Gresham College has been maintained in various forms since its foundation in 1597, but the major continuing activity has always been the appointment of distinguished Professors “sufficiently learned to reade [sic] the lectures” in Astronomy, Divinity, Geometry, Law, Music, Physic and Rhetoric. To these, in 1985, was added the Mercers’ School Memorial Professor of Business, in 2014 the Frank Jackson Professor of the Environment, and in 2015 the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists’ (WCIT) Professor of Information Technology.

In addition to the historic obligation to provide free public lectures, the College also collaborates with institutions of higher education, learned societies and professional bodies. One of its major original concerns was to provide insights to an important and sometimes influential audience in the City of London, it now also provides a platform through which a global audience can be reached. Through its independence it can offer opportunities for free and open discussion and debate that are not always available elsewhere.

Since 1991, the College has been based at Barnard’s Inn Hall, where the premises provide for lectures and other events, but a range of other venues are also used. Gresham College has no registered students, runs no courses, and does not confer degrees or diplomas. All Gresham lectures (about 100 p.a.) are open to the public, without charge, with attendances in person numbering up to 9,000 each year and achieving c.7 million online views annually. All lectures are live-streamed, and recordings made available on our website, through YouTube and as podcasts; there are now over 2,000 Gresham lectures accessible through the College website.

Job Description

Professors are appointed periodically, for a three-year term.
The appointment of the Professor of the Environment is subject to the official approval of the Frank Jackson Foundation. An honorarium of £8,000 is paid (plus reasonable travel expenses). Professors are responsible for ensuring that any tax due is paid through self-assessment.

Professors’ responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
 

Lectures

• To contribute to the College’s annual academic programme, by preparing and personally delivering six public lectures a year (lasting one hour including time for questions) and making such other public presentation(s) as may be agreed with the College;
• To provide written accompanying texts of lectures and any other supporting resources, such as PowerPoints, at least one week in advance of each lecture. These materials, together with live-streaming and video recordings, are made public through the Internet and other means, and
• To contribute to the College’s overarching aim to provide free education and outreach to a wide range of audiences, both locally in person and world-wide through the Internet.

Academic Board

• To participate in the activities of the College, including attendance at an initial professorial induction session, and at meetings of the Academic Board, which normally meets four times per year (October, February, April, and June);
• To advise as necessary and appropriate on College academic policy, programmes, and proposals and
• To participate in additional activities from time to time, both academic and social, attending other meetings and events (including social events) as appropriate, and where possible.

Promotion of the College

• To engage with the College’s production team on promotional filming for lectures and for the College more widely;
• To promote the College in external partnerships and at external events, acting where possible as an ambassador for the organisation, its members, and followers;
• To use the Gresham title wherever possible/appropriate when engaging in other activities, so that public attention is drawn to their connection with the College and
• To promote the College’s reputation as a prominent, global education institution, committed to making accessible a wide range of innovative education and research.

Essential

• A superb communicator with extensive experience of public speaking and lecturing, with a commitment to widening participation and access able to deliver complex information to largely non-specialist audiences;
• A distinguished record in the field of environment, with strong credibility including an academic research profile (where appropriate) and the ability to command respect from sponsors, staff, participants, and others;
• Proposals for a programme of lectures of originality and topicality for the tenure of the professorship and specifically providing engaging titles and 200/250-word abstracts for each of the first 6 lectures in year one, and outlines for the further two years for approval by the Academic Board. Note: Successful candidates must also provide 80/90 word summaries of all their first-year lectures for the printed programme booklet immediately upon appointment. Please note that originality extends to our programme content. We recommend you familiarise yourself with our current programme and programme archives to ensure sufficient distinction;
• Enthusiasm for the College’s ethos and range of provision, with the ability to work with colleagues to promote an academic programme of the highest standard that will have excitement, relevance, credibility, and impact – making a contribution to local/national/ international learning and debate;
• A willingness to work with Gresham colleagues on promotion and marketing of lectures, and in the creation of introductory videos, interviews, publicity, etc;
• An ability to build on the College’s current success and strengths to lead it to an ever-higher level of achievement and growth (particularly globally);
• Good interpersonal and communication skills, in order to relate to the sponsors, other academics, staff and members of the public;
• Outreach to students and schools is also included in College activities, and
• Good time management (lectures are strictly limited to one hour including questions).

Desirable

• A national/international reputation, with substantial publications of recognised international quality (or similar), which will contribute to and enhance the profile of Gresham College.
• An excellent track record in teaching, evinced by previous university-level lectures.
• A willingness to participate in new formats explored by the College (e.g. podcasts, lectures in schools).

Additional Notes
1. University positions. It is not essential for applicants to be formally attached to a University or Higher Education Institution as long as the above can be demonstrated.
2. Country of residence. It is not essential for Professors to be UK-based, but the requirement to attend at least 10 times per year for lectures, Board meetings and other occasions would present challenges to anyone outside the UK (non-UK expenses are subject to limits). Please be advised that the College does not possess a sponsor license and is therefore unable to support work visa applications.

Equal Opportunities
Gresham College has an increasingly diverse world-wide audience and programme. To reflect this, the College wants to increase the diversity of its professoriate, and welcomes applications from everyone regardless of age, ethnicity, faith, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability. It would like to see applicants from the full pool of talent – especially those who have been and continue to be underestimated, underrepresented, and under-served. All appointments will be made on merit, following a fair and transparent process.

Panel members are aware of the principles of equality of opportunity and fair selection. Gresham College’s equal opportunities in employment policy (in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 and the protected characteristics defined therein) states: The only consideration in recruitment, training, appraisal and promotion of employees will be how the genuine requirements of the post are met or likely to be met by the individual under consideration.