Overview
Lecturer in Early Modern Literature – Strand, London, WC2R 2LS
About us:
King’s College London is one of England’s oldest and most prestigious universities, founded within the tradition of the Church of England by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington who granted our royal charter in 1829.
King’s has a proud history of inspiring and supporting those who seek to solve the world’s most pressing problems. For almost 200 years, our community has been deeply rooted in the belief that learning and research should serve society.
This commitment to knowledge with purpose – using our expertise as a force for good – lies at the heart of our core mission at King’s. From research that led to the discovery of the structure of DNA, to developing life-changing therapies and making maths education available to underrepresented groups, we continue to have a transformational impact on society.
Fourteen people from King’s and its associated institutions have been awarded the Nobel Prize, including Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu for his role in South Africa’s anti-apartheid campaign, and Professor Michael Levitt for his joint work in developing multiscale models for complex chemical systems.
Notable alumni include British sprinter and world-record holder Dina Asher-Smith, biophysicist Dr. Rosalind Franklin, famous for her work in X-ray spectroscopy, and acclaimed children’s writer Sir Michael Morpurgo.
The Faculty of Arts & Humanities at King’s is distinctive in representing exceptional strength in both the longer established disciplines (such as Philosophy, Classics, English, History, Languages, Music Philosophy and Theology) and world-leading quality in more recently established fields (such as Digital Humanities, Film, Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts, and Culture, Media and Creative Industries).
About the role:
We wish to appoint a full-time Lecturer in Early Modern Literature on a fixed-term basis from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2027. The role will be on our E&R pathway, with their contract involving both Education and Research activity.
The successful candidate will have proven experience of university teaching, a record of published research appropriate to their career-stage, and also be able to undertake administrative and pastoral duties. They will be able to teach on a range of undergraduate and postgraduate modules. These may include the level 4 modules Early Modern Literary Cultures and Reading Poetry; the level 5 module The Poetry of Revolution; and the level 6 modules, Shakespeare’s London (co-taught by colleagues at Shakespeare’s Globe theatre) and Paper Bodies. They may also be asked to supervise MA dissertations for students on our MAs in Early Modern English Literature: Books That Matter (co-taught with the British Library) and Shakespeare Studies (co-taught with the Globe), as well as BA dissertations. The postholder will contribute, as personal tutor, to the pastoral care of students. They will be expected to undertake departmental administration and any other reasonable duties as required. This may involve contributing to the convening of our MA programmes. They will be responsible to the Head of Department.
Shortlisted candidates will be asked to give a short presentation to the interviewing panel at the beginning of their interview.
This is a full-time post, offered on a fixed-term non-renewable twelve-month contract from 1 September 2026 – 31 August 2027.
About you:
To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:
Essential criteria
- PhD qualified (i.e. PhD must have been awarded) in English Literature
- Experience of inclusive teaching of Early Modern Literature in a diverse classroom: ability to communicate difficult concepts and material to students of all levels; ability to inspire and innovate a wide range of students; skilled at helping students to develop their individual intellectual and personal potential
- Original research profile that complements and enhances the department’s existing strengths
- Collegiate, proven ability to work with others and to support them where necessary
- Experience of contributing to the pastoral care of students
- Excellent administrative skills: ability to support the organisational aspects of teaching, learning and research
Desirable criteria
- Experience of working effectively with external partner organisations
- Experience of dissertation supervision
- Experience of convening an MA programme
Downloading a copy of our Job Description
Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.
IMPORTANT: Before applying for this role, please make sure you have the right to work in the country where the role is based. Unless it clearly stipulates within in the job advert above that the hiring company is looking to or able to sponsor applicants it is deemed that the hiring employer will only consider applications from those able to comply with and work in the country where the role is based.
