Assistant Professor in Comparative Public Policy

The Department of Political Science at McMaster University invites applications for a full-time tenure-track appointment in Comparative Public Policy.  The appointment will be at the rank of Assistant Professor, with a preferred starting date of July 1, 2020.

Candidates must have earned a PhD in Political Science, or a related discipline, by the date of appointment or shortly thereafter.  The main criteria for selection are research and teaching excellence.  Candidates must demonstrate an emerging record of research accomplishments that contribute to and advance the comparative study of public policy. Candidates must also demonstrate a commitment to excellence in undergraduate and graduate teaching, and strong potential for excellence as a graduate supervisor.

The successful candidate will have evidence of high-quality scholarly output and excellence in research.  They will be expected to carry out an independent research program yielding significant peer-reviewed publications, and to compete successfully for external funding to support this research program.  Candidates from a wide range of disciplinary perspectives and substantive policy interests are encouraged to apply, including those who apply innovative approaches involving socially engaged and participatory research.

The successful candidate will also demonstrate strong potential for outstanding teaching contributions at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and an ongoing commitment to academic and pedagogical excellence in support of the department’s programs.  At the undergraduate level, the appointee will be expected to teach introductory as well as more advanced courses in an area of their expertise.  At the graduate level, the appointee will teach courses as part of the Masters in Political Science and the PhD program in Comparative Public Policy, and be expected to supervise graduate students in their areas of research expertise. These can include mainstream policy studies as well as projects that adopt critical approaches to policy.  The capacity to strengthen the department’s commitment to practice-based learning is an asset.

The person who fills this position is expected to contribute to the department’s supportive and collegial working environment, and to make substantive contributions through service to the department, the Faculty, the University, and/or the broader community.

McMaster University consistently ranks among the top 5 research intensive universities in Canada and among the top 100 universities worldwide.  It has a strong focus on community-based research and experiential learning that complements classroom studies with hands-on experience.  Community engagement and a commitment to service and to the public good has been a key part of McMaster’s history.  The Department of Political Science provides a strong, supportive and collegial research culture, building the research capacity of faculty and graduate students.  It offers MA degrees in Political Science and International Relations, and PhD degrees in Comparative Public Policy and International Relations, as well as a range of undergraduate programs.  Further information on the Department can be found at http://www.politicalscience.mcmaster.ca.

McMaster is strongly committed to employment equity within its community and to recruiting a diverse faculty and staff.  The diversity of our workforce is at the core of our innovation and creativity and strengthens our research and teaching excellence.  The University encourages applications from all qualified candidates, particularly women, persons with disabilities, First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, members of racialized communities, and LGBTQ+ identified persons.  The University seeks qualified candidates who share our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.  Applicants are asked to include, as part of their application package, a statement describing their commitment to and demonstrated experience advancing equity, diversity and inclusion in post-secondary education, community-based or other professional settings.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority.  To comply with the Government of Canada’s reporting requirements, the University is obliged to gather information about applicants’ status as either Permanent Residents of Canada or Canadian citizens.  Applicants need not identify their country of origin or current citizenship, however, all applications must include in the cover letter one of the following statements: “I am a citizen / permanent resident of Canada” OR “I am not a citizen or permanent resident of Canada.”  Applications that do not include this information will be deemed incomplete.

How to apply:

Applicants should submit the following documents electronically as PDFs through www.workingatmcmaster.ca:
Cover letter;
Curriculum Vitae;
Statement of research;
Statement of contributions and commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion – addressing past, ongoing, and/or potential contributions through teaching, research, professional activity, and/or service;
Evidence of teaching excellence;
Academic writing sample.

In addition, applicants must arrange for three letters of reference to be sent directly by referees to Dr. Karen Bird, Chair, Department of Political Science at chair.polsci@mcmaster.ca.

Applicants will also be sent a link to complete an online voluntary Diversity Survey. All information collected is confidential and will be used to support efforts to broaden the diversity of the applicant pool and to promote a fair, equitable, and inclusive hiring process.

Job applicants requiring accommodation to participate in the hiring process should contact the Human Resources Service Centre at 905-525-9140 ext. 222-HR (22247) or the Faculty of Social Sciences Human Resources Advisor at ext. 24552 to communicate accommodation needs.

Consideration of applications will begin on October 11, 2019.

Michelle Dion
dionm@mcmaster.ca
michelledion.com

Associate Professor, Political Science
Acting Director, Centre for Research in Empirical Social Sciences (CRESS)
McMaster University