Lecturer in Philosophy of Cognitive Science in Sheffield

The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university. We offer a generous range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement, a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more.

We are seeking an ambitious and talented individual to join the Philosophy unit in the School of History, Philosophy and Digital Humanities in a three-year fixed-term position to develop our research, teaching and knowledge exchange in Philosophy of Cognitive Science. The post is to cover a member of staff who has gained external research funding. We are looking for candidates with research and teaching expertise that will enable them to undertake and/or contribute to the teaching of individually and team-taught undergraduate and postgraduate modules, broadly in the area of Philosophy of Cognitive Science and AI. We will support the candidate to develop their research and knowledge exchange profile.

The School of History, Philosophy and Digital Humanities sits within the Faculty of Arts & Humanities and combines internationally acknowledged research excellence with modern, imaginative teaching that enables our students to think for themselves and excel in the study of history, philosophy, archaeology and digital humanities. Philosophy at Sheffield has a distinguished record of producing internationally outstanding and innovative work. Our teaching is delivered by staff who are both committed to providing an outstanding student experience and who are at the cutting edge of research in their own disciplines.

Main Duties And Responsibilities

• Contribute fully to the Philosophy unit as a teacher, researcher, leader, collaborator.
• Conduct personal research for publication in high quality journals, and give presentations at seminars and conferences, in line with School and Faculty strategy.
• Deliver teaching and undertake assessments of modules, including preparing teaching material, communicating material and encouraging creative and critical engagement with it; observing and reacting to student interventions; responding to questions outside class times and introducing innovative teaching methods as appropriate.
• Supervise students' projects and dissertations.
• Undertake course evaluation, including facilitating student feedback, reflecting on own teaching design and delivery; and implementing ideas for improving own performance.
• Act as academic tutor for students, referring students to the relevant university's services for guidance where appropriate.
• Participate in the administrative processes of the School, including committee membership, quality assurance procedures and recruitment and admission of students.
• Contribute, as appropriate, to the School and Faculty's knowledge exchange and civic engagement agenda.
• Make a full and active contribution to the principles of the 'Sheffield Academic', achieving excellence in applied teaching and research, and scholarly pursuits to make a genuine difference in the subject area and to the University's achievements as a whole.
• Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post.

Person Specification

Our diverse community of staff and students recognises the unique abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs of all. We foster a culture where everyone feels they belong and are respected. Even if your past experience doesn’t match perfectly with this role’s criteria, your contribution is valuable, and we encourage you to apply. Please ensure that you reference the application criteria in the application statement when you apply.

Essential criteria

• Have a PhD (or equivalent experience) in Philosophy of Cognitive Science or a related subject area.
• Demonstrable track record of quality peer-reviewed publication.
• Possess teaching experience in Philosophy.
• Experience of supervising undergraduate and postgraduate taught students.
• Ability to design and lead taught modules and programmes.
• Effective communication skills, both written and verbal, report writing skills and experience of delivering presentations.
• Ability to work both collaboratively and independently with a high degree of personal effectiveness.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to liaise effectively with colleagues, students and others in the University and beyond.
• Proven ability to work to and meet deadlines.
• Demonstration of capacity to meet the educational needs of a diverse body of learners.

Desirable criteria

• Experience of supervising postgraduate research students.
• Ability to deliver research impact through activities that demonstrate an effect beyond academia, such as public engagement activities, consultancy etc.

Further Information

• Grade: 8.2
• Salary: £48,822 per annum
• Duration: Fixed Term 3 years from 1 September 2026 until 31 August 2029
• Hours of work per week: Full-time

For Informal Enquiries About This Job Contact Chris Bennett, Professor in Philosophy: on c.bennett@sheffield.ac.uk

Next steps in the recruitment process

It is anticipated that the selection process will take place in April or early May 2026. This will consist of a presentation and an interview. We plan to let candidates know if they have progressed to the selection stage at least two weeks prior to the interview date. If you need any support, equipment or adjustments to enable you to participate in any element of the recruitment process, please contact Karin Glöckle at k.glockle@sheffield.ac.uk.

What We Offer

• A minimum of 41 days annual leave including bank holiday and closure days (pro rata) with the ability to purchase more.
• Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working for some roles.
• Generous pension scheme.
• A wide range of discounts and rewards on shopping, eating out and travel.
• A variety of staff networks, providing opportunities for social interaction, peer support and personal development.
• Recognition Awards to reward staff who go above and beyond in their role.
• A commitment to your development access to learning and mentoring schemes; integrated with our Academic Career Pathways.
• A range of generous family-friendly policies.

We are a Disability Confident Employer. If you have a disability and meet the essential criteria for this job you will be invited to take part in the next stage of the selection process.

Closing Date: 08/04/2026

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