Lecturer in Urban Design

Salary: 

Lecturer Grade F: £40,497 - £45,413 per annum

Lecturer Grade G: £46,735 - £55,755 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 31 August 2025

The Role

The School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape at Newcastle University is seeking to appoint a lecturer in Urban Design, on a teaching and research contract.

You will contribute to the research profile of the Planning and Urban Design Subject Group by publishing in internationally recognised journals, demonstrating research impact, and securing external research funding. Additionally, you will develop and deliver teaching and design studios in programmes accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), ensuring an outstanding teaching experience for our students.

We welcome applicants with expertise and skills in urban design and planning, with teaching experience in studio-based environments. We are particularly interested in candidates who seek to explore and critique the field of urban design through a focus on spatial justice and the advancement of critical thinking. Contributions to teaching and research in one or more of the following areas, is welcomed: critical or engaged pedagogies for urban design, urban design history and theory, spatial justice and critical practice, ecology and climate literacy, health and liveability, urban heritage and regeneration, digital representation and/or manufacturing, and professional practice and ethics. 

We invite applications that demonstrate excellence in connecting the latest research and practice with teaching, including design studio, and hope our appointee may take a leadership role in the School in due course.

The School has a dynamic research programme, ranked 4th in the UK for Research Power in the 2021 REF and offers opportunities to engage in School subject specific groups (see Our Research) and in cross-Faculty multidisciplinary centres, NU Centres of Research Excellence. Our research accompanies long-established programmes providing professional education in Architecture, Planning and Urban Design and Landscape, and interdisciplinary education offers in Architecture and Urban Planning, and Geograhy and Urban Planning.  

The University has developed an Academic Job Summary Guidance document which summarises the range of activities that academic colleagues may be expected to perform.

For informal enquiries please contact Dr Cat Button, Director of Planning and Urban Design, cat.button@ncl.ac.uk or Dr Paola Gazzola, Head of School, paola.gazzola@ncl.ac.uk

Key Accountabilities

Teaching & Learning

• To provide high quality teaching in urban design, learning and student support; 
• Mentor and support students throughout their studies in the role of personal tutor
• Set and mark the assessment of modules in accordance with University standards and utilise online and digitalised curricula and education framework
• Contribute to curriculum development
• Ensure all our students benefit from studying in a research intensive, research excellent academic environment
• Provide education for life, that engages, challenges and supports our students to discover and fulfil their potential both while they are studying with us and once they have graduated

Research

• Conduct research that meets international standards of excellence in its originality, significance and rigour, drawing on core knowledge in the subject area of Planning and Urban Design and applying it to the field of urban design
• Contribute to the research profile of the Planning and Urban Design subject and wider School by publishing high quality outputs
• Pursue external funding
• Demonstrate impact by developing research-based solutions to real-world problems and engage with external stakeholders to develop the impact of your work
• Supervise PGR (postgraduate research) students in a research-led university

Other

• Contribute to the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape’s Vision, Mission and Strategy
• Operate as an active citizen in the Planning and Urban Design and wider School community
• Awareness of equality, diversity and inclusion and ethics, responsibility and sustainability within the workplace
• To support global activities and development
• Undertake a range of administrative tasks to support your area of teaching, and/or research, and/or engagement for example, recruitment or research team leadership
• Take responsibility for a defined management or administrative role such as Module Leader, Year Tutor, Degree Programme Director, Research Director, Outreach Co-ordinator
• Contribute to the Planning and Urban Design’s international, programme and professional body accreditations
• Contribute to establishing and strengthening partnerships with practice and society.
• Contribute to the wider work of the School, Faculty and University through input to project teams, working groups and committees

The Person (Essential)

The level of appointment will be determined by your ability to meet the requirements of the person specification as outlined below.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

Lecturer Grade F

• Evidence or the potential to provide an outstanding educational experience, rooted in strong disciplinary knowledge that engages, challenges, and inspires our students
• Ability to deliver research-led teaching, making effective use of design studio to enhance learning
• Evidence or potential for internationalising the curricula
• Ability to develop and secure research funding
• Experience of or capability to publish international and world-leading research
• Ability to engage with external stakeholders, generating real-world impact from research
• Evidence of developing an international research profile
• Evidence of ability to contribute to the research of the Planning and Urban Design Subject Group
• Ability to supervise PGR students
• Ability to supervise undergraduate and taught postgraduate students’ research projects
• Commitment to interdisciplinary working
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Excellent organisational, time management and presentation skills
• Demonstration of successful team working
• Personal resilience in a context of change and fast paced environment
• Ability to contribute to the School’s Vision and Strategy
• Awareness of equality, diversity and inclusion, and to ethics, responsibility and sustainability in the workplace
• Experience of working in policy and urban design practice (Desirable)
• Engagement with curriculum development and pedagogical innovation
• Experience of, or potential for, teaching the use of specialist digital representation skills and software to students used in urban design practice (such as Revit, Sketchup, Adobe Creative Suite)
• Experience in, or potential for, extending teaching and research impact by engaging with external stakeholders
• Knowledge of new and emerging digital tools and their application within urban planning and design (for example, the growing use of AI/Machine Learning in local planning authorities)

Lecturer Grade G
In addition to providing evidence of your previous experience of the criteria above, to be considered for a Grade G Lectureship you must also meet the follow criteria:

•  A sustained international/established research and innovation profile and proven track record in international and world-leading publications
• Evidence of developing and securing grant capture
• A track record of engaging with external stakeholders, generating real-world impact from research
• Evidence of effective use of disciplinary and proactive research and a developed international research profile
• Evidence of your contribution to the field of Planning and Urban Design
• Experience of attracting and supervising PGR students
• Supervision of undergraduate and taught postgraduate students’ research projects
• Substantial experience of designing and delivering high quality teaching and learning material, resources and activities for students
• Ability to undertake a management and leadership role

Qualifications

Lecturer Grade F

• A good Honours degree (or equivalent) in Planning or Urban Design, or closely related discipline
• PhD (or equivalent) at or near completion (strictly within three months of submission at time of application) in Planning and/or Urban Design or closely-related discipline)
• A relevant Professional Body Membership as appropriate to the subject area (Desirable), particularly of the Royal Town Planning Institute
• HE teaching qualification (or equivalent experience) (Desirable)

Lecturer Grade G
In addition to meeting the criteria for the Lecturer Grade F candidates must also meet the following criteria:

• Completed PhD in Planning and Urban Design or closely related discipline

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.  As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.  We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.  We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe. 

Requisition ID: 28403