Lecturer/senior Lecturer in

**DIVISION OF SCIENCE**
**DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY | TE TARI TTAI AROWHENUA**

The Department of Geology at the University of Otago is searching for a confirmation-path Lecturer / Senior Lecturer (equivalent to North American tenure-track Assistant Professor) in paleontology and/or paleoecology.

**_The role - Te mahi_**

Contributing to the research activities of the department, including publishing in high-quality peer-reviewed journals, obtaining external funding support, and supervising research students.
Teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students, including developing new course content and teaching materials, participating in collaborative teaching activities, and assessing student performance.
Contributing to the effective and efficient administration of the department and its responsibilities within the university and wider community.

**_Skills and experience - K pkeka me k wheako_**

PhD (or equivalent) in Earth sciences (incl. paleontology, paleoecology, or a related field).
Excellent research record relative to opportunity.
Experience in or potential for collaborative, interdisciplinary and innovative research.
Enthusiasm for research-informed teaching approaches in paleontology and paleoecology.
Field and/or laboratory experience and expertise in specimen
- or collection-based research.
Proven abilities in science communication at multiple levels (public, schools, media, government).
Ability and willingness to develop a firm commitment to the universitys Mori Strategic Framework and Pacific Strategic Framework.

**_About our team - M te tma_**

The University of Otago is New Zealands oldest university. It is a comprehensive university offering undergraduate, postgraduate and professional programmes in the sciences, health sciences, commerce and humanities. Our tepoti Dunedin campus has been ranked as one of the most beautiful in the world and the city offers a great variety of activities, ranging from arts and literature to outdoor adventure.

In addition to research and teaching excellence, the University of Otago is committed to local, national, and international betterment, strong external engagement, sustainability in all its activities, and outstanding and unique student experiences. We are committed to furthering the aspirations of Mori and of communities across the Pacific.

The Department of Geology, which dates back to the founding of the university in 1869, is located in the heart of the universitys Victorian campus. The staff in our collegial department cover a wide range of Earth Science disciplines. Together, we teach into well-regarded broad-reaching undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. We pride ourselves on research-informed teaching with substantial field and laboratory components and an emphasis on encouraging independent research.

This is an opportunity for an energetic, creative and committed individual to make a significant contribution in their chosen discipline while being well supported by a collegial and dynamic department and university.

**_Paleontology at Otago_**

Our paleontology facilities, including a substantial preparation laboratory, are world class. The Geology Museum and associated collections are integral to our teaching and research. These include the largest collection of fossil specimens in the South Island, and, in New Zealand, our collection is second in size only to that of GNS Science. It contains about 60,000 individual plant, invertebrate, and vertebrate specimens, as well as hundreds of locality collections of stratigraphically important material. The department supports a paleontology laboratory manager who manages the operations of our preparation laboratory and the substantial collections housed within the department.

The fossil records of New Zealands South Island are rich and distinctive, and we are in close proximity to significant study regions in the Southern Ocean and Antarctica. Local and regional opportunities in paleontology enable us to examine ancient and different environments, and they also highlight how different and variable (paleo)biodiversity has been in our relatively remote corner of the world. The department (and paleontology group in particular) have traditionally attracted excellent undergraduate and postgraduate students due to our location, facilities and resources.

Collaborative opportunities in research and teaching abound within the university. You will find enthusiastic collaborators across numerous other university departments, schools and programmes (e.g., Geography, Zoology, Botany, Marine Science, Archaeology and Dentistry), as well as local, national and international museums (e.g., Otago Museum, Te Papa, the Smithsonian), external agencies (e.g., GNS Science) and other universities in New Zealand, Australia, the Pacific Islands and beyond.

**_Further details - Proko_**

There is one full-time (1.0 FTE), permanent position available, located in Dunedin. This is a confirmation path role, equivalent to