraduate students on the module “Qualitative Social Research Methods”, covering weekly topics such as research philosophies, depth interviews, focus groups and workshops, observation and ethnography, document analysis, discourse analysis, and qualitative data analysis software (Nvivo).

The successful candidate will also teach the postgraduate module “Qualitative Research Design” covering weekly topics such as constructing research questions, planning and conducting a literature review, selecting a suitable methodology, sampling, analysing qualitative data, and writing research outputs.

To maximise your chances of success at shortlisting stage, please evidence in your supporting statement how you meet the criteria:

• A completed PhD in Politics or a closely related subject (essential);
• Previous experience of teaching at undergraduate and/or postgraduate level (essential);
• Previous experience of teaching British politics at postgraduate and/ or undergraduate level and a PhD closely related to British politics, thus demonstrating specialist knowledge in this area (essential);
• Experience of undertaking research using at least two qualitative research methods, either in an academic or non-academic setting, and the ability to teach the theory and practice of a range of qualitative research methods to postgraduate students (essential);
• Experience of undertaking a qualitative research project, either in an academic or non-academic setting, and the ability to teach the principles of qualitative research design to postgraduate students (essential);
• Effective oral and written communication skills (essential);
• Ability to engage the interest and enthusiasm of students and inspire them to learn (essential);
• Previous experience of teaching qualitative research methods at undergraduate or postgraduate level (desirable);
• Familiarity with online teaching and learning resources such as Moodle (desirable);
• Willingness to teach classes which combine online and in-person students (essential); previous experience of such ‘hyflex’ teaching is desirable but not essential as training will be provided.

For information on Birkbeck’s Politics and International Relations subject group, see here.

If you have knowledge in this area, and want to contribute to an impactful educational experience – apply with us at Birkbeck today.

Salary and benefits:

Actual £22,124 rising to £30,429 per year 0.5 FTE, (pro-rated £44,247 to £60,858 per annum FTE), Grade LLEC on the College\\\’s London Pay Scale which includes a consolidated London Weighting Allowance.

Contract:

Fixed-term, 18 month, part-time contract – January 2026 to June 2027. Please submit a CV and statement for consideration. Closing date: Sunday 26 October 2025, interview date: Wednesday 12 November 2025.

Enquiries:

If you would like to know more about the role, please contact Dr Jason Edwards, Politics Subject Lead, at j.edwards@bbk.ac.uk

If you have difficulty using the recruitment portal, please contact jobs@bbk.ac.uk providing your name and the job reference number of the position. While we are happy to respond to all informal enquiries, only formal applications through the online system will be considered.

We welcome applicants from all sections of the community. www.bbk.ac.uk/jobs. The College is committed to improving the gender and cultural diversity of its workforce, holding an Athena SWAN award and operating Disability Confident & Mindful Employer schemes.