Assistant Professor,Social Worker; Tenure Track Job Sydney area,Nova Scotia Canada,Education / Teaching

Position: ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, SOCIAL WORKER (TENURE TRACK)

Cape Breton University invites applications for a Tenure-Track Assistant Professor position in the Department of Social Work for its accelerated 16-month Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program.

This position is part of the university’s ongoing commitment to decolonization, reconciliation, and Indigenization of social work education and practice that can be seen in CBU’s Strategic Plan of Indigenizing the L’nu Way Pillar. We are strongly committed to recruiting an Indigenous faculty member who brings significant social work practice experience, community knowledge, and a passion for preparing undergraduate students for ethical, relational, and justice-oriented social work practice.

The anticipated start date is July 1st, 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter.

Program Details

CBU’s BSW program is grounded in critical, anti-oppressive, and decolonizing approaches to social work education, with a strong emphasis on:

Advancing awareness and meaningful integration of Indigenous worldviews, Ways of Knowing, and Two-Eyed Seeing in practice.

Advancing Community-based and relational practice

Practice readiness and field education as the signature pedagogy

Advancing Social justice and ethical responsibility

Serving and including rural and underserved communities

The program is situated in Unama’ki (Cape Breton Island), part of Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq people, and it maintains close relationships with community organizations, service providers, and Indigenous partners.

Position Responsibilities

The successful candidate will contribute to the BSW program through a combination of teaching, service, and scholarly or practice-based activity, with expectations that recognize diverse ways of knowing, doing, and contributing in academic and community contexts. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Teaching BSW-level social work courses, particularly those aligned with:
Indigenous perspectives from Indigenous knowledges and worldviews in social work. Decolonizing and anti-colonial practice. Understanding the historical and current context of Indigenous cultures and Ways of Knowing in Nova Scotia. Establishing and building partnerships and working relationships with Indigenous families, mentors, and communities. Working in a culturally-safe manner with Indigenous families, communities, and agencies.

Contributing to curriculum development that reflects Indigenous knowledges, lived experience, and community-responsive practices.

Supporting and mentoring students, including Indigenous students and those from equity-deserving communities.

Engaging in service to the program, university, profession, and community.

Participating in scholarly, creative, community-engaged, or practice-based activities, as aligned with the candidate’s expertise and interests.

CBU offers opportunities to teach on campus and online, and the possibility of community-based settings. A willingness to engage in varied teaching modes is considered an asset.

The Successful Candidate will:

Demonstrate significant social work practice grounded in relational and anti‑oppressive approaches

Be eligible for registration with the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers

Hold a graduate degree, or other comparable combined qualifications and demonstrated leadership experience in the social work context. A Master of Social Work (MSW) from a CASWE accredited institution A completed or near-completed doctorate, or advanced professional training and expertise comparable to doctoral-level preparation*, including, but not limited to:

PhD in Social Work

Doctor of Social Work (DSW)

Doctor of Education (EdD)

PhD or doctorate in a closely related discipline relevant to social work education, practice, or social justice

The doctoral requirement may be waived if the candidate has a minimum of a Master’s degree or a professional degree and a combination of experience at the post-secondary level and/or inclusive of Indigenous Knowledges, lived experience, community contribution and involvement with First Nations families and youth.

* Equivalent preparation may include senior-level practice leadership, community-based or Indigenous knowledge leadership, applied scholarship, policy development, or other forms of advanced knowledge production and distribution.

Priority will be given to Indigenous candidates (First Nation, Metis and Inuit). Please self-Identify in the application with a narrative of how one is connected to Indigenous communities.


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Job Posting Language

Assistant Professor, Social Worker; Tenure Track