Faculty and teaching vs research roles
When a lecturer or teaching-only post belongs on a research job search—and when it does not.
When a lecturer or teaching-only post belongs on a research job search—and when it does not.
- Written by
- ResearchJobsEurope editorial team
- Last reviewed
- Published
- Review schedule
- yearly
Research-active faculty vs teaching delivery
Tenure-track and research-focused lectureships usually combine teaching with an expected research programme. Titles such as Associate Lecturer (Teaching), curriculum block lead, or maternity teaching cover are often about delivering modules—not building a lab. Know which search you are running.
How RJE treats the boundary
We prioritise PhD, postdoc, and research-carrying faculty posts. Pure teaching replacements and internal-only tutor posts are frequently out of catalogue scope even when the employer is an excellent university. If research time is required and assessed, the vacancy usually says so in the person specification.
- Look for research, grant, or supervision duties in the advert.
- Treat “Teaching” in parentheses as a signal to read carefully.
- Clinical education leadership roles may be faculty-grade but still not lab research posts.
If you want teaching-heavy careers
That path is legitimate—just use the right filters and sources. Do not assume every “Lecturer” vacancy is a research job, and do not treat an aggregator’s type tag as a substitute for the official person spec.
Related guides
Put this guide into practice
This guide is general information, not legal, tax, immigration, or financial advice. Confirm current requirements with the employer and relevant public authority.