What does a lecturer do?

What a lecturer does at a university will depend on the course that they are teaching. Humanities lecturers in the UK usually have fewer contact hours with their students than science lecturers. In this case, lecturers will be working with students who are mostly independently studying, meeting them for lectures, seminars and open office hours a few hours a week.

However, science lecturers are often in much more regular contact with their students, sometimes meeting them several days a week in order to conduct practicals. As well as teaching undergraduate courses, lecturers support graduate students through their degree processes, such as providing feedback on their thesis or research.

In between teaching courses and basic administration duties, lecturers often pursue their own research. This might involve taking time out to speak at other universities or present talks during society conferences at their own university.

Lecturer skills and qualifications

In their teaching, lecturers will usually need to be able to break down difficult concepts into more familiar language and answer any questions that their students might have. As an employer, you will be looking for a lecturer who is able to aptly explain their research and how it applies to the course that they are looking to teach. Other skills and qualifications of a lecturer include:

• Being eloquent, patient and able to work with feedback on their teaching style from students;
• An ability to handle student conflicts diplomatically;
• Being the first port of call for students who are having difficulties completing their course; 
• Understanding how to involve students in seminars, drawing good questions out of them and challenging them on their knowledge;
• Multitasking abilities as they often have to handle tasks like marking work, setting examinations, developing course materials and up-to-date reading lists.

Lecturer experience requirements

A lecturer is a highly specialised academic professional. They usually have some academic work published, and it is generally of a very high standard. When working towards their PhD, they will have gained experience leading seminars, lectures, workshops and practicals themselves.

Once they have gained their PhD, they might take on temporary contracts until they can find a full-time contract as a lecturer. Lecturers must have strong verbal and written communication skills as they will be conversing with their students on a regular basis.

Lecturer education and training requirements

All lecturers require a PhD to teach at a university in the UK. This means that they will also have completed a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in their chosen field. Alongside this, they will have developed their own area of research which other lecturers teaching at their university might not have experience in. This means that they are often the go-to specialist in a particular field not only for other students but for other lecturers as well.

Lecturer salary expectations

According to Indeed UK salaries, the average salary of a lecturer is £33,925 per year. Salary may depend on the exact job duties and responsibilities, the employer, location and experience.

Job description samples for similar positions

Are you looking to fill a position other than for a lecturer? If so, other similar positions include:

• Tutor
• Teacher

Lecturer job description FAQs

What makes a good lecturer job description?

Consider including information about the department you are hiring for, as well as what research specialisms you are looking for. You might include some of this information within the job title itself.

Information about the university or institution can also entice good candidates to apply. Stating the lecturer’s teaching responsibilities and duties carefully and accurately means you are more likely to attract the right candidates. Any perks, pensions and salary are useful to include as well.

What makes a good lecturer?

When hiring for a lecturer, look for a PhD in the relevant field. Academia is a competitive market and so candidates might stand out with published research, books or proven previous experience. They might come with strong references from lecturers and professors at other institutions or universities.