Are you an experienced social work academic committed to building transformative partnerships that enhance education, research, and practice? We are seeking an Associate Professor in Social Work to lead and expand our external engagement across social care, health, and community sectors. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to Kingston University’s Town House Strategy, by strengthening and expanding collaboration with local authorities, the NHS, voluntary and community organisations, and service user groups. You will play a key role in developing sustainable partnerships that support practice learning, co-produced teaching, and impactful research aligned to sector needs. The post holder will contribute to high-quality teaching and curriculum innovation, embedding Kingston’s Future Skills approach to prepare “sought-after” graduates. You will also lead knowledge exchange activity that delivers real-world impact, supporting workforce development and addressing local and regional priorities within social work and social care.
Please note, an enhanced with barred list Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check clearance is required for the role.
The Person
You will be an established academic or experienced practitioner with a strong commitment to partnership working, innovation, and impact in social work. You will bring a strong track record (or clear trajectory) in research, knowledge exchange, or professional engagement. You will demonstrate significant experience of building and sustaining partnerships across statutory, voluntary, and community sectors and the ability to translate collaboration into tangible outcomes, including student opportunities, workforce development, and applied research. You will have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a commitment to inclusive and collaborative working. We are seeking a proactive and outward-facing individual who can connect academic activity with practice, contribute to civic engagement, and support Kingston’s ambition to create meaningful societal impact through partnership and co-production.
Applicants must meet Kingston University’s learning and teaching standards. By the end of probation, you must achieve the relevant UKPSF recognition if not already obtained—either through our accredited Introduction to Learning and Teaching programme for new lecturers or the Kingston Academic Practice Standards framework for experienced educators.
The Faculty
School of Education, Midwifery & Social Work
Individualisation is very important to us at Kingston University’s School of Education, Midwifery and Social Work. For our students that means a philosophy where we go above and beyond to deliver learning that draws on a variety of technologies and approaches that develop the very best practitioners of tomorrow. For our staff we provide the support they need to enable them to succeed in the different aspects of their role, including teaching, supervision and research.
Everyone here enjoys an environment built on innovation where we recruit original thinkers who are motivated to explore new avenues and transform learners’ lives.