Academic careers

pursuing world-class research and teaching, and engaging with global issues

Join LSE and you’ll be working alongside the academic leaders of your generation, in a world-leading university that places a premium on career development and reward.

We’re looking for people who excel in their field, who want to engage with the wider world and inspire our students.

Specialists in the social sciences, we rate highly in our field, most recently named second in the world in one global league table. How do our peers see us? In 2014, the Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings rated us the fourth highest UK University (and one of only ten UK institutions in the top 100).

Which is nice. But we’re mainly concerned with pursuing world-class research and teaching, and engaging with global issues. We’d like more like-minded individuals to join us and realise their academic ambitions. 

Our three-tier academic structure

LSE recently changed its academic career path to a three-tier system known as the New Academic Career structure (NAC) - in order to improve the recruitment, mentoring, review and pay of career academics.

The new structure

The new ranks are:

  • Assistant Professor

  • Associate Professor

  • Full Professor

This replaces the previous structure of Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Reader and Professor.

Increased support for junior academic staff

To ensure all junior colleagues have the opportunity to flourish and succeed, we have made the timing of the review and promotion process more flexible under the new career structure and have increased our emphasis on mentoring, training and constructive review.

Competitive starting salaries

LSE starting salaries reflect market rates, our expectations of academic staff take account of the cost of living in London. This forms part of a competitive reward and benefits package for new academic staff.

You’ll find us a fair employer that takes diversity and professional development seriously. Your colleagues will be global leaders in social science. We work towards academic excellence and ‘the betterment of society’.

From the heart of London, you’ll find yourself joining the global debate.