DescriptionHeriot-Watt University – Edinburgh Business School
Professor in Sustainable Transport
Salary: Competitive
Location: Edinburgh
Closing date: 6th January 2025
Presentations and Interviews are expected to be held week commencing: 20th January 2025
Edinburgh Business School, Heriot Watt University is recruiting a Professor in Sustainable Transport to lead and develop research and teaching within the Marketing and Operations Department. The role will also make an enhanced contribution to the University’s Global Research Institute (GRI) for Net Zero. The role is based in Edinburgh and is expected to be on campus regularly to work with and lead collaborative research teams.
Heriot Watt University leads the TransiT Hub, a £50m investment in developing critical mass in digital capabilities and their application to the challenge for decarbonising transport. In addition, Heriot Watt leads the freight modelling aspects of DARe (Decarbonised Adaptable and Resilient Transport Infrastructure), and the CCN (Clean cooling Network). These projects have a planned combined funding of £32M with matched industry funding of industry of £25M.
Applicants must possess a PhD in a relevant field. For example, operational research, logistics, transport planning, mathematics or computer science. TransiT leverages digital twinning capabilities to create virtual replicas using real-time data.
Applicants should demonstrate outstanding academic achievement through a track record of grant funding, internationally excellent publications, and industry collaboration with associated impact case studies.
Applicants must demonstrate experience of leadership with evidence of mentoring and developing colleagues at various career stages.
The ideal candidate will have an external international network of research collaborators and demonstrate success at meeting strategic university research targets.
For teaching and research contracts workload is divided typically as 40% Research, 40% teaching and 20% administrative roles. However, for initial five years of this role the allocation will be 80% research and 20% teaching. Allocated teaching will be delivering research-informed content to undergraduate and taught postgraduate plus PhD supervision.
WHO WE ARE
Heriot-Watt’s Edinburgh Business School (EBS) is a global leader in high-quality, accessible, practice-oriented business education and research. With campuses in the United Kingdom, Dubai, and Malaysia, we inspire and empower a diverse, inclusive community of students. We partner with businesses and governments to translate knowledge into practice and deliver innovative solutions that improve the world. Our industry-leading research projects in logistics, supply chain management, industrial decarbonisation, inclusive workplaces, and sustainable capitalism connect across disciplines to address society’s most pressing challenges.
At EBS, we are practical, engaged, connected, and inspired. We foster a community that nurtures collaboration and ambition, and we aim to transform lives and organisations through our innovative approach to education and research. We pursue excellence through relevance, providing transformative lifelong skills and outcomes for our students. We leverage our vibrant research community, our strategic partnerships, and our talented network of faculty and staff to make a difference and create lasting global change.
WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR
At Edinburgh Business School, we envision a future where our contributions improve the world and leave a meaningful legacy for generations to come. We are eager to welcome faculty and staff who will help us forge the future through groundbreaking research, innovative pedagogy, and dynamic professional services. We are looking for colleagues who:
- Understand and embrace the value of accessible, practice-oriented learning and research.
- Pursue excellence both individually and collectively.
- Know the value of collaboration.
- Embrace our inclusive, global community.
- Are passionate about making a difference.
WHAT WE PROVIDE
At EBS, our pursuit of fairness and inclusivity make us a destination of choice for academic talent. Our global network, engaged community, receptive leadership, and flexible management allow our people to thrive. We freely foster ambition. We are agile and open-minded. We listen, and we adapt. Through opportunities, support, resources, and recognition, we strive to ensure that every member of staff feels a genuine sense of fulfilment, belonging, and potential. Our collaborative efforts are geared towards our fundamental purpose and drive: at EBS, we make difference. And we are committed to supporting our people every step of the way.
Our industry-leading research projects in logistics, supply chain management, industrial decarbonisation, inclusive workplaces, and sustainable capitalism connect across disciplines to address society’s most pressing challenges.
Key Duties and Responsibilities
- To contribute to the setting of the strategic direction of research and teaching that contributes to the EBS aim of accessible, practice-oriented learning, and research
- To design, implement and deliver a timely publication pipeline that is aligned with grant projects.
- To secure external funding through research grants or consultancy contracts that meets University funding targets.
- To conduct, publish and disseminate outstanding research of international standing.
- To mentor and support colleagues in their academic career progression
- To engage in activities to maximise the impact of research.
- To design and deliver a range of knowledge exchange activity amongst a range of stakeholders.
- To build visibility with research councils and other funding agencies, professional bodies, and industry.
- To deliver research-informed teaching
- To supervise PhD, Postgraduate and DBA students
Essential Education, qualifications, and experience
The person specification is as follows:
- A PhD in a relevant field.
- Proven ability to contribute to the EBS aim of accessible, practice-oriented learning, and research
- Possess sufficient breadth and depth of specialist knowledge in the discipline to provide leadership learning, research, portfolio development and industry engagement
- Proven track record and sustained experience of research leadership
- A sustained record of published research of internationally leading quality in a relevant field
- A proven track record in obtaining research funding commensurate with current stage of career
- Highest professional standing; as demonstrated by knowledge exchange work; membership at a senior level or significant contributions to professional bodies; or other high profile scholarly activity
- Senior membership of an appropriate professional body
- Experience of working with international partners in higher education
- Ability to deliver engaging and research informed teaching to both UG and PGT students
- Experience of supervision of PhD students to completion as a main supervisor/director of studies
How to Apply
Applications can be submitted up to midnight (UK time) on Monday 6th January.
At Heriot Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team.
About Heriot-Watt University
Heriot-Watt University (HWU) has a proud tradition in developing transformational solutions to specific global problems that dates from its founding 1821. HWU specialises in engineering, business and science and is a leader in innovative global education for a future world. Our alumni association, the Watt Club is the oldest graduate club in the UK. We have over 130,000 alumni worldwide in over 190 countries
HWU is a global university with campuses in Edinburgh, Scottish Borders, Orkney, Dubai, and Malaysia. It has 27,000 students studying both on-campus and online through distance learning all over the world. We have over 159,000 alumni worldwide in over 190 countries. HWU is ranked 16th in Scotland for overall student experience (NSS 2023).
HWU is recognised for its research excellence and ranked 1st in Scotland for research impact. More than 80% of our academic staff are currently engaged in research at internationally recognised levels. HWU research is classed as world-leading and internationally excellent, ranked as 86.8% in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021. HWU is a four-time recipient of the Queen's Anniversary Prize, the highest honour in UK education.
SOSS is one of 5 academic schools at Heriot-Watt University, the other schools are Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Engineering and Physical Sciences, Mathematical and Computer Sciences and Textiles and Design. HWU seeks to develop and nurture cross-disciplinary innovation and collaboration.
HWU adheres to a set of values that help us to nurture innovation and leadership by showing our commitment to continuous improvement and development in all our activities. These values are Inspire, Collaborate, Belong and Celebrate. For full details see https://strategy2025.hw.ac.uk/our-approach/
Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.
Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised, and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.
Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our University community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers disc.hw.ac.uk.
We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g. part-time working and job share options.
Use our total rewards calculator: www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.
Applications from candidates who require sponsorship to work in the UK will be considered alongside other applications. For further information on this please visit the UK Visas & Immigration website: www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas
