Company: The Open University
Location: Milton Keynes
Posted: May 4th, 2026
The Open University is the UKs largest university, a world leader in flexible part-time education combining a mission to widen access to higher education with research excellence, transforming lives through education. Find out more about us and our mission by watching thisshort video (you will be taken to YouTube by clicking this link).
The School of Life, Health and Chemical Sciences is part of the Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). It brings together a multi-disciplinary team of academics with expertise in a broad range of subjects, providing a stimulating, collaborative and supportive teaching and research environment.
The School offers undergraduate qualifications in Biology, Natural Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, Chemistry, and Health Sciences and a postgraduate qualification in Mental Health Sciences, as well as hosting PhD students and research fellows.
Members of the School were submitted to REF2021 in Units of Assessment A3 (Allied Health Professions) and B12 (Engineering). For more information about our School, our research and our facilities please see https://www.open.ac.uk/science/life-health-chemical-sciences/.
We are seeking to appoint a fixed-term lecturer in Natural Sciences to join the School of Life, Health and Chemical Sciences (LHCS) to support the development of our Stage 1 (the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ) Level 4) Natural Sciences curriculum with experience in teaching biology or chemistry at this level, and to contribute to our research profile.
You will contribute to the design and delivery of OU undergraduate modules in the Natural Sciences programme. You should be prepared to bring an imaginative approach to the challenge of presenting science courses and programmes for a wide range of adult students of different backgrounds. You may also be required to teach at higher level.
Since its inception, The Open University (OU) has focused on innovation in teaching and learning, with a track record of providing inspiring, world-leading programmes of higher education for students who learn at a distance. Building on award-winning initiatives such as the OpenSTEM Labs, the University is committed to delivering the highest quality teaching, together with excellent research. We provide rewarding academic career paths that are focused on world-class teaching, research, and knowledge exchange.
In particular, within the supportive environment in the School, the post-holder(s) will be expected to:
You can find out more about our distance learning teaching model, which differs to that at more traditional face-to-face universities, at https://www.open.ac.uk/stem/life-health-chemical-sciences/about-us/our-teaching-model
Essential
Desirable
If you have any questions, or need support or adjustments relating to your application, the recruitment process, or the role, please contact us on 01908 541111 or email careers@open.ac.uk quoting the advert reference number.
At The Open University, we offer a range of benefits to recognise and reward great work, alongside policies and flexible working that contribute towards a great work life balance. Get all the details of what benefits we offer by visiting our Staff Benefits page (clicking this link will open a new window).
We are open to discussions about flexible working. Whether its a job share, part time, compressed hours or another working arrangement. Please reach out to us to discuss what works best for you.
Work location
It is anticipated that a hybrid working pattern can be adopted for this role, where you can work from home and the office. However, as this role is contractually aligned to our Milton Keynes office it is expected that attendance on our Milton Keynes campus will be required when necessary and in response to business needs, for example for laboratory-based research and/or supervision of research students or occasional team meetings.
Interview date: Likely to be late June or early July.
The selection process for those shortlisted for interview will include the following (in addition to the main interview itself):
The written teaching text and presentation will be discussed with you as part of the interview process.
Candidates will be notified as soon as possible after the closing date whether they have been shortlisted for interview.
While most roles will remain open until the advertised closing date, applications may be reviewed on an ongoing basis. In some cases, vacancies may close earlier if a sufficient number of suitable applications has been received and equality impacts have been appropriately considered. All roles will remain advertised for a minimum of one week before any early closure is implemented. If you have started an application or were in the process of applying when the advert closed, we encourage you to get in touch. We are committed to understanding individual circumstances and can offer further support where needed, including reasonable adjustments for applicants with protected characteristics.
To apply for this role please submit the following document(s):
You can view your progress and application communications when you are logged into our recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folders if you do not receive associated email updates.