Lecturer in Music

Weekly

Working Hours:

30

Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract

Fixed Term Contract End Date: 30 September 2027. The successful candidate will be expected to start on 1st September 2026.

The post-holder will work in a team that presents and produces innovative learning resources across our music curriculum, focusing on ethnomusicology and music analysis. The post-holder may also be asked to contribute to curriculum in music technology and music history at the undergraduate and postgraduate level.

We welcome applications from those with teaching and/or research experience in topics including ethnomusicology, musicology, music technology, or music theory and analysis, but would especially welcome expertise in ethnographic and analytical approaches to music.

Music staff often teach in an interdisciplinary fashion and in collaboration with colleagues across the School of Arts & Humanities. In joining Music, you would thus also be joining a dynamic and interdisciplinary school environment. You would be expected to participate in and contribute to the school’s curriculum agenda, work across traditional disciplinary boundaries, and take on teaching within subjects which may be outside of your research specialisms.

The person appointed will be expected to contribute to teaching in the School, Faculty and University in the following ways:

Teaching

• Contribute to the teams developing, planning, delivering and updating high quality and successful curriculum at undergraduate and postgraduate levels in Music.
• Prepare distance learning materials suitable for the teaching and learning methodologies used by The Open University.
• Contribute to the presentation of Open University music modules. This includes evaluating and offering feedback on proposals for MA-level projects, contributing to teaching, setting assessments and examinations; organising and chairing seminars (some student-facing and some public-facing) on current topics or readings in musicology, ethnomusicology and popular music studies; participating in examination boards; teaching via student discussion forums; and liaising with other staff members (including tutors and student-support staff) in pursuit of excellence in teaching and the student experience.

Administration, Management and other duties

• Engage with appropriate academic leadership and administrative tasks appropriate to the role and play an active role within the Faculty, as required by the Head of School.
• Comply with Statutory Requirements, Codes of Practice, University Policies and Health and Safety arrangements.

• Have a PhD (or equivalent) in ethnomusicology or a closely related subject, completed or close to completed ('close to completed' is defined as having submitted your thesis pending amendments).
• Have an honours degree in music or a closely related subject.
• Understand the kinds of projects that are feasible for an MA dissertation, and be able to evaluate and provide helpful feedback on student project proposals incorporating ethnographic and practice-led elements. This includes a good understanding of current ethics practice.
• Demonstrate a level of understanding of music notation and transcription commensurate with the role and have the ability to frame these in a global context.
• Display evidence of teaching ability, and the capability and readiness to prepare teaching materials for distance learning, and to support modules in presentation through online and face-to-face tutoring, the preparation of assessment materials, and participation in Quality Assurance and examination processes.
• Communication skills appropriate to the role, both oral and written, in a variety of contexts, including the ability to offer and receive constructive criticism.
• The ability to plan and organise work to agreed deadlines.
• The ability to work collaboratively, collegially, adaptively and responsively with others.
• The ability to undertake the role to meet the aims, ethos and values of the Open University, including the principles and practice of equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Experience of producing online and/or distance learning materials.
• Higher Education professional accreditation or equivalent qualification.
• Experience in teaching one or more of:
  Western music theory, music technology, historical musicology.

We are open to discussions about flexible working. Whether it’s a job share, part time, compressed hours or another working arrangement. Please reach out to us to discuss what works best for you.

It is anticipated that a hybrid working pattern can be adopted for this role, where you can work from home and the office. However, as this role is contractually aligned to our Milton Keynes office, some attendance in the office will be required in response to business needs. We’d expect this to be at least once every other month, but this could be more often as business needs dictate.