Professor and Head of Department, UCL Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction

We’re recruiting for the role of Professor and Head of the UCL Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction. We invite applications from candidates of international standing with a background in leading-edge research to apply now for this exceptional position.

The successful candidate will have an outstanding track record in research and an orientation to academic and strategic management. We are looking for a leader with a clear vision for research and education in risk and disaster reduction (RDR). They will be a strong strategist, an excellent leader, and an effective manager of people and complex relationships. They will have the ability to work as part of a strong and collaborative Faculty team.

Key requirements

Appointment to the role of Head of Department is offered for a term of five years in the first instance, with the potential for renewal of a further term. The successful candidate will also be appointed to a professorial position which is a continuing position within UCL. This appointment will be made in accordance with the UCL Regulations for Professors and Readers.

The Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction is one of eight academic Departments in the Faculty of Mathematical & Physical Sciences. The Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction was launched in 2010 as a Provost Strategic Development initiative with a mission to lead research, knowledge exchange and teaching in risk and disaster reduction (RDR) across UCL. In 2020, the IRDR became UCL’s newest academic department. We aim to develop the IRDR themed around disaster risk reduction and resilience, modelling crises, natural hazards, humanitarian crisis response, health in emergencies, conflict and migration, climate change adaptation, and gender responsive resilience, in order to integrate education, research, innovation and enterprise for the long-term benefit of humanity.

The IRDR is strongly interdisciplinary. We currently have 16 academic and teaching staff, two of whom are jointly appointed with other departments, (Statistical Science and the Institute for Global Health) with four further appointments being made this year, 12 members of research staff ranging from research assistants to professorial research fellows and six members of professional services staff, with one further appointment being made. The IRDR has a PhD population of over 25 and runs three Master's programmes with about 80 students. In 2021 a new undergraduate programme, BSc Global Humanitarian Studies, was launched with an inaugural cohort of over 60 students. Over half of IRDR students are international students coming from over 26 countries.

Further details

A job description, person specification and information on how to apply can be accessed via the link. 

Please include your CV in your application. 

For an informal discussion or further details please contact Rebecca Sibley R.Sibley@ucl.ac.uk.